As I strolled through the Grand Army Plaza Farmers’ Market in Brooklyn last weekend, I eagerly scanned the crowd for my favorite summertime fling: the tomato. Here in New York, we’re still a couple of weeks out from peak heirloom tomato time, but I did spot boxes of teeny, sweet cherry tomatoes. We’re so close.
There’s plenty to do with those cherry tomatoes right now, though, whether they’re from your favorite farmer or the grocery store. The brilliant Ali Slagle has three smart, summery ideas, which she developed for a brand-new Veggie meal plan.
It’s been a bit since we’ve done one of these, so here’s a refresher: We take the “planning” out of the equation entirely and aim to provide plenty of ingredient overlap and substitution opportunities so that you can make the most of fewer ingredients and avoid eating the same dish over and over again.
To make her curry tomatoes and chickpeas with cucumber yogurt, chile-crisp tofu, tomatoes and cucumbers, and vegan pesto pasta salad, start with this budget-friendly grocery list:
5 Persian or mini seedless cucumbers
3 to 4 lemons
3 pints cherry tomatoes
2 large bunches basil (enough for 2 ¼ packed cups)
1 bag or clamshell arugula (you want a few big handfuls, at least)
1 head garlic
1 tub full-fat Greek or Indian yogurt
1 pound fusilli or other twirly noodle
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
1 (14- to 16-ounce) block extra-firm tofu
Roughly 1 cup pistachios
You most likely already have rice, salt, black pepper and olive oil in your pantry, and you may even have chile crisp, soy sauce, curry powder and capers on hand, too. But if you don’t, add them to the list!
Each dish is an exercise in contrasts: warm chickpeas and tomatoes covering cool, crunchy yogurt; refreshing cucumbers and tomatoes tempering crisp, fiery cubes of tofu; nutty, briny pesto enrobing tangy tomatoes and peppery greens. And each requires very minimal cooking, so you’re not in front of the stove for longer than 10 minutes, max.
There’s flexibility built throughout this plan. Serve the curry tomatoes and chickpeas with rice or flatbread. Enjoy the chile-crisp tofu with rice as well, or leftover arugula from the vegan pesto — or both. Any other vegetables or herbs you couldn’t resist at the market, like snap peas, celery or cilantro, would be delicious tossed into any of the three dishes.
Pistachios, which you’ll pick up mainly for the pesto, make a great garnish over the curry tomatoes and chickpeas. But if you can’t get your hands on some, slivered almonds or pine nuts would serve you just as well in both recipes. And if you’re out of curry powder, make your own blend: mix ½ teaspoon each of ground turmeric, cumin and coriander with a pinch of cayenne.
To better understand our relationship to the food we buy, we asked readers to send us their grocery receipts for April, and selected 27 people from across the United States to focus on. We pored over 283 receipts totaling more than $18,500, categorizing more than 3,200 purchases in one monster spreadsheet. The piece is a fascinating glimpse into what informs our buying habits, and I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
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