Recipes: Panini of Heirloom Tomatoes, Pancetta and Basil Mascarpone, Tomatoes, Sweet Onion and Fresh Mint Salad, Yellow Tomato Gazpacho with Avocado-Tomato Salsa

Panini of Heirloom Tomatoes, Pancetta and Basil Mascarpone

Serves 4.

This twist on the BLT is a standard at Tulio in Seattle. From "The Tomato Festival Cookbook" by Lawrence Davis-Hollander (Storey Publishing, $16.95).

• ¹/₈c. fresh basil

• ¹/₂c. mascarpone cheese

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 12 pieces pancetta, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

• 2 to 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 bunch arugula

• 4 heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

In bowl of a food processor, pulse basil for 5 seconds. Add mascarpone, season with salt and pepper to taste and process a few seconds longer, just until mixed. Reserve.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pancetta slices on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, or until pancetta is crisp and golden brown on both sides. Drain pancetta on paper towels. Toast bread either on a grill or in an oven, brushing it with olive oil if you wish. Spread a small amount of mascarpone on top of half of a slice of bread and place some arugula on it. On bottom half of bread, place tomatoes and crispy pancetta, then season with salt and pepper. Top with other half slice of bread. Repeat process with other sandwiches and serve immediately.

Calories440 Fat 31 gSodium720 mg

Carbohydrates28 g Including sat. fat 12 g Calcium110 mg

Protein15 gCholesterol52 mgDietary fiber3 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 bread/starch exch., 1 medium-fat meat exch. and 5 fat exch.

Tomatoes, Sweet Onion and Fresh Mint Salad

From "Fresh & Fast" by Marie Simmons (Houghton Mifflin, $18).

• 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 1 large sweet onion, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, gently combine tomatoes, onion, oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Stir in mint and serve.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories94 Fat 7 gSodium10 mg

Carbohydrates8 g Including sat. fat 1 g Calcium20 mg

Protein1 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber2 g

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho with Avocado-Tomato Salsa

Serves 4.

Note: Yellow Taxi tomatoes are low-acid, meaty, sweet heirloom slicing tomatoes, with a lemon-yellow skin. This dish is best made a day in advance; the flavors become more complex after they are given a day of rest in the refrigerator. From "The Sustainable Kitchen" by Stu Stein (New Society Publishers, $22.95).

For gazpacho:

• 6 ripe Yellow Taxi tomatoes or other yellow heirloom tomatoes

• 1 English or regular waxy cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into large pieces

• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces

• 1 red onion, cut into large pieces

• ¹/₂small hot red chile, seeded and cut into large pieces

• ¹/₄c. red wine vinegar

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

• 4 red cherry tomatoes, cut in half, for garnish

• 4 yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half, for garnish

For salsa:

• 2 avocados, preferably Haas, peeled and seeded, flesh cut into small dice

• 1 small red onion, cut into small dice

• 1 red heirloom slicing tomato, peeled, seeded and diced

• 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

• Juice of 1 lime

• ¹/₄c. extra-virgin olive oil

To prepare gazpacho: In a blender, combine Yellow Taxi tomatoes, garlic, cucumber, yellow pepper, red onion, chile, vinegar and olive oil and purée until smooth (you may need to work in small batches). Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing solids with a wooden spoon in order to extract as much liquid as possible. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

To prepare salsa: In a large stainless steel bowl, combine avocados, chile, onion, tomato, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or overnight.

To serve: Evenly divide salsa into 4 chilled soup bowls. Ladle gazpacho around salsa and garnish with red and yellow cherry tomato halves and serve.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories560 Fat 49 gSodium47 mg

Protein6 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber11 g