Ok… but don’t feel bad if you can’t make it work as it is pretty complex.
Buy a bottle of Ranch Dressing… Kraft is good, but if you are feeling really fancy try Hidden Valley.
Shake the bottle for 10 to 12 seconds
Break the seal on the bottle using either a butter knife or a finger nail… unscrew lid
Pour the dressing into a small bowl… make sure there isn’t anything else in the bowl first, and stop before the small bowl overflows.
Place the cherry tomato between three fingers (I’ve found that three works better in this recipe) making sure that half of the tomato is not covered by your fingers.
Carefully dip the tomato into the dressing, non-finger end first.
Place dipped tomato into mouth… chew… repeat
I’ve heard there is a Bleu Cheese variation, but I don’t know that recipe.
Cherry tomatoes, washed.
Anchovies.
Soft cheese, diced, or curls of spreadable cheese.
Put in a bowl, mix well, eat. You don’t need any dressing, between the oil and salt from the anchovies and the tomatoes’ own acidity.
The fancy version: stick a round toothpick through the end of an anchovy. Push it in just enough to be able to push in a cherry tomato. Stick the pick through the middle of the anchovy. Push further in until you can stick another cherry, finish making an S with the anchovy. Stick a die of cheese on the end of the toothpick that still has space. You just made a caprese salad pincho! Suggestion: make more than one Safety instructions: do not eat the toothpick.
You don’t need to peel them. Get a food mill that will separate the seeds and skins and leave you with the juices. We have one similar to this that we use for the cherry tomato overload. Use the juice to make marinara, tomato soup or what have you.
Pickle them!
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh dill sprigs
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar, water, salt, sugar and lemon zest to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
Pierce each tomato once or twice with a wooden toothpick. Divide tomatoes, dill, garlic, red pepper and mustard seeds evenly among sterilized jars.
Pour cooled vinegar mixture into jars, leaving on inch of space at the top. Cover and refrigerate for up to one month.
I tend to double the garlic, pepper, and mustard. They are EXCELLENT in your bloody Mary.
Due to the weird weather this summer, my cherry tomatoes have kind of come and gone. But one of my favorite uses is a pasta topping by browning onions in butter and olive oil, then adding a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, smushing them in the pan, add garlic and fresh basil, some thyme, and then some thin-sliced seared beef.
Also ate a lot of canned tuna mixed with cottage cheese and cherry tomatoes, a little lemon pepper, and scooped with Triscuits or Wasa crackers.
Safety instructions: do not eat the toothpick.