Summer Tomato Croquettes With Cucumber Yogurt

Ingredients

• 1 lb roma tomato (plum)
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (and more as needed)
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped small red chilies, roasted (2-3 small ones)
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup scallion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 pinch sugar (if needed)
• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (panko, if you can get them)

Cucumber Yogurt

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. 2

   Core tomatoes, slice in half lengthwise. Place in a bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

3. 3

   Place tomatoes on a baking sheet, cut side down. Pour any oil remaining in the bowl over the tomatoes. Bake until skins are wrinkled and tomatoes are soft, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool enough to handle.

4. 4

   Peel skins from the tomatoes and discard. Place the tomatoes in a colander set over a bowl for about 20 minutes. Press on them occasionally to break them apart and release their juices.

5. 5

   Place chilies on baking sheet and place under broiler. Blacken as evenly as possible on all sides, turning every 4-5 minutes with long handled tongs or fork. When blackened all the way around, remove the peppers form the broiler and place in a plastic bag, close tightly. Allow to cool in bag for 20-30 minutes. Remove peppers from bag and with a sharp knife, peel the softened skins away and remove the stem, seeds, and ribs from each pepper. This can be done way ahead of time and kept chilled until making croquettes. It can also be done at the same time as the tomatoes.

6. 6

   Heat 2 tbsp of the remaining olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and chilies and stir for 1 more minute. Pour the onion mixture into a bowl. Place roasted chilies in bowl with onion mixture.

7. 7

   Add the drained roasted tomatoes, parsley, scallions, oregano, and basil to the bowl with the onion mixture. Taste, and if it's acidic, add a pinch of sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the flour and bread crumbs and taste again for seasoning.

8. 8

   Divide the mixture into 6 balls and form into patties about 1/2" thick. Heat the remaining 10 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add 3 of the patties(patties should be half submerged in oil, add more oil as needed). Brown for about 3 minutes on first side, turn, and brown for 2-3 minutes more on second side.

9. 9

   Remove and drain on paper towels while cooking the second batch. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with cucumber yogurt, and eat warm or let cool, placing them in a sturdy plastic container, and pack them to go for a picnic! Enjoy!

10. 10

    To make cucumber yogurt:.

11. 11

    In a bow, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and yogurt. Grate the cucumber halves into the yogurt mixture up to the sees, discarding the seeds. Mix well and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve chilled.