Tantalizing Tomato Treats
Salade De Tomatoes.
Nothing—but nothing!—says summer more than a ripe tomato!
And not only summer, but the whole year round, who can imagine a pizza without a foundational tomato sauce; a hamburger without ketchup and a slice of fresh tomato; salsa without that principal ingredient; a BLT without the T? What would Italy be without the tomato? Or New Orleans (think gumbo and jambalaya)? How about France and its ratatouille? How would you make a Bloody Mary? And what of the iconic first tomato sandwich of the year, with a slathering of Duke’s mayonnaise, symbol of the South?
Tomatoes bring color, voluptuousness, vibrancy, flavor, heritage, sensuousness, song, and legend to our days, from the first Tommy toe that appears in a balcony plant holder to the last green tomato harvested from the vine because it can no longer ripen as the autumn chill descends.
The humble yet ubiquitous tomato is the edible berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, originating in the Andean region of South America, where it may have been cultivated as early as 700 BC. The Aztecs purportedly used tomatoes in their cooking at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, and the fruit was introduced to Europe during the 16th century. It is said that the Pueblo people believed that those who witnessed the ingestion of tomato seeds were blessed with powers of divination.
It may come as a surprise to think that, despite today’s widespread adoration of this summer treat, many suspicious souls once considered tomatoes to be toxic. As relatives of Belladona, or deadly nightshade, it is curious that so many members of the same family, notably, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers have since been embraced into our world of edibles. Incidentally, tobacco and petunias are also members of the Solanaceae family.
Tantalizing Tomato Treats
There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes, with over 3,000 of these being open-pollinated varieties. Heirloom, or heritage tomatoes, have become popular with both chefs and home cooks as educated eaters search increasingly for ingredients grown close to home. Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Chocolate Cherry, Garden Peach, Green Zebra, Hawaiian Pineapple, Hillbilly, Lollypop, Mr. Stripey, Three Sisters, and Yellow Pear are some of the many heritage names you might find on the market these days.
Ah, but what to do with them? That, my dear, is the question, and one easily answered.
Besides the dishes evoked above, there are tomato/mozzarella/basil salads, fried green tomatoes, tomato jam, cream of tomato soup, deep-dish tomato pie, gazpacho garni, tomato/gruyère/thyme tart (see the May-June edition of Smoky Mountain Living) … the list goes on and on ad infinitum.
If you want some music while you’re in the kitchen, don’t look far … put on Guy Clark’s ditty:
Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes,
What’d life be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can’t buy,
And that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes
Here are three recipes you can produce with little fuss:
Tomato Goat Cheese Rosemary Ramekins
These easy-to-prep, easy-to-serve mini-dishes can be presented as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to a main dish or a salad course. While best with in-season tomatoes, they can also shine with fruits from winter months.
- 1 medium-large tomato per person
- 1 half-inch thick medallion fresh goat cheese per person
- Freshly-chopped rosemary
- Rosemary sprigs for garnish
- Freshly-ground pepper
- Olive oil
- Salt
Dice tomatoes into ½-inch cubes. Mix with salt and pepper and chopped rosemary. Spoon into ramekins and top with a round of goat cheese. Sprinkle with a bit of olive oil, top with a grinding of salt and pepper and some more chopped rosemary, and slip into the oven at 400°F until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to turn golden. Top with a fresh sprig of rosemary and serve with crusty home-made bread and a chilled rosé.
Tantalizing Tomato Treats
Tomatoes Provencale.
Tomates à la Provençale
A simple and delicious way to add color to your plate, the perfect foil for lamb and long, delicate green beans, bubbling hot and aching for a full-bodied Bordeaux.
- 1 medium-sized tomato per person
- Several pressed garlic cloves
- Dried bread crumbs (optional)
- Fresh chopped rosemary
- Fresh leaves of thyme
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Slice tomatoes in half from stem to blossom end. Place sliced side up on a baking tray. In a dish aside, press garlic, add chopped herbs, salt and pepper, and breadcrumbs if you wish, for a crunchier topping. Mix in enough olive oil to make easily spreadable, and spoon the ensemble onto the halved tomatoes. Slip into the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes to a half-hour, or until golden but still firm enough to serve without caving in.
Tantalizing Tomato Treats
Tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil.
Tomates Natures
Several years back when serving as judge for the Asheville Wine & Food Festival’s chef competition, tomatoes were the secret ingredient. An impressive number of dishes were created, melding in so many other ingredients that the tomato was sometimes lost in an effort to impress. One chef had the temerity to serve a single slice of a beautiful heirloom tomato, drizzled in a minute amount of olive oil, and sprinkled with sea salt. It was the best thing on the menu.
My Madison County neighbors, the ones who have lived in the hollers for generations and have planted tomatoes every year of their lives, often recounted how they would go out into the garden with a salt-shaker on a hot summer day and pluck the ripe fruit from the vine, eating it then and there with no further embellishment needed.
- The freshest, best tomato you can find
- (Salt if you must)
Preparation? None. Just step out into the garden, pluck the ripe fruit and stuff it in your mouth, letting the juice run down your chin and a big smile stretch your cheeks along with the warm flesh of summer.