There aren’t many foods as red as a tomato. The sight of hundreds of scarlet globes bobbling among the weeds would have thoroughly startled early South American explorers.
Even in the oddly coloured world of fruit, nothing quite matches that simple toy-town tone. As noted by Nigel Slater in the tomato chapter of last year’s masterful book Tender, red is the colour of passion. But it also belongs to its close relation, lust. It’s the colour of anger and wrath and most of the time the colour of pride.
What better way, then, into this week’s Summer Fest tips, than seven new deadly sins. Why deadly? Well, the tomato is a member of the nightshade family and has some cousins of the extremely poisonous kind. Commit any of the below and tomato paradise will remain out of bounds.
1) Unseasonal eating
Tomato season runs from June to September and is peaking right now. This is the time to eat fresh, locally sourced tomatoes. Get them from farmers’ markets if possible, or at least learn your varieties and look for them on the supermarket small print: know your Roma from your Brandywine, your Costoluto Fiorentino from your Marmande. The last on that list are large, slightly misshapen toms that taste amazing.
2) Storing in the fridge
A classic error. Eating tomatoes from the fridge is basically the same as watching TV with the sound off. Store your tomatoes in a shady, room temperature place instead and their personality is allowed to flourish; the result is a completely different food. If they’re in the refrigerator for whatever reason, try to remove them around half an hour before you eat them.
3) Undercooking
One of my absolute hatreds at breakfast-time is a tomato half that doesn’t know if it’s coming or going. Warm and soft on the very outside but cold and hard in the middle, here is the worst of both worlds, a cruel lump to be avoided by your otherwise delicious forkfuls, of bacon and egg or mushroom and sausage. A decent grilled tomato needs 5 minutes on a high heat.
4) Scrimping
When it comes to most tomatoes labelled ‘economy’, ‘basics’ or ‘essentials’, you might as well store these ones in the fridge. These are acceptable mainly if you’re really after the texture and not the flavour ie in sauces, gravies and spicy dishes.
5) Bludgeoning
It’s not rocket science. Use a sharp knife to avoid mushing the poor souls to a less than satisfactory end.
6) Importing
If you want to eat out of season toms, try not to opt for ‘fresh’ ones that have been imported for hundreds or thousands of refrigerated miles. Unsurprisingly it’s hard for them to travel like this without the flavour being compromised or destroyed (see sins (2) and (4)). Opt instead for tinned Italian brands for cooking; leave the salads for the right time of year.
7) Not peeling
Italians know their tomatoes and when it comes to hot food, the Italian way demands that you peel your toms before throwing them in the pan. Slit the top of each with a criss-cross shape then cover with boiling water for 30 seconds. The skin will come away easily.
Avoid these trespasses and, I promise you, the tomato will offer a world of heavenly pleasures. The possibilities are endless. Here are some recipes to explore and enjoy.
By M. Cosworth
More fun with tomatoes from across the pond:
- Nicole at Pinch My Salt: What to do with slow-roasted tomatoes
- Alison at Food2: Heirloom tomatoes
- The FN Dish: Tyler’s Ultimate Tomato Salads
- Margaret at A Way to Garden: More than one way to ripen a tomato
- Gilded Fork: Celebrating summer lusciousness with a tomato dossier
- Diane and Todd at White on Rice Couple: Sun-dried tomatoes (actually made in the sun!)
- Paige at The Sister Project: 3 substantial, healthy, vegetarian tomatoey main dishes
- Liz at the Cooking Channel: Easy Tomato Tart
- Kelly at Just a Taste: Tomato Jam
- Michelle at Healthy Eats: Top 10 Things to Do With Tomatoes
- Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Tomato and Maytag Blue Beignets
- Alana at Eating From the Ground Up: Roasted Green Salsa
- Caron at San Diego Foodstuff: Chunky Garden Gazpacho with Flowered Corn Tortillas and Melissa Clark’s Tomato Tarte Tatin
- Judy of Divina Cucina: Tomatoes the Italian way
- Caroline at the Wright Recipes: Savoury Tomato Crumble
- Tigress in a Pickle: Over 50 ways to preserve tomatoes in jars
Italian Recipe Calendar
linking this wonderful post to my local blog http://www.N8eat.com
M.Cosworth you realy do know your eggs from your bacon and don’t forget the granola xx
After treating myself to so many delicious seasonal tomatoes this summer, I don’t think I can eat a supermarket tomato again. Thanks for the tips!
My contribution this week is roasted tomato soup with smoked paprika:
http://4seasonsoffood.blogspot.com/2010/08/roasted-tomato-soup-with-smoked-paprika.html
For simple recipes like Roasted Tomato Soup, Brown Butter Tomato Vinaigrette, and an unusual and delicious Tomato Pudding check out my blog today http://thepolymathchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/08/summerfest-repost-tomato-time.html
A poorly chosen knife is the ultimate sin in my opinion, from bread to steak to tomatoes. Loved this post! Thank you!
My contribution this week is two sauces for snacking and the pantry. First, a Charleston Creole Sauce that I’ve canned for winter eating:
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2010/08/creole-sauce/
And second, a fire-roasted pico de gallo that I can’t keep stocked in the house! I make a batch at least once a week each summer . . . I make mine lacto-fermented just by adding a little whey and it lasts (fresh! uncooked salsa!) in the fridge for months. If it doesn’t get eaten first!
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2008/06/fire-roasted-pico-de-gallo-2/
Thank you for hosting! I can’t wait to read all the other contributors!
Best,
Sarah
Great list!
I made a tomato consommé for summer fest this week: http://mysocalledknife.com/2010/08/the-elusive-tomato-consomme/
Here is my contribution to this week’s Summer Fest!
http://mysteriesinternal.blogspot.com/2010/08/red-for-journey.html
Wonderful tips
Summer Fest recipes have been so much fun.
You’ll find an Heirloom Tomato Salad with Asparagus and Herb Creme Fraiche at It’s The Way She…
http://tinyurl.com/273gbal
Living in Italy for the past two years, I really gained a new appreciation of perfectly ripe tomatoes. Here are a few of my favorite ways to eat them—straight from my blog, Flexitarian Foodie!
Avocado-Tomato-Peach salad
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/07/savory-summer-fruit-salad.html
Basic Bruschetta
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/06/bruschetta-say-it-right-eat-it-often.html
Tomato and Cream Cheese Foccacia
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/04/focaccia-done-right.html
There are plenty more tomato recipes on Flexitarian Foodie, come take a look!
What a great list! Thanks for the information.
Here is my contribution.
http://www.paintchipsandcupcakes.com/2010/08/25/tomato-canning/
Bludgeouning. LOL!
I’ve gone nuts with tomatoes this summer, and one of my favorite recipes was this tomato ginger jam…
http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/tomato-ginger-jam.html
thanks for the tips! i posted two recipes…my take on slow roasted tomato sauce for pasta…and gott’s roadside’s (restaurant in the napa valley) version of gazpacho http://napafarmhouse1885.blogspot.com/2010/08/best-tomato-sauce-in-world-and-gotts.html
I’m so glad you’re educating more people about the evils of keeping tomatoes in the fridge!
My contribution to Summer Fest this week is a cheesy tomato and zucchini gratin, bubbling out of the oven, just waiting to be eaten for dinner . . .
http://www.dollopofcream.com/2010/08/summer-fest-tomato-zucchini-gratin_25.html
These are excellent tomato tips. Thanks so much for sharing these tomato essentials with us!
Here is my latest addition to Summer Fest:
Bacon Guacamole Salsa
http://su.pr/1kaInH
You tell them! How true. My contribution this week for Summer Fest
htpL//dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/08/38/tomato-and-onion-tart
I so agree about tomatoes from the fridge- yuck.
A good list- so true.