“A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins,” according to the writer Laurie Colwin.
Of course she was talking about backyard garden and farmers’ market tomatoes–all those luscious local tomatoes that provide a bright symphony of flavors. And now is the time to seek out every theme and variation on tomatoes: hybrids, heirlooms, cherry, pear, plum, even the diminutive currant tomatoes. The rainbow names of the heirlooms are enough to set your mouth watering: Sun Gold, Green Zebra, Pink Accordion, Prudens’ Purple, Striped Roman, Purple Calabash, Orange Oxheart, Black Trifele, Great White, and the ever-popular Brandywines(pink, red, and yellow)–to name just a few.
AN ORCHESTRA OF FLAVORS
Tangy, bright, and explosively ripe, an in-season tomato is any cook’s dream. You can do almost anything, or almost nothing, and either way, the result will be mind-blowingly delicious. To celebrate the season, we propose a tomato trio, starting with a garden-fresh bloody mary, moving on to a big herbed heirloom tomato salad, and ending with a pizza (or bread) topped with oven-roasted tomatoes.
THE MELODY OF SUMMER YEAR ROUND
And after you slice ‘em, dice ‘em, sauce ‘em, salad ‘em, and slurp’em down shamelessly, be sure and put some up for winter. Tomatoes are one of the few vegetables that you can simply wash, cut into chunks, and slip into a zip-lock freezer bag. Nothing could be easier, or more rewarding come winter.
Garden-Fresh Bloody Mary Mix
Ingredients
- 6 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 teaspoons hot sauce optional
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh horseradish
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- Herbs for garnish we love lovage, nasturtium and others
Instructions
- Blend the tomatoes, lemon and lime juices, Worcestershire, garlic, hot sauce, horseradish, salt, celery seed and pepper until smooth. Cover and chill until needed. This recipe makes 6 to 7 cups, depending on the size of the tomatoes; the mix will keep for 1 week
Herbed Heirloom Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- Heirloom Tomatoes
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Herbs
Instructions
- Gather up 2 pounds of the most beautiful heirloom tomatoes you can find, choosing a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Cut them into wedges or thick slices. If you have cherry tomatoes, leave them whole. Arrange them on a chilled plate and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and your favorite vinegar. Top with a sprinkling of fresh, torn herbs like tarragon, basil, chives, and/or Italian parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
Fresh-Roasted Tomato Pizza
Ingredients
For roasted tomatoes
- 6 to 10 to matoes any size or color
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh oregano thyme, or parsley
For pizza
- 1 pizza dough or 3-4 toasted slices of bread
- 2 Tbs melted butter or olive oil
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan or other hard cheese
- 2 Tbs chopped fresh oregano basil, or other herbs to garnish the pizza after it comes out of the oven
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- Cut small tomatoes in half, and larger ones into wedges. Mix tomatoes in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and herbs. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and slow roast in the oven for an hour or more.
- Stretch the pizza dough and put on a pizza stone or cookie sheet. Bake in a hot oven (400 degrees) 3-5 minutes until dough has started to crisp slightly. Remove crust and use a fork to pierce any air bubbles. Use a brush to spread the melted butter or olive oil on the crust. Scatter the roasted tomato pieces on top, and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until crust is crisp. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
- Pre-roasting the tomatoes for an hour or more in a slow oven (about 275) evaporates the water and concentrates the flavor, making powerful little flavor packets.
