As an Italian, tomatoes are (I believe) part of my genetic makeup. So it’s a wonder that I’ve taken so long to discuss this very meaningful fruit in this article. Tomatoes originated in South America and (no spoiler here) made their way to Europe and then North America. They became, and still remain, a staple in the Aztec diet. At that time, Europeans and North Americans weren’t keen on tasting tomatoes. But in the 18th Century, the history books show that, somehow, people warmed up to tomatoes, and they’ve been a beloved fruit ever since.
Juicy and plump, tomatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals and (along with their incredible flavour) are revered for their high lycopene content. From the little cherry varieties to the giant beef heart varieties, red tomatoes are most common. Of course, there are yellow, orange and even brownish tomatoes that make their way in to the market at this time of year. And they’re all delicious if eaten at their peak.
The best-tasting tomatoes will be found this time of year, at the end of summer. All winter long, tomatoes are available here but they are the greenhouse or hot house varieties. These varieties have an all right flavour but because of their high water content, they will never match the flavour of tomatoes grown outdoors in the sunshine.
Store your tomatoes at room temperature. Once they’re fully ripe (as in the skin is starting to wrinkle slightly), you can chill, cook or freeze them. Freezing these end-of-summer beauties is a snap. Just rinse, dry, bag and freeze. That way you can save a bit of summer for a fall or winter feast. To preserve tomatoes, you can also dry roast in the oven then store in the fridge with olive oil. These roasted tomatoes can be used slowly over a few weeks in your everyday cooking.
In the kitchen, applications for tomatoes are virtually endless. They can be used solo or as an extra ingredient to so many dishes. My very favourite way to eat a tomato is sliced and sprinkled with a teeny bit of salt to enhance that typically tangy, sweet tomato taste. While they’re in their prime, raw tomatoes are also terrific in a simple salad with a fresh mozzarella or burrata.
Keeping with the raw theme, I encourage you to try raw tomato sauce this summer. Note that your tomatoes must be fully ripe otherwise the taste of this raw sauce won’t be appealing in the slightest. Chop and puree in a blender with salt, extra virgin olive oil, basil, garlic. Pour over freshly cooked pasta or grain and enjoy the fresh flavours. Gazpacho, a cold raw soup, is similar to a sauce but is kept a bit chunkier. Hot tomato soup works well, too. As mentioned earlier, turn tomatoes into a salad or impress your neighbours at a dinner party and use tomatoes as a vessel for a fresh summer salad.
Any way you serve them, enjoy.
