Enjoy these well-flavoured and colourful tomato recipes.
Avoid like the plague those flavourless apologies for tomatoes that are all too often
heaped up in supermarkets. Fortunately, suppliers are starting to cotton on to the fact
that we like to tomatoes to taste like tomatoes, and it's easier to find vine-ripened or grown-for-flavour options. If you're really lucky, you'll even get a waft of
that tangy, slightly acidic fresh tomato scent from them. Cherry tomatoes are often
sweet, juicy and well flavoured, too, but a bit fiddly to use in recipes.
Huge beefsteak tomatoes are good for stuffing, or in salads. Plum tomatoes have
particularly good flavour, great for tomato sauces. Sun-dried tomatoes have a
beautifully intense flavour, and are a great addition to sauces or soups.
ALL ABOUT TOMATOES
The season's at its height in late July – early September. Grow your own if
you can, you only need a compost bag, a sunny spot and a few stakes to support the
plants. Otherwise, look for locally grown for best flavour.
Buy small amounts, frequently, and store at room temperature. Remove plastic or
cellophane wrappings as soon as possible.
Tomatoes have high nutritional value. They contain
vitamins C and E, as well as minerals including calcium.
Men should have a daily helping of tomatoes, because they contain lycopene,
thought to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Tomato skins can be tough, and the seeds slightly bitter. For many tomato
recipes, it's better to skin them first. Put them into a bowl, pour over boiling water and
leave for 15-20 seconds. Drain, nick the skin, and it will peel off easily. Cut the
tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds.
TOMATO RECIPES
Tomato sauce. Click here, for this deeply delicious tomato
sauce made with roast tomatoes. The recipe is very versatile. Use it with pasta, risottos or
serve with other roast vegetables. It keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days, and can also be
frozen.
Tomato salsa. A speedy relish that's an
essential part of Mexican food, served with fajitas and enchiladas. Also good with
cold meats. Peel, seed and chop 500g (1 ¾ cups) tomatoes, seed and slice 1 green
chilli, finely chop 1 red onion and chop a handful of fresh coriander. Mix together with
the juice of 1 lime and season to taste.
Tomato soup: Gazpacho The cold classic
among tomato recipes comes from Spain is quick and easy to make. Peel, seed and
chop 1kg (3 ½ cups) ripe tomatoes. Peel and chop a cucumber, discarding seeds.
Blend tomatoes and cucumber with 2 slices day-old bread soaked briefly in cold
water, 1 chopped red pepper, 1 seeded and chopped green chilli, 2 cloves garlic,
30ml/2tbsp olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime, a dash of Tabasco sauce.
Gradually add 450ml (2 cups) cold water until the texture is right. It shouldn't be too
thin. Chill before serving.
Tomato salads For a basic salad, skin
the tomatoes if you wish, slice and arrange on a plate, scatter with torn basil leaves,
season, and dress lightly with an olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing. Variations on tomato recipes for salad Add a sliced mozzarella cheese by itself, or with a
sliced avocad to make tricolore salad. To the basic tomato, add finely chopped
chives, or spring onions, slices of slightly runny hard-boiled egg. Flaked tuna fish is
another good addition.
Ratatouille is a wonderful dish, my favourite of all the tomato recipes, and the
perfect way to use up lots of tomatoes in the early autumn. I don't include aubergines
because my children aren't keen on them, but you could add sliced mushrooms to
the basic mixture. Make a huge batch and freeze some. It's good with meat or fish,
or use it as a sauce with roast vegetables, pasta, polenta or rice. Slice 1 large onion
and cook gently in olive oil to soften. Add 4 cloves garlic, crushed, 1 sliced red
pepper, 4 thinly sliced courgettes and 8 peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes.
Season, add some thyme, and bake in the oven for 40 minutes – 1 hour until the
vegetables are tender. You could simmer it on top the hob instead, but you get a
richer sauce by baking.
