The tomato has grown in popularity since its ‘discovery’ by conquistadors
The summer that I first started dating my husband, he was responsible for his parent’s vast vegetable garden while they were away for several weeks. We got up one morning and, armed only with a saltshaker between us, we breakfasted on huge, ripe, warm tomatoes; knee deep in tomato vines, our toes warmed by the soil, eating them whole out of hand. I was already in love with him, but if it were possible, I fell even more so.
Indeed, in the south of France, the tomato has been nick-named pomme d’amour or "love apple." It is a favourite ingredient in kitchens the world over. It is hard to imagine Italian pasta sauce, Spanish paella or Indian curry without the robust, red flush and flavour the tomato lends to these dishes, not to mention an American icon – ketchup.
The word tomato actually comes from the Aztec word for the fruit, tomatl. The tomato plant is native to Peru in South America. It is a member of the nightshade family (eggplants and potatoes are too). The plant was brought to Europe from Central America by the Spanish conquistadors (it had made its way up north to Mexico by that time).
In 16th century Spain the tomato was met with little enthusiasm as the plant was feared like various other members of the nightshade family. For many years it was grown purely as an ornamental plant, called a Peruvian apple. It was not until the 18th century that the Spanish began cultivating the plant for its fruit. From there it made its way to northern Italy and southern France. Advocates of the plant were unable to convince Paris of the benefits of the tomato until as late as 1790. And it was not until the 20th century that the plant developed popularity in North America.
Today the tomato is classified as one of the United States’ favourite vegetables. The tomato is, in biological terms, a fruit. The U.S. government labelled the tomato "a vegetable" in 1893 for trade purposes.
Tomatoes that are grown today are a far cry from the original fruit they once were. Many hybrid varieties have been bred to withstand shipping rather than for texture or flavour. As a result, a lot of the tomatoes we buy at the supermarket are bland, mushy and tasteless. Even though they are a bit more expensive it is well worth buying "vine-ripened" tomatoes at the grocery store as they will repay you in flavour far beyond the regular bulk ones. Those tomatoes, unless picked in season, locally, were picked green and most likely sprayed with ethylene gas to ripen them.
Thankfully, many farmers have joined a movement cultivating what we now call "heirloom tomatoes," pre-hybrid varieties. These tomatoes come in all different shapes and sizes, colours and textures, and yes, flavours. They have been adapted to grow in particular microclimates and often they lend themselves to particular culinary uses which allow them to shine rather than being "all purpose."
"The blood-red Moskvich, for example, matures early and has sweet flesh that is great for eating out of hand, while the creamy texture of the persimmon-orange Flamme make it ideal for sauces, and the tart flavor of the lime-emerald Green Zebra is wonderful in salads."(Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, August, 1999).
Their names conjure images of exotica – Cherokee Purple, Marvel Stripe, Wonder Light and Yellow Brandywine to name a few. As tomatoes are now in season, take advantage of local heirloom varieties that are available at the Sunday market (with complimentary tasting if you are lucky).
When choosing tomatoes, the flavour is best if they have been allowed to ripen properly on the vine. Choose fruit that is well-shaped and firm, without blemishes or cracks and heavy for its size. Tomatoes should yield gently to palm pressure and have a fresh, grassy aroma.
Contrary to popular belief, tomatoes should never be refrigerated as it turns the flesh to mush and the flavour all but disappears. Instead, allow them to remain at room temperature and use them within a few days.
If you have a glut of fresh tomatoes at the end of the garden season and it is approaching frost, you can harvest green tomatoes and store them, wrapped individually, in newspaper. The natural hormones that tomatoes emit are enough to ripen them. To speed up the process, place an apple and the tomatoes together in a paper bag. Make sure to check them every few days as to their progress.
In Italy, whole vines are picked and hung, upside down, from rafters, providing vine-ripened fruit well into the winter. The room must have cooler air and be well-ventilated as the fruit needs to have air circulating around it to prevent it from rotting. I have never tried this technique myself, but theoretically, there is no reason why it should not work.
What do you do in the middle of winter if you don’t have access to fresh tomatoes? Use canned. Canned tomatoes have been picked at the height of season and are often far superior in flavour to anything that you could buy. If you must have a tomato to accompany your winter salad, save your pennies and buy the hothouse, vine-ripened ones. Canned tomatoes will substitute in many cooking recipes for fresh ones.
Many recipes call for tomatoes that have been peeled and seeded. Yes, I hear your collective groan, but actually this is far easier and faster than it sounds. Tomatoes to be peeled should be dunked quickly in rapidly boiling water (10 seconds or less, depending on ripeness). You can also place them in a colander and pour boiling water over them. When they are cool enough to handle, the skin should just peel away; you may have to prick the skin with a pairing knife first.
To seed tomatoes, cut them in half and, with the rounded side in the palm of your hand (imagine holding a tennis ball), cut side down, firmly squeeze the fruit, allowing the seeds to fall freely. Take care not to crush the tomato completely though.
The advantage of a peeled tomato is that you won’t have any bits of skin floating around in your dish and it also allows the flesh of the fruit to break down completely during cooking. Seeding a tomato will remove a lot of excess water that would otherwise be added during the cooking process. If the dish is to be cooked quickly, seed the tomato; if it is to be simmered slowly you don’t need to worry about seeding first.
Interestingly, how long a tomato is cooked will determine the flavour of the finished sauce. They retain a delicate flavour when fresh or cooked lightly.
"When baked for about an hour until very soft, they become sweet and rich, while if cooked for two or more hours, they develop a marked piquancy."(Anne Willan, LaVarenne Pratique p. 278).
Although fresh tomatoes are best eaten without being cooked, accompanied by a simple vinaigrette or sprinkled with lemon juice and sugar, the following recipe is a super fast, delicately subtle pasta sauce that highlights fresh tomatoes in the height of season. This recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, October 1999, issue number 40. The article and recipe, written by Jack Bishop, was thoroughly researched – he tested over 60 recipes of tomato sauce to come up with this one.
Pasta and Fresh Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Basil (serves 4)
Any type of tomato may be used n this recipe – just make sure to choose the ripest, most flavourful ones available. Short tubular or curly pasta shapes such as penne or fusilli are well suited to this chunky sauce. Alternately, before adding the basil, the sauce may be pureed in the blender or food processor so it will coat strands of spaghetti or linguine. The recipe may be doubled in a 12-inch skillet. The sauce freezes well, but add the basil when reheating.
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed with garlic press
• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes (12-15 tomatoes), cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into half inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• Salt
• 1 pound pasta
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and garlic in medium skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not browned, about two minutes. Stir in tomatoes; increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid given off by tomatoes evaporates and tomato pieces lose their shape to form a chunky sauce, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and salt to taste; cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot or soup kettle. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente (refer to package directions; cooking times vary with different shapes). Reserve one quarter cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot. Mix in reserved cooking water, sauce, and remaining tablespoon oil; toss well to combine. Serve immediately.
Variations:
• Add red pepper flakes along with garlic for extra zing.
• Add 3 minced anchovy fillets with garlic. Add kalamata olives and capers to sauce along with basil.
• Substitute a chopped onion for garlic and cut four strips of pancetta (Italian unsmoked bacon). Use only 1 tablespoon of oil and fry up bacon and onion together before adding tomatoes. Use parsley instead of basil.
• Substitute butter for olive oil. Add half a cup of heavy cream after chunky sauce has formed; simmer until cream thickens slightly, 2-3 minutes longer. Omit the oil at the end.
