By Cyndy Crist, RC Master Gardener Diversity Committee
August is “prime time” for tomatoes in Minnesota gardens and markets. This versatile fruit, which belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family, can be found in gardens, kitchens, and dining rooms around the world. Although it’s hard to imagine Italian cooking without them, tomatoes are native to Central, South, and southern North America. While there is some question about whether the tomato first appeared in Mexico or South America, there is no doubt that it was the Spaniards who carried it to both Europe and Southeast Asia. However, it was little eaten in England and the U.S. colonies until the 1700s because of the widely held belief that it was poisonous.
The word tomato derives from a word in the Nahuatl language, tomat, and the latter part of its name, Solanum lycopersicum, means "wolf-peach." There are literally thousands of cultivars that produce fruits in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. At present, China grows more tomatoes than any other country, followed by the U.S., Turkey, India, and Egypt in that order.
Throughout the world, the tomato, which is generally used as a vegetable, is eaten fresh and cooked, is preserved in various forms for use throughout the year (although it is grown as a perennial in warm climates), and can appear during just about any course on the menu. In Russia, it seems no summer meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) is complete without a plate of fresh tomato wedges and slices of cucumber. A wide array of Asian recipes include tomatoes. And what Mexican meal would be complete without the ubiquitous salsa! This sampling of recipes that use tomatoes shows the diversity of this ancient fruit as well as of the people who have cultivated and eaten it for many centuries.
Spanish Tomato Toast (pan con tomate)
8 slices sourdough or country-style bread, cut into 3/4-inch thick slices
4 cloves garlic peeled and cut in half
4 small ripe red tomatoes cut in half*
Cruet of extra-virgin olive oil
Small bowl of coarse salt or sea salt
Black pepper in a pepper mill
Grill the bread approximately 2 to 4 minutes per side on a barbecue or toast it lightly in the oven. Once the bread is toasted, rub 1/2 clove of garlic, cut side of half, over the bread while still warm. Use a fresh piece of garlic for each slice. ub tomato (cut side) over the bread, pressing firmly to push the pulp into the bread, until the toast is covered with tomato; discard the skins and remaining pulp. Drizzle olive oil over the bread and tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and a couple grind of pepper. Serve immediately.
There are two ways to serve tomato bread:
- The first is for the cook to do the rubbing and drizzling.
- The second is to provide each person with a clove of garlic, half tomato, cruet of oil, and bowl of salt and let him or her do the work. The second way is more fun.
Optional garnish, choose one or a combination:
1/2 cup green Spanish olives
12 anchovy fillets, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, drained, and patted dry
6 paper-thin slices Spanish ham or prosciutto
12 paper-thin slices Manchego
Makes 8 servings.
Tomato Bruschetta (Italian)
10 plum tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
French or Italian bread slices
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except bread; set aside. Slice the bread into 1-inch slices. If you're working with a large loaf, you'll then want to halve each slice again. Brush one side of each slice with extra virgin olive oil. Place the slices oil-side down on a cooking sheet, and toast them in the oven until golden brown.
Serve tomato mixture, room temperature, in a bowl with a spoon and lots of toasted bread slices, or tops each bruschetta with the tomato mixture and place on a large serving plate. Try not to top too far ahead of serving, as the bread can get soggy.
Salsa Verde (Mexican)
Salsa Verde is to Mexican cuisine what tomato sauce is to Italian food. Salsa verde is similar to red salsa, except that instead of using red tomatoes, it uses the small green tomatillo. Its most popular use is as a chip dip, but also used as a sauce on meats and poultry.
2 large fresh Anaheim chile peppers
1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, diced
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 large green onions, chopped
1 large serrano chile pepper, stemmed, seeded
1 large garlic clove
1/4 cup (firmly packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon half & half, heavy cream, sour cream, or whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional)
Sugar, white or brown (optional)
Char Anaheim chilies directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Rinse off all of the blackened skin and then chop the chilies. NOTE: Remove seeds for milder flavor. Warning: Wear gloves when working with the chilies and don't rub your eyes.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add tomatillos, chicken broth, green onions, serrano chili, and garlic in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until mixture is reduced to approximately 1 2/3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes.
Transfer mixture to blender. Add charred Anaheim chilies, cilantro, and cream. Puree until smooth. Season salsa with salt and pepper. Add lime juice.
Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to small bowl; cover and chill. Can be served warm or chilled. Makes approximately 2 cups.
Onion and Tomato Raita (Indian)
Ingredients
230 GMS plain curd (yogurt)
1 small onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1 small tomato
1/2 tsp. chaat masala
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup milk
Method
1.Beat yogurt and milk till smooth.
2.Chop onion and tomatoes and add to yogurt.
3.Add salt and pepper and sprinkle the chaat masala over, and serve.
Cucumber Salad (Yum Tang Gua – Thai)
For 2 Servings
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ tomato, sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
½ onion, sliced into 1-inch lengths
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 cucumber, sliced
1 egg (optional)
Cut up the veggies and mix everything together. When you taste it, you should be able to taste all three flavors: fish sauce, vinegar and sugar. If you are including egg, fry the egg until the white part is crispy and cut it into small, bite sized pieces.
This dish can be made vegetarian by omitting egg and substituting soy sauce for the fish sauce.
Chao’s Hmong Salad
1 pkg. lunkow noodles
2 to 3 lb. ground pork
1 tbsp. mushroom soy
4 cooked eggs (quartered)
1 c. water
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. msg
1 head lettuce
2 tomatoes chopped
Soak noodles in warm water for 30 minutes, drain and cut in 1 inch lengths. Fry pork (without oil) and add the water, salt, msg and soy. Layer in bowl: noodles, lettuce, pork mixture, eggs, tomatoes and onions.
Somali Crabmeat Stew
Yield: 8 portions
In a 3-quart heavy saucepan:
Saute in ¼ cup peanut oil or butter, until soft but not brown:
1 cup ONIONS, finely chopped
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
Add 1 Ib. tomatoes cut in small wedges. Simmer until tomatoes begin to cook.
Add 2 lbs. crabmeat (or any seafood). Saute lightly for 10 minutes.
Serve crabmeat over hot rice.
