FROM THE LAND
Heirloom tomatoes with the Food Heritage Foundation
HEIRLOOM TOMATO OR JABALIYEH TOMATO IS ALSO REFERRED TO AS “REAL TOMATO” GIVEN THAT IT IS A NATURAL VARIETY THAT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE GENERATIONS; FROM FARMER TO FARMER
Jabaliyeh tomato salad with garlic & sumac
In Lebanon, Jabaliyeh tomatoes are commonly served in local restaurants with the mezza dishes, as tomato slices covered with garlic, olive oil and sumac.
Makes 1 plate 190 calories/serving
INGREDIENTS
• 1 Jabaliyeh tomato (200g) • 4 garlic cloves • 1 tbsp olive oil • ½ tsp salt • 1 pinch sumac
PREPARATION
Wash the tomato and cut it into slices (1cm aprox.). Place the tomato slices on a plate and put it in the fridge. In the meantime, crush the garlic cloves and mix them with the oil and salt to obtain a paste. Spread the garlic paste on each tomato slice. Sprinkle some sumac on each slice as well. You can serve this plate alone as a side dish/salad or add the tomato slice to any other salad.
Tomato sauce
Tomato sauce is widely used in cooking, especially in our local stews. It is a very rich source of vitamins A and C. It tastes best when you make it from fresh Jabaliyeh tomatoes. 1 serving = 1 cup 42 calories/serving
INGREDIENTS
• 1 kg ripe Jabaliyeh tomato (yield 1L
of tomato juice) • 1 tsp sugar • 1 tsp salt • ½ tsp garlic or basil or thyme
(optional, for flavor)
PREPARATION
Thoroughly wash and clean the tomatoes. method: place the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds and then place them in a bowl of cold water. The skin is easily removed. Cut the tomatoes into four equal pieces each and remove the seeds. Smash the tomato pieces using a potato smasher or place them in a mixer to extract the tomato juice. Boil the tomato juice for 2530 minutes over medium fire. If the juice is not liquid enough, add 2 cups of water. Add the sugar and salt. Add ½ teaspoon of garlic, thyme or basil for flavor (optional). Filter the juice through a strainer, f ill it in glass bottles and close properly.
Tomato paste
Tomato paste, like many other preserves in the Lebanese repertoire of 'moune', is a way to conserve foods for consumption during the scarce winter season and for the times when tomatoes are not fresh and available. Traditionally, tomato juice is heated over a wood fire for a few hours to obtain the paste that can be eaten raw in a sandwich with fresh oregano leaves and olive oil or used in cooking. 1 serving = 1 tbsp 12 calories/serving
INGREDIENTS
• 7kg raw Jabaliyeh tomatoes (yield
1kg of tomato paste) • 75g salt
PREPARATION
Peel the tomatoes using the blanching method; place the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds and then place them in a bowl the tomatoes into four equal pieces each and remove the seeds. Smash the tomato pieces using a potato smasher or place them in a mixer to extract the tomato juice. Add 75g of salt to the tomato juice. Boil the tomato juice over medium fire for around 4-6 hours until all the water evaporates and a tomato paste is formed. Pour the hot tomato paste into a dry and clean 1kg glass jar. Close the jar immediately after filling. The tomato paste can be conserved for up to one year.
To increase the shelf life of the tomato juice, place the tomato juice bottles upside down ina pot filled with water. Boil the water for few minutes. keep the bottles inside the pot until the water cools down. this process extends the shelf life of the tomato juice up to 6 months.