Slow-roasted tomatoes bursting with flavor (plus other tasty tomato tips)
Tomatoes, one of the most commonly eaten foods, have not always been popular.
They were originally thought to be poisonous. It wasn’t until the 1800s that tomatoes were slowly accepted. Perhaps it was the French, who gave them aphrodisiac powers and called them pommes d’amour – “love apples.” Or maybe we should credit Thomas Jefferson, who grew them at Monticello. Either way, the tomato’s place in American culinary history became cemented when Joseph Campbell put tomato soup in a can, and Andy Warhol put the can in a painting.
Here are a few tasty facts about the tomato, which are in season locally through summer:
No gas and no chill
Most supermarket tomatoes are picked green and gassed with ethylene to ripen them, resulting in a firm, dull tomato. Look for vine-ripened tomatoes, which have more sugar and aroma and the fullest flavor.
To preserve flavor and freshness, never refrigerate tomatoes. Chilly temps below 55 degrees interfere with the natural ripening process, resulting in a soft, mealy texture. Store tomatoes at room temperature.
The humble superfood
Tomatoes are considered the best source for lycopene, a powerful antioxidant and cancer fighter. Lycopene helps prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol), which causes plaque to form in the arteries. Traditional Mediterranean diets, rich in tomatoes, have been associated with lower rates heart disease. So eat lots of tomatoes!
Retro and delicious
In crazy colors – purple, black, even green-and-white striped, and with funny names – Goliath, Banana legs, Box Car Willie, Green Zebra, heirloom tomatoes may be old fashioned in origin, but they are vibrant and contemporary in taste. Unlike commercial hybrids developed
for redness and long shelf life, heirlooms are grown from original seeds that have produced the same variety of tomato for at least 50 years. Even though they may look gnarly and blemish more easily, these tomatoes taste like tomatoes.
Tomato overload
Got a bumper crop of tomatoes in your garden? Stock your freezer with them. The easiest method is to freeze the tomato whole. When ready to use, rinse the frozen tomato in cool water and the skin will slide off easily. Chop frozen tomatoes and cook them in sauces, soups and stews.
The peel can also be removed before freezing. Score fresh tomatoes with the
tip of a sharp knife, making an X on the bottom. Blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunge into cold water. Peel off the skins, and they are ready to freeze.
No more tasteless out-of-season tomatoes
The size of golf balls, juicy, sweet and never mealy, Campari tomatoes are available year-round. High in sugar, low in acid and wafting a fresh-off-the-vine aroma, these tomatoes are picked in clusters with the stem still attached. The stem or calyx continues to feed nutrition to the tomatoes, so they ripen naturally and stay fresh longer. They’ll be fresh and delicious on your kitchen counter for a week or more.
Green and good
Don’t overlook the bright tartness of green or under-ripe tomatoes. They’re not just for frying. Thinly sliced and topped with verdant herbs, goat’s cheese and garlic – green tomatoes make a pizza to envy. For a change, try some green-tomato salsa.
Slow roast for sweetness
If you have never eaten slow-roasted tomatoes, get prepared for an explosion of tomato goodness. Roasting, low and patiently slow, concentrates and caramelizes the fruit’s natural sugars. It makes the pulp meatier and more robust. Simple to prepare, this tantalizing preparation is all about time.