In Defense of the Canned Tomato

Oh, how I miss the dreamy red slabs of late summer tomatoes that I eat, sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, while standing in the kitchen.

Tomatoes are really great only in August and September, but they’re currently second in vegetable consumption only to the potato. In fact, they are such a staple in our diet that they’ve been made to suffer incredible manipulations so that we may have them available all year long. If only we would all leave these inferior fruits to languish in supermarket produce bins--someday someone might get the message.

I never buy or eat fresh tomatoes except in mid- to late summer, after the heat of the day and the long hours of sunshine have done their magic. I content myself by using canned tomatoes for cooking. This surprises some people, but using canned tomatoes is no sacrifice, really.

Canned tomatoes are usually of the plum or Roma variety. These are the best cooking, or sauce, tomatoes--sweet, less acidic and with a pulp that cooks down to a good, thick, rich puree.

There are a few things you should look for when you open a can of whole tomatoes. First, how many tomatoes are in the can? It should be full with them and have only enough liquid to bathe the tomatoes and fill the can.

Next, smell the open can. It should not be acrid nor should the tomatoes have the heavy aroma of a paste or sauce.

Finally, taste the liquid. It should be a bit tart, not at all salty and faintly tomato-y. There should be no hint of garlic or onion, and don’t let the advertised addition of an herb, such as basil, influence your purchase of the product. Herbs increase the “delicious quotient” only when you add them yourself. You’ll probably have to experiment by buying a few brands until you find the one you like best.

The convenience of peeled canned whole tomatoes should encourage you not only to make your own tomato sauce or tomato soup, which takes little time and will be infinitely better than any prepared one, but also to serve cooked tomatoes as a vegetable side dish or as an ingredient in a vegetarian medley.

RISOTTO WITH TOMATO, CAPERS AND HAM 1/4 cup olive oil 1 cup orzo pasta 1 medium onion, finely diced 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1/2 (28-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes, drained 3 tablespoons capers, drained 1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried 1/2 pound ham or prosciutto, diced 3 cups boiling water 1 cup arborio rice

Bring 1 quart salted water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet. Add orzo and cook, stirring, until orzo is brown on edges, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour orzo and oil into boiling water and cook until barely tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside in bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet and heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, capers, oregano and ham. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring 3 cups water to boil in pan. Place remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in another pan set over medium heat. Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and cook, stirring, until incorporated. As water is absorbed, continue adding water 1/4 cup at time, stirring continually until rice is tender and creamy, but not mushy. Remove from heat and add cooked orzo to rice.

To serve, mound risotto in large bowl. Make indentation in middle and ladle tomato mixture into it. Serve piping hot. Makes 4 servings.

BREAD AND PASTINA STEW Olive oil 8 cloves garlic, crushed 2 medium onions, finely diced 3 ounces stale Italian or French bread (about 1/4 medium loaf) 6 cups canned peeled tomatoes, drained, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons marjoram leaves or 2 teaspoons dried Salt, pepper 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 cups water or juice from canned tomatoes 3 tablespoons pastina Grated Parmesan cheese

Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic and onions in large, deep skillet and set over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Coarsely crumble bread into 1/4-inch pieces. Add to skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste, wine and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Add pastina and cook 3 minutes longer.

Pour stew into large serving dish or soup tureen. Pass grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil on side to add to stew. Makes 4 servings.

ONION AND ORZO PILAF WITH ARTICHOKES, MUSHROOMS AND TOMATOES 6 tablespoons olive oil 3 medium onions, finely diced 3/4 cup orzo pasta Salt Freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves 1 pound mushrooms, sliced 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 cup white wine 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 lemon 4 cups water 4 large artichokes

12 small Roma tomatoes or 1 (16-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes, drained.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until onions are tender and begin to turn light-golden color, about 7 minutes. Transfer onions to mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 3-quart pan and add orzo. Cook, stirring, until edges of some of orzo turn golden, about 3 minutes. Add 1 quart boiling water, cover and cook 5 minutes. Drain. Add orzo to onions in mixing bowl and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in basil. Cover and set aside.

Place mushrooms in skillet and add coriander, wine, vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until mushrooms release their liquid and are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to separate bowl. Cover and set aside.

Combine 4 cups water and juice of 1 lemon in 2-quart pan. Keep lemon for rubbing cut surfaces of artichoke as you work. Cut stems off artichokes. Trim tops, leaving base about 1 inch deep and exposing center choke. Trim all around sides and bottom to remove dark-green exterior. Place bottoms in lemon-water after trimming. When artichokes are trimmed, bring water to boil over high heat and cook, covered, until artichoke bottoms are tender, 20 minutes. Remove artichokes (retain cooking liquid). When cool enough to handle, scoop out and discard center chokes.

Place whole tomatoes in oven-proof skillet or baking dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Mound orzo on large, deep platter. Arrange artichokes and tomatoes around orzo and spoon mushrooms and liquid into artichokes. Makes 4 servings.

TOMATO SAUCE 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 tablespoons minced garlic 4 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes with juice 1 cup dry white wine 2 sprigs thyme or 1 teaspoon dried 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

Combine olive oil and onion in large stainless steel or enameled cast-iron pan and set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender and begins to become translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes with juice, wine, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns. Cover and cook 20 minutes.

Increase heat to high and cook another 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves. Puree mixture in food processor. Pass through strainer to remove skins, seeds and herbs, or process in food mill fitted with medium holes.

Return sauce to pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and checking that sauce doesn’t burn on bottom while it reduces in volume, about 1 hour longer. Cool slightly. Pour finished sauce into pint containers, filling 3/4 to top. Cool completely in refrigerator, then cover tightly. Freeze up to 6 months. Makes about 1 quart.