Capture tomato glory
THE BEST way to enjoy a ripe red (or yellow or orange or purple or green) tomato is to stand next to a vine overflowing with sun-warmed fruit, find one that almost falls into your hand, and savor it right then and there. Close your eyes to get the full tomato-ness of it all.
But at this time of year, if you’re like most gardeners, you’d be standing there all day before you even made a dent in the abundant crop. And if you’ve been tempted at the farmers market, you’re facing the annual dilemma: What to do with too many tomatoes?
The answer’s obvious: Make something that’s all about tomatoes, something that you can cook on a weekend and serve later in the week, say spaghetti sauce, tomato soup or Bloody Mary mix. But don’t go rooting around for old farmhouse recipes -- these classics are ripe for updating.
First, mix it up with the tomatoes. Use several different kinds together in each recipe, and in the sauce, roast the plum tomatoes before incorporating.
The most flavorful tomato dishes hit a perfect note of acid balanced with sweet, and a good way to achieve this balance is to use more than one variety. Brandywine, Early Girl or Stupice are good for rich, tangy flavor. Many yellow or Japanese pink or even cherry tomato varieties add a hit of sweetness.
Roasting meaty plum tomatoes intensifies their flavor and adding a puree of roasted tomatoes to a chunky fresh tomato sauce also thickens it.
Fresh tomato soup using several different varieties might be deep orange or purply red in color. The flavor is complex, too, thanks to a hint of juniper-scented gin and aromatic fennel. And happily, this soup also works as a starting point for endless appetizing variations. Add cumin, oregano and lime juice, then finish with cotija cheese and diced avocado to serve as a starter to a meal of fish tacos. Garnish with cooked rice, chopped mint and yogurt and serve with hummus and pita for a Middle Eastern lunch.
And for a Labor Day brunch, offer each of your guests a glassful of liquid summer. Blend up the best tomatoes you can find, then mix in some seasonings and a shot of chilly vodka.
But make sure you set out the bagels and fruit first. With the best Bloody Mary you’ve ever tasted in your glass, and more tomatoes to look forward to, you won’t be in a hurry to do anything else.
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Fresh tomato soup
Total time: 55 minutes
Servings: Makes 8 to 10 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
4 shallots, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and minced
1 stalk celery with leaves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fennel bulb
4 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste)
3 pounds mixed ripe tomatoes, diced with juices reserved
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon gin
Kosher salt
1 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup cream, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
16 large basil leaves, sliced crosswise into thin ribbons, for garnish
1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots, carrot, celery and fennel and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute until aromatic.
2. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, along with the lemon juice, sugar, paprika, gin and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato liquid reduces and the mixture has thickened slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly.
3. Transfer the vegetables, in batches, to a blender jar and puree until smooth, then return to the pot. Add the broth, one cup at a time, until the soup reaches desired consistency, stirring to thoroughly combine.
4. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the cream if desired and adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish each serving with basil.
Each of 10 servings: 95 calories; 2 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 5 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 6 mg. cholesterol; 262 mg. sodium.
Quick changes
Middle Eastern: Omit the cream and basil. Add one-fourth to one-half cup of cooked rice to each bowl. To serve, top with chopped mint and a dollop of plain yogurt.
Moroccan: Omit the cream and basil. Add 1 tablespoon each of fresh grated ginger and ground cinnamon when cooking the vegetables. To serve, top with chopped cilantro and diced Moroccan olives.
Latin American: Add 2 teaspoons ground cumin and 1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano when cooking the vegetables. Substitute lime juice for the lemon juice. To serve, top the finished soup with 1 tablespoon of crumbled cotija or grated queso blanco, diced avocado and chopped cilantro.
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Bloody Marys garnished with pickled green beans
Total time: 35 minutes, plus 24 hours marinating time
Servings: 6
Spicy pickled green beans
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
8 garlic cloves, chopped
8 fresh dill sprigs, chopped
4 bay leaves
1. Cook the beans in a large saucepan of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and cool in a bowl of ice water. Strain and set aside in a shallow baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegars, mustard seeds, peppercorns, salt, sugar, fennel seeds, pepper flakes, garlic, dill and bay leaves over high heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute to dissolve the sugar and salt.
3. Pour the vinegar solution over the beans to cover completely. Marinate, refrigerated for at least 24 hours. The beans will keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 weeks.
Bloody Mary mix
6 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (juices reserved)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Crystal
2 teaspoons minced fresh horseradish
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Blend the tomatoes, lemon and lime juice, Worcestershire, garlic, hot sauce, horseradish, salt, Old Bay, celery seed and pepper until smooth. Cover and chill until needed. This recipe makes 6 to 7 cups, depending on the size of the tomatoes; the mix will keep for 1 week.
Bloody Mary assembly
6 cups Bloody Mary mix
6 ounces good-quality vodka
Coarse salt for rimming the glasses, optional
6 pickled green beans, or 6 stalks celery with leaves, for garnish
1. In a pitcher, combine the mix and vodka.
2. If desired, dampen the rims of 6 old-fashioned glasses and dip them in coarse salt. Fill each glass halfway with ice, then divide the Bloody Marys among them.
3. Garnish each with a pickled bean or celery stalk, and serve.
Each of 6 servings: 112 calories; 2 grams protein; 11 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 1 gram fat; 0 saturated fat; 2 mg. cholesterol; 564 mg. sodium.
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Summer tomato sauce
Total time: 1 1/2 hours, plus 3 hours roasting time
Servings: Makes about 6 cups sauce, or 12 ( 1/2 -cup) servings
Note: The roasted tomatoes can be prepared in advance; they will keep up to a month covered in olive oil, stored in a wide-mouthed jar and refrigerated.
Oven-roasted tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes (8 to 10), halved lengthwise, cored and seeded
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Place the tomatoes, cut-side up, on a lightly oiled baking sheet and sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper. Bake until the tomatoes are shriveled slightly and are browned in places, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Sauce
8 oven-roasted tomato halves, chopped
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 pounds mixed fresh tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes, optional
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Sugar, optional
1. In a blender, puree the roasted tomatoes with one-fourth cup olive oil until fairly smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onions, garlic and carrots, cooking until the vegetables are soft and the onions begin to caramelize, about 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Add the wine, fresh tomatoes, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and chili flakes, if using. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Add the reserved roasted tomato puree and stir to combine. Continue to cook over low heat for an additional 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Taste and season with 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper; add a little sugar if desired to sweeten. Serve immediately over pasta, or cool, then cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 5 days.
Each of 12 servings: 119 calories; 2 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 1 gram fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 301 mg. sodium.