Tomatoes at the yellow house

weeknights at

THE YELLOW HOUSE

A diary of tomatoes SUMMER 2013

I am not one for superlatives, but an actual summertime, sun-ripened tomato is one of my favorite foods. I have a bit of trouble commenting on how to prepare those real, summer tomatoes because this is how I eat them: sliced, sea salt, cracked pepper. Sometimes a little cheese on the side.

Sometimes bread. Sometimes olive oil. It is nothing special (but at the same time everything special, if you know what I mean).

Tomatoes, though, are fragile, a veritable water balloon of a summer fruit.

A bit of bruising or a split skin spells the beginning of the end. If you’re blessed enough with a glut of them, a point arrives where you can no longer eat sandwiches and caprese salads quickly enough to keep up.

I’m not really certain how I ended up with forty pounds of tomatoes, but I did. They wiled their way into my life, first appearing at a friend’s house, then at the market, and before I knew it, my entire dining room table was spread with red and gold orbs.

I froze some and canned quite a few pints whole, but learning new ways of actually preparing tomatoes for meals has been part of the fun this time around. Some of these are good “weeknight” meals, while others require preparation ahead of time.

A note: Different types of tomatoes are good for different applications, and I’ve tried to note that in each recipe if necessary.

Small tomatoes crostata with fresh goat cheese I make the crust for this crostata ahead of time and in larger quantities than I need. Pressed into a disk and wrapped in plastic, the dough refrigerates beautifully for up to a week and keeps well in the freezer for up to several months. Simply allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it thaws enough to easily handle.

You’ll need ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup whole wheat flour Large pinch kosher salt 3 ounces (3/4 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes ¼ cup ice water ½ cup fresh goat cheese (frequently sold as chevre) 1 or 2 tablespoons milk 2 cups cherry, grape, or currant tomatoes, stemmed and halved Kosher salt Black pepper

Directions Make the crust: in a mixing bowl, combine the flours and salt. Cut in the cubes of butter with your fingers, until there are bits of butter distributed throughout.

Add the ice water tablespoon by tablespoon, stirring with your hands or a spoon, until the dough just begins

to come together. It should still be quite shaggy and there will be some unincorporated flour, but the dough should hold together for a brief moment when pressed in the palm of your hand. Form the dough into a loose ball, press into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, thin the goat cheese by mixing thoroughly with the milk to make a spreadable mixture.

Roll out the chilled dough on a wellfloured surface ¼ inch thick. Spread the dough with the goat cheese mixture, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides. Place the halved tomatoes on top, cut side up. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and then fold up the remaining border of dough to hold in the filling. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden.

“Moonblush” tomatoes with feta & za’atar croutons I’ve seen variations on this overnight roasted tomato recipe in many places, but Nigella Lawson’s description of them as “moonblush” tomatoes might be the prettiest. “Moon-slush” might be a more apt term for how the tomatoes, roasted impossibly slowly overnight, barely caramelize and slump into more concentrated versions of themselves. They’re beautiful makings for salads and antipasti. I like them with feta and za’atar-toasted croutons, a cross between a panzanella and a caprese salad.

You’ll need

the next day.

3 or 4 large, ripe heirloom (such as Brandywine or Cherokee purple) or beefsteak-style tomatoes, sliced and cored if necessary 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt

The next day, when the oven is completely cool, remove the pans of tomatoes from the oven. If not using immediately, store them in sealed containers in the refrigerator.

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1 loaf day-old country-style bread Olive oil Several tablespoons za’atar spice mix

Directions

To serve, tear the bread into rough 1 to 2 inch pieces. Toss with several tablespoons of olive oil and the za’atar until the pieces of bread have a nice even coating of the spice mix.

The night before: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake the croutons at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, until golden brown, turning if necessary.

On one or two large baking sheets, spread the tomato slices. Brush each tomato with olive oil. Sprinkle the tomatoes liberally with kosher salt.

Meanwhile, place roasted tomatoes on plates. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil if they seem dry. Scatter feta over each portion.

When the oven is preheated, place the pans of tomatoes inside. Immediately turn off the oven. Do not open it until

When the croutons are finshed, scatter some on each plate. Enjoy immediately. Serves approximately 4.

Tomato jam My sister once worked at a restaurant where they substituted a beautiful tomato jam for ketchup on burgers. We tried a few times to re-create it, and this is my best attempt. It works nicely in all places where you might use ketchup, but is also delicious on a cheese platter, especially one that includes ripe, bloomy rind cheeses or briny olives.

You can keep it safely in the fridge for a few weeks, but it can also be hot water bath canned.

You’ll need 2 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, or 2 pounds roughly chopped plum tomatoes 1 1/3 cups sugar 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar ½ teaspoon ground ginger 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt Big pinch cayenne pepper

Directions Combine all ingredients in a wide, heavy- bottomed, non-reactive pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce the mixture to a rapid simmer, with a few bubbles breaking the surface every second.

Cook, stirring occasionally to make sure the jam does not stick to the bottom of the pot and burn, for

twenty minutes to an hour. The time can vary considerably depending on the water content of your tomatoes.

When the mixture is thick and jammy and a beautiful garnet color, funnel it into small, sterile jars. (This recipe yielded about 4 half-pint jars of jam for me.)

If storing in the refrigerator, seal the containers tightly and refrigerate.

If hot water bath canning, bring your canning pot full of water to a boil.

Wipe the rims of the jars, and seal with sterilized lids and rings.

When water is at a rapid boil, process the jars for 20 minutes. Carefully remove from the hot water bath and allow to cool completely. If any of the jars do not seal properly, put them in the refrigerator and use them first.

Curry with cherry tomatoes & chickpeas Nigel Slater has a recipe in his book Tender that calls for sautéed tomatoes to be stirred with a bit of coconut cream. It’s an unlikely but very good combination, which led to the creation of this curry.

You’ll need 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil 2 medium yellow onions, diced 1 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon turmeric Cayenne pepper to taste 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 28-ounce can chickpeas (or, 1 cup dried chickpeas, cooked) 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk 1 cup vegetable broth (or water) 2 heaping cups halved cherry tomatoes

Directions In a large, wide-bottomed pot, heat the ghee or olive oil. Saute the onions softly until they are soft and

translucent and only a little golden, about 5-10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and cook, stirring, for another 3-5 minutes, until very aromatic. Add the chickpeas, salt, coconut milk, and water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat.

When the curry begins to thicken, taste for salt and adjust if needed.

Stir in the tomatoes gently. Add a bit more liquid if it seems too thick.

Simmer for just a few minutes more until the tomatoes just begin to soften.

Cherry tomatoes are liable to totally disintegrate if you cook them too much, and you want them to retain their shape.

Remove the pot from the heat. Serve immediately, with rice. Serves 3-4.

Warm salad of beefsteak tomatoes with Italian sausage, cannellini beans, & arugula This is a recipe born from necessity. Home from work, I had a giant ripe tomato and not much else. A can of beans from the pantry and some Italian sausage I had kicking around the freezer turned into one of my new favorite meals, with a bed of arugula and thick tomato slices.

You’ll need 1 pound Italian sausage of your choice (I like it spicy) 1 heaping cup crimini mushrooms, sliced 1 16-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 pinch red pepper flakes 3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3-4 cups arugula or other leafy green, like spinach 1-2 large, very ripe beefsteak tomatoes (the inside should be very wet and the flesh velvety), sliced thickly Parmiagiano for grating

Directions Heat a large, wide-bottomed saucepan.

Add the sausage (if it is in links, remove it from the casings) and brown it, stirring to break it up, until fat is rendered and the sausage is almost cooked through.

add the crimini mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are also browned and release a bit of liquid. If at any point there doesn’t seem to be enough fat in the pan (your sausage may be leaner), feel free to add a bit of olive oil.

Stir in the cannellini beans and red pepper flakes and continue to cook another few minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Remove the pan from the heat.

On a plate, layer a handful of arugula with one or two slices of beefsteak tomato. Spoon the sausage-bean mixture on top of the tomatoes, making sure to get some of the juices in the bottom of the pot. Top with shaved or grated parmiagiano and serve.

This is one of those recipes born of necessity: one day when I arrived home