On Tomatoes

Summer is upon us and tomatoes are flooding the markets: deeply ribbed salad tomatoes streaked with red and green, rounder brashly red ripe sauce tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and San Marzano tomatoes, the plum tomatoes that find their way into salads when they're still tinged with green, and into sauces once they're fully ripe.

We take tomatoes for granted now, and it would be quite difficult to imagine Italian cuisine without them, but it took Italians a very long time to accept them: Though they were introduced as ornamental plants in the 1500s, the earliest evidence of their use in the kitchen comes from Francesco Gaudentio's Il Panunto Toscano, published in 1705:

"These fruits, which in some ways resemble apples," he says, "are grown in gardens and can be cooked as follows: Take them, chop them up, and put them in a skillet with olive oil, pepper, salt, minced garlic, and sprigs of mint. Sauté them, stirring them about frequently, and should you want to add some sliced zucchini or eggplant they'll go quite well."

When an author has to describe a vegetable, it's a good indication that it's not widely used. Moreover, this is the only mention he makes of tomatoes; they don't appear in any of his stews or vegetable dishes. Further indication of the slowness with which tomatoes were accepted comes from the word pelati, which now generally refers to canned tomatoes: when 18th century cooks used it they were referring to skinned preserved game (pelare means to skin). The great change came in the first half of the 19th century, and Artusi means canned tomatoes when he calls for pelati in his recipes, written in 1891 (he also mentions having met the first Italian to begin canning tomatoes commercially); he slips tomatoes into everything from antipasti to desserts. And they continue to be ubiquitous today.

A couple of observations on selecting tomatoes: Italians divide them into two classes, insalatari and da salsa. Insalatari, as one might expect, are salad tomatoes, to be eaten raw. People generally select them not-too-ripe, in other words quite firm, with streaks of green running through them, and with a lively acidity that complements the flavor of the greens in the salad. Pomodori da salsa, on the other hand, are for cooking and should be ripe -- an explosive red, rich, and slightly sweet too.

If you can, either grow your own tomatoes or get them from a friend who has a garden. If this is not possible, buy locally grown sun-ripened tomatoes. Only use tomatoes that are hot-house grown or trucked in from elsewhere as a last resort, because they tend to look beautiful but be tasteless -- a result of agro-engineering on the part of the food industry.

NOW THAT YOU HAVE YOUR TOMATOES, WHAT TO DO WITH THEM?

Antipasti, some of which will also work well as side dishes:

Insalata Caprese
Mozzarella and tomatoes: In small portions this is a nice summer appetizer; in larger amounts it is refreshing summer meal or fine picnic food.

Bavarese al Pomodoro
Tomato bavarese, rimilar in some ways to an aspic, but lighter and quite refreshing.

Marinated Tomatoes, Pomodori Marinati
A quick, simple tomato salad that will be nice at a picnic or barbecue.

Perine Piccanti
Perine in this case are plum tomatoes, stuffed with a refreshingly zesty green-sauce based filling and a little cheese

Pimmaduori Chjini
Stuffed tomatoes with a Calabrian twist: they're dried, and seasoned with anchovies and herbs.

Pimmaduori Salati
How to preserve tomatoes if you lack refrigeration, but not less tasty for that.

Pimmaduori Siccati
Zesty sun-dried tomatoes, Calabrian style.

Pomodori Secchi al Tonno
A Puglian specialty, sun-dried tomatoes with tuna and spices.

Pumarou a Grattè
A Sicilian take on roasted stuffed tomatoes with bread crumbs.

Pomodori col Riso
Tomatoes stuffed with rice, and a Roman variation with pasta.

Pomodori Farciti di Magro
A rich stuffed tomato dish for days of Abstinence.

Pomodori Ripieni
Simple Piemontese stuffed tomatoes with green sauce and mayonnaise.

Tomato Sandwiches, or Pomodori Panini
Tomato sandwiches (for want of a better term): a wonderful, quick, very refreshing antipasto.

Pomodori Ripieni di Peperone
Tomatoes stuffed with bell peppers: an inspired combination!

Pomodori Ripieni al Tonno
Tuna fish and tomato go well year round, and become perfection in this tasty stuffed tomato recipe.

First Courses, primarily pasta sauces:

Minestra & Zuppa al Pomodoro
A collection of tomato soups from Ada Boni's Talismano della Felicitá.

Riso al Pomodoro con Basilico
A quick, zesty, refreshing summer rice dish made with fresh tomatoes and basil.

Pomarola
One of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine year round, and very fine over pasta during the summer.

Fregula al Pomodoro
A refreshign Sardinian type of pasta in tomato sauce.

Salsa di Pomodoro alla Napoletana
A quick, tasty, simple tomato sauce perfect for summer or pizza.

Penne alla Vodka
A quick, creamy tomato sauce with a special something added.

Paste all' Ammiraglio
A zesty chilled pasta with fresh tomatoes and other things, which is perfect for picnics or very hot days.

Tomato Basil Sauce
Quick, simple, and tasty. Calls for canned tomatoes, which means you can make it year round!

Salsa alla Marinara
A classic sauce, with some excellent variations.

Sugo alla Puttanesca
Tomatoes, black olives, capers combine to make the perfect zesty summer sauce.

Salsa Arrabbiata
What you'll get in the trattorie in Rome. Hot enough to cool you off, and perfect with a caraffe of Colli Albani.

Penne All'Arrabbiata
A richer version of the signature dish of many Roman trattorie, with pancetta and onions.

Pappa al Pomodoro
A perennial favorite with children of all ages. And an excellent use for stale bread.

Got more sites / recipes to suggest? post on the forum!!

Buon Appetito!
Kyle Phillips

Subscribe to the Newsletter
Name	Email

Photo mine.