The Tomato; Humble yet Versatile

Bradley Labarre
Aug 28, 2017 · 6 min read
Some of this year’s heirloom tomatoes, more to come!

Tomato season is what I yearn for every year, especially on those short, dark, shivering days of winter here in New Hampshire. This beautiful, versatile fruit boasts a whopping 15,000 known varieties! Not to mention the 3,000 varieties of heirloom or heritage tomatoes in active cultivation worldwide.

The tomato is so versatile with a fairly short season, no wonder chefs and the home-canning enthusiast look forward to the season so much. Yes, we live in a world where one might think that the tomato is ALWAYS in season. But, you must know that this, my friend, is not a tomato. Scientifically, I suppose, it might be a tomato. But, the general grocery store variety “tomato” we see every day is closer in texture to a hockey puck than the, often taken for granted, unctuous kitchen staple.

The tomato, which is a member of the nightshade family, has a pretty interesting history. At one point in time, it was considered to be too dangerous to eat. Back in the 1500’s, most Europeans thought that they were poisonous. Apparently, the wealthy generally ate off of pewter plates which were high in lead content. Acidic foods like tomatoes, for example, would leech out some of the lead into the food, therefore causing lead-poisoning and an inevitable death. Fortunately, however, the poorer people of the time ate off of wooden plates and did not suffer from this terrible dilemma. This may have been the reason why tomatoes were only eaten by the lower-class poor until the 1800's.

The tomato is so versatile with a fairly short season, no wonder chefs and the home-canning enthusiast look forward to the season so much.

The versatility of this amazing food is cherished by those who partake in cooking. For our family, we love to make all sorts of goodies and preserve them. This alleviates the need to buy many tomatoes during the off-season. We all know that tomato sauce is pretty much the rock-star of the pantry, (more on that later) but let’s discuss a few other fantastic uses for our humble friend.

Tomatoes go on anything!

With the overwhelming amount of cherry tomatoes we get each year, I find that drying them in halves in a 175-degree oven for a day or two is a great use. I then submerge them in a large mason jar full of herb-infused canola oil and store them in the fridge. This is an excellent way to preserve these sweet little gems until next season. Canola oil is great because it doesn’t solidify under refrigeration. And, even better, that tomato, herb infused oil is perfect for sautéing and making vinaigrette! On those busy nights when you’re trying to get dinner done fast, you just chuck a few oven dried tomatoes into a hot skillet, add some minced onions and garlic and toss with your favorite pasta. All you need is a salad and a glass of wine, and you’re a hero!

Tomato “Raisins” in Herb Canola Oil

Who doesn’t love a good salsa!? We eat tons of the stuff, and it makes for great gifts for those important foodies in your life. Just char a few over charcoal with some onions and chilies, toss them in a blender with some lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper and blend to the consistency you like. Don’t forget the chips!

Future salsa

For those of you that may have a pressure-canner, canning whole tomatoes is a nice way to stock up for the winter. They also look nice lined up in your pantry for all to see. Talk about showing off your culinary skills! Basically, you have to peel them, throw them into a clean, sanitized mason jar, pour some hot tomato juice over them, maybe a chili or two, and follow your favorite canner’s manufacturer’s instructions. A quick Google search couldn’t hurt either.

Peeled and canned…takes a little patience!

Did I mention tomato juice? Why yes, yes, I did! Tomato juice is one of the easiest ways to get rid of those dented, ugly tomatoes that are lying around. Just grab a couple pounds of tomatoes, a couple ribs of celery with the leaves, a little chopped onion, salt, pepper and, if needed, some sugar, as well as a couple shakes of your favorite hot sauce. Simmer all this together in a non-reactive pot until everything is soupy, put it through a food-mill, strain and enjoy. Don’t forget the vodka!

Tomato juice, the way it’s supposed to be!

Of course, what sort of chef would I be without discussing the best and, possibly, most common way to preserve our bounty of our humble garden buddy, but tomato sauce. It’s as simple as sautéing a couple onions and garlic in good olive oil, toss in a bay leaf or two, a couple sprigs of fresh thyme and a pinch of crushed red chili flakes until everything is lightly golden and soft. Peel a few tomatoes (I like to plunge them into boiling water for a few seconds then plop them into a bowl of ice water. The skins will practically fall right off), remove the seeds the best you can and toss the flesh into the pot. No need to add any liquid as your ripe tomatoes will create plenty of juice once they heat up. Once the tomatoes are soft, add some tomato paste and puree everything with a stick blender (one of my favorite tools in the kitchen). Then just let it simmer for at least 3 hours, 8–12 is ideal. It’s really up to the water content of the tomatoes and how thick you like your sauce. Adjust the seasoning to your liking and, BAM! It’s done. You can toss it in mason jars and use your favorite canning method or place them in plastic quart containers and freeze it if you prefer. Check out my for the recipe if you’d like to try it for yourself.

Yeah, that should be enough…

This is just a small list of the things we like to do to preserve our favorite culinary season. Don’t fret, the internet is FULL of all sorts of things you can do with them. From simple to bizarre, have fun and enjoy the season.

Coffee House Writers

We are a team of dedicated writers who want to share our work with the world.

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Bradley Labarre

Written by

Food Writer at Large

Coffee House Writers

We are a team of dedicated writers who want to share our work with the world.

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