Recipes
Ingredient of the Month
August: Tomato
The versatile tomato comes in a wide variety of types: plum, cherry, yellow, and pear, just to name a few. One of my favorites is the dramatic-looking and flavorful heirloom tomato, grown from ancient seed varieties that nearly became extinct a few decades ago. Heirloom tomatoes come in imperfect shapes and a cover a wide color spectrum, including crimson red, deep purple and bright orange.
Buying: Select firm and smooth tomatoes that are vibrant in color. They should have a pleasant, mild scent and yield slightly to gentle pressure of the fingers.
Storing: Tomatoes can be kept for up to a week at room temperature as long as they are not in direct sunlight. Tomatoes should never be refrigerated, because refrigeration compromises their flavor.
Preparing: Always wash tomatoes right before using them. Then depending on the use, peel, seed and pare them. Ripe tomatoes are the easiest to peel. Simply pierce the skin of the tomato with a knife and secure it between the thumb and the blade to peel it off. There are two methods to seed a tomato. One is to cut the tomato in half from side to side, then gently squeeze the seeds from each half. The other method is to scrape the seeds out the tomato using a teaspoon or your finger. This option works best if you need to retain the shape of the tomato for dicing or presentation. To pare the tomato, cut a circle at the top around the stem, then pull the stem to remove the inner chamber.
OTHER USES |
If you’re in the mood for light entertaining, peel, core and cut 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes into a bite-sized pieces and set aside in a bowl. Whisk together 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, ½ cup extra virgin olive, 1 clove minced fresh garlic and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a mixing bowl to make the vinaigrette. Add half of the vinaigrette to the tomatoes, cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. When ready to serve, season the tomatoes with about 10 turn of the pepper mill. Add 2 bunches of stemmed arugula to the bowl holding the remaining vinaigrette and toss well. Divide the salad and tomatoes among 4 salad plates and serve.
Raw Tomato Soup with Basil Guacamole and Marinated Scallops
Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 pounds heirloom tomatoes (about 5 large tomatoes), peeled, cored and roughly chopped |
black pepper in a mill |
Method:
Put the tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, and ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the oil in a standing blender and process until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract as much flavorful liquid as possible. Season with the celery salt (or 1 teaspoon kosher salt if not using celery salt) and 3 or 4 grinds of pepper, or to taste. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Make the Basil Guacamole: Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and twist the halves apart. Remove the pit by embedding the heel of a large knife into it and pulling it out. Score the avocado flesh with a knife. Gently work a tablespoon in between the flesh and skin of one avocado half. Work it around the edge of the avocado and gradually toward the bottom, carefully loosening the flesh until you can remove it; it should fall out in dice. Repeat with the remaining avocado halves. Put the avocado flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash it with a fork until coarse. Fold in the jalapeno, red onion, basil and lime juice. Season to taste with approximately 1 teaspoon salt. This guacamole can be made up to 1 hour ahead of time, covered and refrigerated.
If using, mound some of the marinated scallops in the center of each of 6 chilled, shallow soup bowls. Top each serving with a rounded tablespoon of guacamole. Carefully pour the soup around the scallops in each bowl. Finish by drizzling the surface of the soup with the remaining 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
Marinated Scallops
Makes about 1 cup, enough to garnish 6 servings
Ingredients:
2/3 cup bay or sea scallops (about 6 ounces), preferable Nantucket bay, muscles removed, well rinsed, and sliced thinly horizontally |
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice |
Method:
Put the scallops in a mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients, stir gently, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator to 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.