August tomatoes
In August my favorite reading material are Mediterranean recipes as starting points for creating varied dishes to feature the incredible flavor of fresh, off the vine tomatoes. Red, yellow, or any variety of heirloom tomatoes are bound to give a lift to dishes both hot and cold, with guaranteed eye appeal.
Tomato origins are from South and Central America and come with the botanical definition as the edible berry of the tomato plant. However, the dispute of whether a tomato is a fruit, or a vegetable was settled to the dismay of the botanists by the US Supreme court in 1893, when they ruled that tomato is legally a vegetable. Court rulings aside, tomatoes represent a treasure trove of healthy vitamins, antioxidants and minerals and unlike some other vegetables are savored by most people.
Sliced or chopped raw tomatoes are easy sources for summer meals requiring little preparation. Two of my easy go to meals are open faced sandwiches with sliced tomato salad and my standby Philadelphia tacos, created in 1960’s when fresh soft taco shells had never been seen in East coast groceries and I could only find them in a can!
Tomato-smoked trout lunch
Arrange tomato slices on some fresh basil leaves, scatter with crumbled Feta cheese and Kalamata olives, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Spread rye bread with a layer of cream cheese, arrange pieces of smoked trout on top and scatter with capers. All set for an easy and picturesque lunch.
Philadelphia tacos
Brown a pound of lean ground beef in a skillet, pour off the fat, mix with a package of taco mix and some water and cook for 10 minutes until the water is absorbed. Slightly blister 6-inch corn taco shells in a hot skillet with a drop of oil on both sides. You will need 2 or 3 shells per person.
To assemble: spread center line of each shell with a 2 of tbsp. of meat, sprinkle with chopped red onion, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sharp cheddar cheese and a spoonful of spicy salsa. Serve with plenty of paper napkins and enjoy.
Curried summer tomato-squash soup.
If you are lucky to have a lot of fresh tomatoes, this is an interesting and flavorful tomato soup. Sauté a coarsely chopped large onion in a tablespoon of olive oil until transparent, stir in 2 chopped cloves of garlic and 2-3 Tblsp. curry powder, according to taste. Continue to sauté on low heat for 5 minutes with occasional stirring. Add 6 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes and 2 chopped small summer squash, a couple of sprigs of parsley and 1 tsp. salt. Add enough water or chicken broth to barely cover. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and process in a blender in batches. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve heated with a tablespoon of sour cream and chives or a sprig of parsley. The soup can be reheated several times or frozen for a future occasion.
Italian sausage and tomato ragù
Remove casings from 2-3 mild Italian sausages, crumble the meat, brown in a large skillet and set aside. In the same skillet sauté ½ thin sliced red onion, 1 large roasting pepper with seeds removed and cut in wide julienne strips, 1 sliced garlic clove and ¼ tsp. hot pepper flakes for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups halved red and yellow grape tomatoes, cook for another 5 minutes ant then stir in 2 tbsp. double strength tomato paste, 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. oregano and ½ cup chicken broth. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, stir in 3 tblsp. of chopped Italian parsley and garnish with fresh basil leaves to serve on pasta.
Barbara Kingsolver waxes nostalgic in her book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” about living close to natural food, with emphasis on vegetables, where she refers to August as “life in a red state”, defining our appreciation for the tomato.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day:” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
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