Tomatoes

Did you know the Italians did not always include tomatoes in their cooking?

As unimaginable as that is, the Tomato, (like the potato) was assumed to be poisonous for many years in Italy where they were grown only as a decorative plant. It's hard to believe all of those wonderful tomatoes were wasted for so long!

Eventually, a famine forced the working-class to give them a try or face death with nothing to eat. Fortunately for us, the Italians soon discovered the tomato was not only perfectly safe to eat but quite delicious as well! This discovery developed into a whole cuisine over the next several hundred years, eventually paving the way to popularizing pizza after someone decided to add tomato sauce as one of its ingredients.

Like fresh herbs, tomatoes are best grown in your own garden.There is nothing more delicious than vine-ripened tomatoes. If you don't grow your own, try looking for fresh tomatoes at your local farmers market or organically grown tomatoes in your health food market. Of course, this will only be an option in the summer, but it will be well worth the extra effort. In the winter months, use canned tomatoes for sauces, soups and stews. Tomatoes are canned when ripe and will retain much of there sweetness. What you don't want is the tomatoes commonly available in your grocery store year round. These are picked green and artificially ripened which destroys their color and flavor. It is not hard to distinguish these from a fresh tomato. If you can't find organic, look for hot house or green house tomatoes. These can be quite good but unfortunately are also very expensive.

Storing Tomatoes: It is best not to store tomatoes in the refrigerator since they will lose their flavor. Put in the refrigerator only after you have cut them or cooked them. Do not put tomatoes in the sun to hasten their ripening. Ripe tomatoes will stay good at room temperature for a couple of days so use them as soon after picking as possible.

Coring: Tomatoes should always been cored (removing the hard stem) before peeling or slicing. You can buy a tomato corer or just use a paring knife. Carefully hold the tomato in one hand and insert the knife at the edge of the core. Push the knife in about an inch and angle it towards the center of the tomato. Use a gentle sawing motion and move around the core until it pops out.

An easy way to peel tomatoes: Taking the skin off can be quite difficult and it is easy to slip and cut yourself. An easy way to loosen the skins is to blanch them. Core your tomatoes, then place them in a pot of boiling water just until the skins start to split. You will only want to work with a few at a time to avoid cooking them. When the skins split, immediately remove them from the water and place them in a bowl of ice water. With a sharp knife, start on the top edge where you have cored it and begin to peel down. The peels should come off rather easily.

Seeding Tomatoes: Tomato seeds are very watery and can be bitter, therefore you may want to remove as many as possible before cutting or cooking. Round Tomatoes: Core the tomato then cut it in half. Gently squeeze out as many seeds and juice as possible, then use your finger to scoop out the rest. Plum (Roma)Tomatoes: Core the tomato then cut it in half. Cut through the inner membrane with a paring knife and with your finger, scoop out the seeds and gelatinous material.

Broiling, Oven-Roasting or Grilling is a great way to prepare tomatoes in the summer and can add sweetness and flavor to undesirable grocery store tomatoes. Brush with olive oil and add dried herbs and/or garlic. Fresh herbs can be used if added at the last minute. Cook until slightly blistered and charred, but don't over cook!

Sauces: When cooking tomatoes for sauces or soups, never use an aluminum pan. These pans are losing popularity as people become aware of the health hazards associated with them, and they also can make tomatoes become bitter. I always use a good quality stainless steel pan and it is well worth the initial cost for these pans.

Tip: Tomato paste? there are many recipes that require only one or two tablespoons of paste. I have scooped out a little from the top of the can only to put the can in the refrigerator and the rest of the paste goes bad quickly. I have found a great way to have small quantities of paste on hand whenever needed with no waste. Remove both ends of the can of paste. Take one end off and use the other to push the paste out. Dump the paste onto a sheet of plastic wrap and wrap up the log of paste. The paste log can be stored in your freezer for months while you just cut off the amount you need.

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