Stove: Late Season Tomatoes
If you grow your own tomatoes, you already know they evolve throughout their season, from the bright acidity of your first ripe tomato to the luscious sweetness of late-harvest fruit.
There is a similarity to supermarket tomatoes no matter the season. A tomato in July is nearly identical to a tomato in, say, February. The reason is simple: These tomatoes are harvested before they are ripe so that they will last long enough to be shipped a great distance. They are stored in coolers and refrigerators, which further degrade their flavors and texture. A tomato’s flesh grows mealy if it is held at temperatures under about 58 degrees for more than a few hours. Never refrigerate your tomatoes.
If you grow your own tomatoes, you already know how they evolve throughout their season, from the bright acidity of your first ripe tomato to the luscious sweetness of late-harvest fruit. This is also true of most tomatoes that you will find at farmers markets and farm stands.
Because tomatoes are among my all-time favorite foods, I never buy them in supermarkets and I never eat them when they are out of season where I live. If I want, say, tomato soup in the middle of winter, I use a good brand of canned tomatoes.
Among the joys of this approach is delayed gratification, the longing for tomatoes when they are out of season and the joy once they are ready for indulging in your first BLT. As summer begins to fold itself into fall, tomatoes grow heavy on their vines and each round globe feels heavier in your hand than it did a few weeks ago. These dead-ripe tomatoes practically turn themselves into sauce, so easy is it to peel and chop them.
These recipes are among my favorite ways to enjoy tomatoes in late summer and early fall. After years of experimenting, I find that two hybrids, Early Girl and Shady Lady, provide consistently excellent results. Heirloom varieties are wonderful, beautiful, and delicious but there is no single heirloom variety that I would recommend as I do these two. One of the reasons is that they are very location specific. A Black Krim, one of my favorite heirlooms, grown where I live will taste quite a bit different than one grown just ten or twenty miles from my home. If you have an heirloom variety that pleases you, feel free to use it in these recipes. On the other hand, if you are overwhelmed by all the options at farmers markets, give these two varieties a try.
Later this week, I will be posting about The Patch, a small farm with two locations, one in Sonoma, one in Sebastopol. The Patch is always the first local farm with tomatoes and their harvest lasts longer than all the others, often well into November if there is no hard freeze. I’ll explain why as best I can in my profile of the farm. In the meantime, enjoy these recipes; they are adapted from two of my books, The BLT Cookbook and The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes.
Pico de Gallo • Makes about 2 cups
This is the simplest and one of the most common of the traditional Mexican salsas. Made with very ripe tomatoes – fall tomatoes that are heavy for their size – it is as good with chips and tacos as it is with rice, beans, grilled meats, and tamales. The addition of olive oil is not traditional but I add a generous splash because I like the richness, the voluptuousness it gives to the salsa. To stick with tradition, don’t use it.
4 to 5 ripe red tomatoes, such as Early Girl or Shady Lady
1 very small white onion, cut into small dice
2 serranos, stemmed and minced
½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil, optional
Remove the stem core of the tomatoes, cut them into small dice, and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the onion, serranos, and cilantro and toss together gently. Season with salt to taste and stir in the olive oil, if using.
Cover and let rest 30 minutes before enjoying.Failed to render LaTeX expression — no expression found
Bacon, Leek, & Tomato Strudel • Makes 6 to 10 Servings
Enjoy this strudel as summer rolls into fall, with even the hottest days cooling off at night in most regions. Make it in the morning, while it is still cool, and enjoy it for dinner, after the sun sets. I enjoyed served on a bed of salad greens dressed with just a bit of salt, a touch of olive oil, and a little spritz of lemon.
This is not the type of strudel made with several layers of phyllo – aka film – dough. This dough is easier to work with, have a delightful texture, and wonderful flavor. I prefer fresh goat cheese but have used farmers cheese and old-fashioned-style cream cheese. Do not use cream cheese that has additives, as nearly all brands have, as the texture is wrong and the results inferior.
for the dough ¾ cup butter, at room temperature ¾ cup fresh goat cheese, farmers cheese, or old-fashioned style cream cheese, at room temperature 2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup heavy cream 1 egg white, mixed with 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon lightly toasted sesame seeds
for the filling 6 slices bacon 1 tablespoon butter 2 leeks, white and pale green part only, thoroughly rinsed and very thinly sliced Kosher salt Black pepper in a mill 3 to 4 medium tomatoes 6 ounces cheese, such as Italian Fontina, Emmentaler, Dous de Montagne, or Monterey Jack, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons fresh snipped chives or chopped Italian parsley 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, lightly toasted 1 egg white, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
To make the dough, use an electric mixer or wooden spoon to combine the butter and cheese in a large mixing bowl until it is smooth and creamy. Stir the flour and salt together and gradually add to the butter mixture. Mix in the cream, shape into a ball, and refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, provided it is very well wrapped.
While the dough chills, prepare the filling.
First, fry the bacon until it is fully crisp but not burned. Set it on absorbent paper to drain.
Pour off all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat, return the pan to the heat, add the butter, and, when it is melted, add the leeks. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are very tender, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Remove the stem core of each tomato, cut them into ¼-inch thick slices, set on a plater, sprinkle with salt, and set aside, covered.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet, oiling it lightly or using a nonstick mat.
To assemble the strudel, dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough to form a rectangle approximately 10-by-14 inches. Arrange the cheese lengthwise down the center of the dough and spoon leeks on top of it. Drain off any juices that have collected on the plate with the tomatoes and arrange them over the cheese and leeks. Sprinkle with chives or parsley. Working quickly, crumble the bacon and scatter it on top.
Fold the edges of the pastry over to form a long cylander, brush the inner edges with egg white, and press with a fork to seal tightly.
Brush the entire dough with the remaining egg white, sprinkle lightly with salt and add the sesame seeds.
Use a sharp knife to make crosswise slashes ever 2 inches or so in the pastry; do not cut too deeply.
Transfer the strudel to the baking sheet, set on the middle rack of the oven, and cook for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven, let rest 10 minutes, transfer to a cutting board, and slice, using the slashes as a guide.
Enjoy hot or at room temperature.
Fall Tomato Pie • Makes 6 to 8 Servings
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour + more for your work surface 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed fine Kosher salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter, chilled and cut into ¼-inch cubes ½ cup whole milk 2 ½ to 3 pounds medium-sized ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, sliced, drained (see Note below) Black pepper in a mill 1 cup (4 ounces) grated cheese, such as Joe Matos St. George or Bellwether Carmody ½ cup homemade or best-quality mayonnaise Juice of ½ lemon 1 teaspoon chipotle powder 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the flour, pepper, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the baking powder.
Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture so that it has the texture of coarse-grain sand. Make a small well in the center of the flour, pour in the milk, and mix quickly with a fork until the dough just comes together but is still soft and sticky. Turn onto a well-floured surface.
Knead the dough for about 30 seconds and then let it rest for 10 minutes. Cut the dough in half, roll out one half to fit an 9-inch pie pan, and line the pan with it.
Layer the tomatoes and cheese in the pie shell, beginning with tomatoes, sprinkling them with a little salt and topping with about a third of the cheese. When all of the tomatoes have been used, the pie should be very high.
Combine the mayonnaise with the lemon juice and chipotle powder a and spread it over the top. Quickly roll out the reserved dough, fit it over the pie, and seal the edges by pinching them together. Cut several slits in the dough to allow steam to escape and brush the dough with the heavy cream.
Set on a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and cook for about 40 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into wedges and enjoy warm.
Note: Use very ripe tomatoes that are heavy for their size. The exact amount you need will depend on how big the seed pockets are; the heavier the tomato, the smaller they should be. After peeling, seeding, and slicing (¼-inch thick, crosswise, through the equator) the tomatoes, layer them in a wide colander, sprinkle with a little salt and let the juices drain into a wide shallow bowl for about 30 minutes; turn them once as they drain. Use the juice in another dish or simply drink it, as it is delicious.
Tomato Cilantro Soup • Serves 4 to 6
This is one of my simplest and most delicious recipes and it is perfect with late season tomatoes. Once you have made it a time or two, you won’t even need a recipe, as it is flexible and forgiving. The one caveat is that it must be made with tomatoes that have ripened on the vine, from your own garden or from your local farmers market or farm stand. Never use supermarket tomatoes for this soup. Come winter, I will post a similar recipe using canned tomatoes.
3 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 5 garlic cloves, minced Kosher salt Black pepper in a mill 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock 3 to 4 pounds ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and minced 1 tablespoon Madeira 1 bunch cilantro, rinsed, stems discarded 3 tablespoons creme fraiche, stirred, or avocado puree, see Note below
Put the olive oil into a medium soup pot set over medium-low heat, add the onion, and sauté until very soft, about 20 to minutes. Do not let the onion brown. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken or vegetable stock and stir in the tomatoes. Increase the heat and when the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and let cool briefly.
Puree the soup using an immersion blender, return to low heat, add the Madeira, and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning.
Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro leaves and ladle into soup plates.
Add a spoonful for creme fraiche or avocado purée to each serving and enjoy right away.
Variations:
•Replace the cilantro with fresh basil.
•Make a sauce of 6 minced garlic cloves, 1 minced serrano, and 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and swirl over the soup.
•After removing the soup from the heat the second time, stir in 1 pound of Oregon baby shrimp and top each portion with minced cucumbers and snipped chives.
•Serve the soup chilled and topped with a generous spoonful of whole milk yogurt.
•Serve the soup chilled and topped with tzatziki, a mixture of whole milk yogurt, minced garlic, minced cucumbers, and salt.
Baked Cherry Tomatoes with Four Variations • Serves 4 to 6
As we slide into fall, we typically have a lot of cherry tomatoes still on the vine, so many that it can be hard to keep up with them. This dish will help; it takes minutes to prepare, and is good hot, warm, or chilled. Enjoy it as a side dish, spoon it over rice, farro, quinoa, or creamy polenta, toss it with pasta, orhearth bread. These tomatoes are also delicious served over a grilled skirt steak sandwich.
1 quart cherry tomatoes 5 or 6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons snipped chives or chopped fresh Italian parsley ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Juice of 1 lemon Kosher salt Black pepper in a mill
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put the tomatoes into a baking dish, add the garlic and chives or parsley, and toss. Pour the olive oil and lemon juice over the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and set on the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst open.
Remove from the oven. Serve hot or let cool, chill, and serve cold.
Variations
•With pesto: Omit the cilantro. Before serving hot, stir in about 3 tablespoons of homemade pesto and top each portion with a small dollop of it.
•With chevre and tapenade: Set a log of chevre on a wide shallow serving bowl and spoon the tomatoes and their juices over it. Top with a generous dollop or two of tapenade. To make a simple tapenade, combine ½ cup pitted and minced Niçoise or Kalamata olives, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 mashed anchovy fillets, 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley and ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil.
•With anchovies: Put 4 or 5 anchovy fillets in a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Let sit 30 minutes and then add to the tomatoes before cooking them. Omit the lemon juice.
©2024micheleannajordan
Fantastic post! So many great recipes. I’m missing good tomatoes. Thanks!
Yummers. I have an abundance of large red cherry tomatoes, an oval shape with a rather tough skin, fairly acidic. Question…will any of the recipes go okay with wine? I am having a Chardonnay lover and a Zin lover over!