You say tomato…

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The Gershwin brothers wrote a ditty called "I Love a Piano," made famous by Michael Feinstein. I could take that tune and substitute "tomato" for the ivories. Tomatoes are in season and, frankly, I’m prejudiced: Pennsylvania and Jersey grow the best in the country.

Tomatoes can be sautéed, grilled, roasted, simmered into a sauce or sliced and topped with a sprinkling of kosher salt.

There are a number of varieties and my favorites are from Jersey; beefsteaks, grown on Lancaster County farms; and the marvelously sweet teardrops, which are red, orange or yellow and can be found in Reading Terminal Market.

Sometimes Edward will ask, "What are we having with the corn and tomatoes tonight?" Both are delicious, simple side dishes (I will write about corn as soon as the Jersey Silver Queen and Pennsylvania crops hit the markets).

An easy lesson on tomatoes: always buy them firm and red; they may need to spend a day or two on your windowsill for ultimate ripeness and juiciness; and never store them in the refrigerator – the cold ruins the taste and texture. But sometimes I slice a tomato or use it in a recipe and then chill the dish for a few hours.

Many think it takes about two to three hours to make tomato sauce – it doesn’t. It can be made with ripe red tomatoes in about 30 to 45 minutes and will taste as fine as the gravy your nona made for Sunday dinner. I adapted a number of red gravy recipes from Marcella Hazan, the Italian-born cookbook author and teacher.

Whole tomatoes can be stuffed with anything from tuna, chicken or egg salad, or a mix of diced sautéed vegetables. Orzo, the rice-shaped pasta, also is delicious when packed into a tomato. I like to add some sautéed vegetables to the pasta before stuffing.


Basic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

10 ripe tomatoes
Olive oil, to coat the bottom of the pot
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 tablespoon of butter
Handful of chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Core and chop the tomatoes. Remove the seeds and use a food processor (my preference) or a food mill, if desired.

Heat the oil in a 4-quart enamel or stainless steel pot. Sauté the onion and garlic over medium for 10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and bunch of basil. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and add the butter. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring regularly.

Remove the basil from the sauce. Add the chopped basil leaves. Blend.

Makes about two quarts.

Note from Phyllis: Some tomatoes contain more acid than others. The butter helps to reduce this, something I learned from Hazan.

Do not use an aluminum pot to make the sauce; It reacts with the acid in the tomatoes and can turn the mixture a nasty color.

Add several diced bell peppers to the sauté for sofrito, a delicious Spanish mix used to top grilled chicken or fish.


Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pint each of red, yellow and orange teardrop tomatoes
4 large local tomatoes, cut into quarters
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for drizzling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the tomatoes on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil over them and gently hand toss.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes, or until soft.

Serves four to six.

Note from Phyllis: This dish makes an excellent side. It can also top grilled vegetables from the barbecue.


Orzo Stuffing for Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of orzo
1/2 pound of shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean and finely diced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
4 scallions, with some green, finely diced
1/2 cup of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Place in a large bowl. Add the mushrooms, peppers and scallions and toss well.

Whisk together the oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour over the orzo mixture. Season with the salt and pepper.

Makes enough for four to six tomatoes, depending on the size.

Note from Phyllis: Sauté the vegetables in olive oil before adding to the orzo, if desired.


Oven-Roasted Ratatouille

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, cut into bite-size chunks
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 large zucchinis, cut into chunks
1 large onion, diced
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the vegetables on a large cookie sheet. Toss gently. Drizzle with the oil, coating each. Add the salt and pepper. Toss gently again.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender.

Serves four to six.

Note from Phyllis: Traditional ratatouille is made by sautéing, but I find the eggplant absorbs too much oil and becomes greasy. Roasting brings out the flavor of the vegetables and is grease-free.