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The origins of the humble tomato can be traced back thousands of years to Mexico, but they were not actually introduced to the UK until the late 16th century from Europe. At this time they were predominantly used ornamentally in Italy, and the actual consumption of tomatoes did not really become popular until as late as the 1750s.
The tomato is part of the deadly nightshade family, and as such the leaves are poisonous. Luckily though, the fruit is edible and high in vitamin C and antioxidants, including lycopene, which is said to protect against heart disease and certain cancers, especially when consumed with olive oil.
Widely considered as a vegetable for culinary purposes, tomatoes are actually a fruit. Easy to grow both at home and commercially, China is the largest grower in the world, producing almost 34 million tons of tomatoes a year. In Spain, the Tomatina Festival has been held every year since the 1950s in the small town of Bunol, where 20,000 people gather for a huge tomato-throwing food fight in the street – approximately 100 tons of tomatoes are thrown during the fight.
What to look for when buying tomatoes
There are many different types of tomato, ranging from the tiny cherry tomato, to the largest beefsteak. They come in a variety of colours; green, yellow orange, red and the tiger tomato is striped. Heirloom, or heritage tomatoes, are “open pollinated” which means they are pollinated by natural methods (the pollination of insects and bees, but also birds). These kinds of tomatoes tend to have more flavour and character as a result of this pollination. They are slowly finding their way into supermarkets, but greengrocers and farmers’ markets are still the best place to find high-quality tomatoes.
Although tomatoes are available in the supermarkets all year round, the British season begins at the end of June and carries right through until October. These months are best for using fresh tomatoes, and then in the winter months, perhaps steer more towards using delicious sun-dried versions which can come stored in oil or in vacuum-pack bags. Equally, don’t dismiss tinned tomatoes as an inferior product, good-quality brands pick the tomatoes when perfectly ripe and package them quickly to retain the most flavour. These are great for using in a multitude of dishes, such as curry, pasta or chilli.
When buying, select tomatoes that are ripe; this is indicated by soft flesh and bright skin. They should be unblemished and are best stored stem side down at room temperature. Keep tomatoes out of direct sunlight to preserve their high vitamin C content.
How to cook with tomatoes
Tomatoes are a staple food in many European cuisines, especially Italy, Greece and Spain. Needing no actual cooking, they can be simply sliced and served as part of a salad, often served with basil and mozzarella in a sandwich. Concentrated tomato purée can be added to sauces and stews to help thicken and add flavour.
Baked-tomato galette with goat’s cheese, tapenade and pumpkin seeds by Andy Waters
This incredibly simple recipe from Andy Waters makes a tasty vegetarian starter or light lunch. Serve this tomato dish with a lavish salad for something more substantial. Olive tapenade can be bought from supermarkets or food stores, or made at home by blending pitted olives with a little olive oil, lemon zest and pepper.
Tomato galette
4 puff-pastry rounds, 4x6 inches, ½ inch thick 4 sun-dried tomatoes 6 dollops of olive tapenade 8 tomatoes Olive oil Sea salt Cracked black pepper
Goat’s cheese mixture
300g of goat’s cheese 100ml of double cream 2 tsp basil, chopped
To plate
20g of pumpkin seeds 20g of chives, chopped 20g of parsley, chopped 20g of basil, chopped 20g of chervil, chopped Balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to 180C. Warm the goat’s cheese and cream in a pan and mix until well combined. Remove from the heat, add the chopped basil and set aside.
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Place the puff-pastry rounds on a baking sheet and into the oven. Place another baking sheet on top to ensure the pastry won’t rise. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and leave to cool. Spread the olive tapenade onto the pastry rounds and top with sun-dried tomatoes. Spoon a small amount of the goat’s cheese mixture into the centre. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top.
Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper. Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a pan. To serve, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top of the tart along with the fresh herbs and balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.
Toulouse sausage meat, a few herbs and top quality tomatoes is all Henry Harris needs to create this heavenly dish. Henry prefers the Sicilian Vesuvio variety for this tomato farcies recipe, but large bull’s heart tomatoes will work just as well.
Tomato and watermelon gazpacho
500g of Toulouse sausage meat 4 bull’s heart tomatoes, or similar 3 shallots, finely chopped 1 tbsp of parsley, chopped ½ tsp thyme, chopped ½ tsp rosemary, chopped ½ lemon, zested 250ml of white wine Salt Pepper Olive oil
To garnish
½ cucumber, finely diced
Preheat the oven to 170C. Remove the tops of the tomatoes and set aside. Carefully scoop out the pulp of each tomato and place in a bowl, leaving the flesh attached to the skin. Place a pan over a low-medium heat and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the shallots and sweat for 5 minutes, or until translucent and soft. Stir in the reserved pulp and cook for 10 minutes, or until reduced to a jam-like consistency. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool.
Add the sausage meat to a bowl with the herbs, lemon zest and cooled tomato pulp mixture. Fry off a teaspoon of the sausage mix to cook through and taste it – adjust the seasoning of the raw mix if necessary, or add some garlic if desired.
Season the insides of the scooped-out tomatoes and stuff the sausage mix into the cavities, to just below the brim. Place the lids onto the tomatoes and transfer to a roasting tin, along with the white wine. Cover the tray with foil and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. After this time, remove the foil and increase the heat to 180C. Cook for a further 10 minutes – if the wine looks like it might evaporate completely, add a splash of water.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and ensure that the sausage meat is completely cooked through – a temperature probe inserted into the centre should read at least 72C. Plate the tomatoes and spoon pan juices over the top. Serve immediately.
Piccolo tomato and watermelon gazpacho by Food Urchin
This tomato and watermelon gazpacho recipe is the ideal refresher for a picnic on a sunny day. Watermelon and cucumber add a sublime freshness to the soup, the perfect foil to sweet piccolo cherry tomatoes.
500g of Piccolo tomatoes, halved 500g of watermelon, cut into chunks, seeds removed ½ cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped Olive oil, 5-6 tbsp, preferably a fruity Spanish oil Red wine vinegar, 1-2 tbsp 1 slice of stale bread, white, broken into pieces Garlic cloves, 2-3, crushed Salt Pepper
Traditionally, gazpacho was made using a wooden mortar or “dornillo”, but it’s a lot easier to throw everything into a blender or food processor. So, first blitz the tomato, watermelon, cucumber and stale bread together and then add a clove of garlic at a time, stopping and tasting in between until you are happy with the level of garlic.
Add the olive oil and vinegar and blend until everything becomes smooth and creamy. But again, do this in steps to your own taste. Finally, season with salt and pepper and then transfer to a fridge to cool for at least an hour.
If you are taking the gazpacho on a picnic, a good tip here is to fill a thermos with ice cubes and water to get it ready. Obviously, empty the flask before pouring the gazpacho in. To serve, pour into glasses or plastic beakers for children and top with a small sprinkling of chopped cucumber.
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