The colour and aroma of deepest summer, tomatoes are versatile whatever the weather. Perfect for crisp gnocchi, refreshing gazpacho and baked sausages.
I returned from the shops with a mixed bag of fruit in every colour from acid green to almost black, tiny orange tomatoes like children’s sweets and some still on the vine, that at least come with the heady scent of the freshly picked.
The answer to a tomato whose flavour disappoints is to cook it. The heat of an oven or hob will enrich the fruit’s soul, and the natural seasonings of garlic, onion and basil will work their magic. This month, I baked plum tomatoes with sausages and lentils, and made a fresh-tasting soup with smaller fruits, summer carrots and feta. I particularly enjoyed the tomatoes sliced and coated in breadcrumbs. Fried till the crumbs were crisp, we ate them with a herb mayonnaise.
On the occasion I found fine tomatoes smelling of deepest summer — yes, there are some around — I have eaten them thinly sliced and trickled with olive oil on my breakfast toast, with maybe a leaf or two of shredded basil. I have also diced them finely for a salad with hot, crisp gnocchi, and crushed them into a gazpacho with sweet, orange-fleshed melon and coriander leaves. A gently flavoured soup to eat outdoors on a rare, glorious sunny afternoon.
Fried tomatoes with coriander mayonnaise
This is the sort of dish I make for a casual kitchen lunch. Something to make while standing at the cooker, passing crisp, fried tomatoes to everyone as they come sizzling from the frying pan.
Serves 4
For the mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp white wine vinegar
125ml olive oil
125ml groundnut or vegetable oil
3 Tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
lime juice to taste
For the tomatoes
200g fine, dry breadcrumbs
2 eggs
4 large tomatoes firm, not too ripe
groundnut oil for shallow frying
Method
Make the mayonnaise: Put the egg yolks in a mixing bowl, stir in the mustard, a good pinch of sea salt and the vinegar. Whisk in the oils, a few drops at a time at first, then, as it starts to thicken, increasing to a thin, steady stream, whisking all the time. Stir in the coriander and season to taste with lime juice and a little more salt. Set aside to chill.
Tip the breadcrumbs on to a large plate. Break the eggs into a small, shallow bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Season with black pepper. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices.
Press the slices of tomato, one at a time, first into the beaten egg and then into the breadcrumbs. Push down firmly to coat the slices with crumbs. Warm a shallow layer of groundnut oil in a shallow pan over a moderate heat. Test the heat with a few breadcrumbs, they should colour quickly.
Lower the slices of tomato into the hot oil (the best results will come from not crowding the pan, cooking only a few at a time), then turn over with a palette knife when the undersides are crisp and golden. When the other side is ready, lift out and drain briefly on kitchen paper, transfer to a plate and serve with the coriander mayonnaise.
Tomato and carrot soup
There is a freshness and subtlety to a soup made with tomatoes and summer carrots. This is a useful recipe for using up tomatoes that are underwhelming or over-ripe. I include a crumbling of salty white feta at the end, but you could use tofu to keep the recipe vegan.
Serves 4-6
1 large onion
5 Tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
400g carrots
1.5 litres vegetable stock
2 tsp thyme leaves
500g tomatoes
200g feta
Method
Peel and roughly chop the onion. Warm half the oil in a large saucepan, then add the onion and let it cook, for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, till they are starting to soften. Roughly chop and stir in the carrots.
Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then add the thyme leaves. Lower the heat, add salt and black pepper and leave to simmer for about half an hour till the carrots are truly soft.
While this cooks, chop the tomatoes and put them in a shallow pan with the remaining olive oil, a little salt and black pepper and let it cook over a gentle heat till thick and slushy.
Ladle the soup into a blender and process to a smooth, thick puree and check the seasoning, then pour into bowls. (Make sure not to overfill the blender jug. I do this in at least two batches.) Spoon the soft tomatoes into the bowls of soup, then crumble the feta between them.
