Tag Archives: Tomatoes

April 1, 2013 · 6:28 pm

Umami.

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There is a Thai restaurant in my neighborhood called Penny’s that Sean and I order noodles from every week. I almost always get the same thing, even though I routinely panic and launch into a little internal dialogue whenever I call them.

Maybe I should get something different this time! The BBQ pork noodles sound good! Or maybe the Thai fried rice?

“Hello, Penny’s Noodles! How can I help you?”

Nope, can’t do it.

“Hi! Order for delivery. Hot pepper noodles with tofu and a side of stir fried cabbage and tomato, please.”

Maybe next time.

The reason I have such a hard time ordering anything else is that those two dishes always deliver what I consider to be my essential daily flavor fixes: spicy and savory.

Take their beguiling stir fried cabbage and tomato. Slightly charred cabbage is cooked briefly with chopped tomato, a heavy sprinkling of black pepper, soy sauce, a drizzle of fish sauce, sesame oil and beef broth (I think). It has a flavor almost reminiscent of grilled beef, which I imagine comes from cooking it in a hot wok where lots of other glorious meaty things have been cooked as well. It is always impossibly hot when it arrives, swimming in that savory, fragrant liquid.

Since I don’t have a wok, I cooked everything in a cast iron skillet. I let the cabbage soften and caramelize with a sprinkling of sugar before tossing in the tomatoes, a dash of fish sauce, soy, black pepper, rice vinegar and beef broth. I finished the dish with a thin drizzling of sesame oil, then immediately began slurping it out of the skillet with chopsticks and a large spoon, burning my tongue in the process.

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Stir fried cabbage and tomato
adapted from Penny’s Noodle Shop, Chicago

    Vegetable oil
    1 very small or 1/2 medium head cabbage, thinly sliced
    1 teaspoon granulated sugar
    2 cups chopped tomatoes (any kind works–I used cherry tomatoes here)
    1-2 teaspoons fish sauce, depending on your preference
    1/4 cup soy sauce
    15 or 20 grinds black pepper
    1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
    1/3 cup low-sodium, organic beef broth
    Sesame oil, for drizzling

Method: Heat 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet or wok over medium high. Add the cabbage and sugar and cook, tossing occasionally, until it has softened and started to caramelize, about 5 minutes.

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Toss in the tomatoes, fish sauce, soy, pepper, vinegar and beef broth. Cook for about 3 minutes, to soften the tomatoes and meld the flavors. Drizzle very lightly with sesame oil, and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed.

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Serve in deep bowls and be sure to spoon some of that lovely liquid over the top for guests to slurp.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

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September 29, 2012 · 8:32 am

Sunday sauce

I love the idea of Italian Sunday gravy–meaty tomato sauce that cooks all day on very low heat. It conjures this romantic image of a tiny Italian grandma stooped over a pot older than she is, masterfully babysitting the bubbling, savory sauce while the house fills up with the sounds of idle chatter and clinking glasses.

My own experience has been much less romantic. I splattered myself and most of the stove with tomato seeds as I attempted to squish them over the pot as instructed. (As I’m typing, I just noticed I actually have tomato juice on my foot.) Even worse, all the aggressive clanging as I frantically chopped aromatics and heaved them into the pot scared the dog into the far corner of the house. I guiltily coaxed her back into the living room with a hunk of cheddar cheese, reassuring her I wasn’t a total lunatic. But it all felt worthwhile as the house filled with the aroma of meaty browned bones, sweet San Marzano tomatoes, pungent onion and garlic and the faint acidic tang of white wine.

The funniest (and worst) part about the long hours spent procuring ingredients, browning them and then waiting while they bubble away at a snail’s pace is the day doesn’t even end with me eating the dreamy sauce. Instead, it’s one of several ingredients going into a braised pot roast that we’ll eat over rigatoni tomorrow.

Oh, sauce. Why must you tease me?

Sunday sauce
adapted from chef Michael Symon

    1/4 cup olive oil
    2 lbs. meaty beef or pork bones
    1 large onion
    6 cloves garlic, sliced
    Salt
    2 cups dry white wine
    2 28-ounce cans whole San Marzano tomatoes
    1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
    2 bay leaves

Method: In a 5-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high until it slides easily around the bottom. Add the bones and sear them, turning occasionally, until brown all over.

Add the onion, garlic and a generous pinch of salt, and sweat for about 3 minutes, until softened. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Crush the tomatoes with your fingers and add them and their juices to the pot.

Add the red pepper, oregano, bay leaves and another large pinch of salt and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, cover and cook the sauce until it’s reduced by one third, about 8 hours. (You don’t want the sauce to simmer; instead, you should see a bubble rising to the surface every now and then.) Remove the bones and discard.

This complex, deeply savory sauce would be wonderful pureed and served with pasta, Italian sausage and torn basil, or for adding to any braised meat. It will keep in the fridge for about a week or up to 2 months in the freezer.

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August 5, 2012 · 2:50 pm

Easy as chopping tomatoes

I feel like kind of a hack posting tomato recipes in the summertime. The truth is, tomato season is about the easiest time of year for us home cooks. Halve them and smear them on crusty bread with garlic and oil, quarter them and toss them with herbs and vinaigrette, dice them and toss them with pasta and good olive oil, puree them with cucumber and peppers for gazpacho. When they’re in season, they’re heavenly and require very little work. So I really shouldn’t be congratulating myself for incorporating the latest batch of candy-sweet, juicy tomatoes into a pasta dish–but I think you’ll thank me for sharing this one.

My family looks forward to pasta with tomatoes and brie each year when my dad’s tomatoes reach their peak in August. My mom started making it several years ago after she got the recipe from our next door neighbor who said it’s one of her favorites. Given that this lady’s thin as a rail, she must have portion control thing down pat because it’s very difficult to eat a small portion of this pasta.

I like to chop the tomatoes first and let them sit in a bowl on the counter for up to a few hours before I make the rest of the dish. This allows time for their sweet, acidic juices to mingle with the fresh basil, fruity olive oil and garlic.

Whenever Sean and I make this dish, we always argue over who gets the lovely task of cubing the brie. (Notice who lost this time!) It’s a pain, but it’s well worth the effort. As soon as that brie hits the hot pasta, it begins to melt, binding with the juice from the tomatoes to form a sauce.

To make it a bit easier on yourself, slip the brie into the freezer about 30 minutes before cubing it and use a very sharp knife. It will keep the sticking and oozing to a minimum. Or better yet, recruit an assistant for the job. It helps if the assistant has a taste for brie rind.

Pasta with tomatoes and brie

    2 pounds tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
    1 cup basil leaves, chopped
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    1 pound spaghetti
    1 pound brie

Method: In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the mixture sit at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. I recommend doing this step an hour or two in advance, so the flavors have time to marry.

Cook the pasta in heavily salted water until just al dente. While the pasta cooks, remove the rind from the brie and cut into 1/4-inch cubes.

Drain the pasta. Dump the tomato mixture into the same pot you used for the pasta. Add the hot pasta and the brie, and toss everything together with tongs. Add a few glugs of olive oil to loosen the sauce. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve immediately (though it’s just as delicious once it cools down to room temp). Serves 4.

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March 10, 2012 · 8:54 am

Simple dinner for one (with leftovers)

This spoon rest is one of my favorite kitchen tools. It was handmade by Chicago-based Circa Ceramics–they do all kinds of colorful, functional porcelain pieces fired with funky screen prints (these lidded bowls are another favorite). I found it last year while I was browsing the Renegade Craft Fair on a stifling summer day in Wicker Park. I met the artist at the fair and told him I wanted a custom spoon rest with the piggy parts print. He slipped me a business card while juggling a wiggly baby boy in his other hand. Two weeks later, I visited the studio where he had made and glazed it, paid him right then and carried my spoon rest home to put to work that very evening. It was lovely to work with the artist throughout the entire process–it made the piece that much more valuable to me.

But I digress. My piggy spoon rest got quite a workout last week with Sunday pot pie, Tuesday lentils, Thursday bolognese and Friday paella. So on Saturday, tomato-poached eggs offered a light yet satisfying counter to a week of meat-heavy meals. Penny the Peanut and I had the house to ourselves, so I poured a glass of wine, served my eggs on the fancy china and turned on Downton Abbey (oh, the shame). It was the perfect night in.

As for the eggs, I started by sautéeing a small onion, half a red bell pepper and a few cloves of garlic in olive oil. I poured in a can of chickpeas and some whole tomatoes in tomato purée. Then I carefully cracked four whole eggs into the pan and sprinkled sharp white cheddar cheese over the top. A quick bake just to set the whites, a sprinkling of parsley and dinner was served. A few hunks of baguette helped me sop up all the egg yolk and tomato broth.

Tomato-poached eggs with chickpeas

    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 small onion, diced
    1/2 red bell pepper, diced
    Salt and pepper, to taste
    1 teaspoon sweet paprika
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1 14-oz. can chickpeas, drained
    14 ozs. whole tomatoes in tomato purée
    4 eggs
    4 ozs. sharp white cheddar or feta cheese, diced or crumbled
    1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
    Crusty bread, for serving

Method: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Heat a small Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Next stir in the paprika, cayenne, garlic and chickpeas; cook for 1-2 minutes until everything is fragrant and reddish-tinted.

Add the tomatoes and crush the whole pieces with your spoon. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed.

Next, carefully crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and pour them into the pot, allowing some space between the other eggs and the edge of the pot.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Put the lid on, and slide the pot into the oven. Bake for 7-8 minutes, just until the egg whites have set and the yolks are still good n’ runny. (Up the bake time by a minute or two if you like your yolks a bit more done.)

Remove the pot from the oven, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Taste to make sure the seasoning is to your liking, and adjust if needed. To serve, spoon 2 eggs into a bowl along with some of the chickpea-studded broth. Top with a sprinkling of parsley. Serves 1 with another meal leftover. This dish is even better on day 2.

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October 30, 2011 · 8:56 am

A satisfying vegetarian soup

It’s funny. From reading my blog, you might get the sense that I’m not much of a soup person, since I haven’t posted many (if any?) soup recipes. But the truth is, it is one of my most favorite things. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the idea of slurping up broth teeming with various kinds of meat, seafood, vegetables or starch. My dad always got a kick out of this, and whenever he took me out to eat, he’d ask the server what the soup of the day was. He’d then look at me with raised eyebrows. “Sound good?” he’d ask. I’d nod eagerly, and almost always order a bowl, not always sure what I was getting into. I have no doubt in my mind that this contributed considerably to my lifelong love affair with soup. It’s amazing how much of an effect your dad can have.

One thing that is so great about soup is it can play the part of appetizer, side or entrée, depending on the time of day and your level of peckishness. And vegetarian soups can be quite satisfying–though you can’t be afraid to add a little fat. In this case, the culprits are butter, a little sour cream and cheese. But you’ll find the end product to be quite light, yet hearty enough to fill you up when served with crusty bread for sopping. I often forget what a lovely surprise dill can be in tomato-based dishes–it’s far too often limited to applications like cucumber, salmon and lemon.

Resources used: Epicurious.com. Epicurious posted this recipe from a 1997 issue of Bon Appetit.

Leek, tomato and dill soup with shaved white cheddar

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 tablespoon butter
    3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (about 2 large leeks)
    Salt and pepper, to taste
    28 ounces tomato purée
    3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
    6 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/2 cup light sour cream
    4 ounces chilled sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced
    Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish

Method: Heat oil and butter in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add leeks, salt and pepper, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the purée, broth, chopped dill and cayenne and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, about 20 minutes.

It’s during this time, when the thickened liquid is bubbling away and the aroma of simmering herbs and vegetables is filling the house, that a certain Penny the Peanut will take particular interest and place herself directly underfoot. Can you spot the Peanut?

Using an immersion blender or in batches in the food processor, purée the soup until smooth. Bring the soup back to a simmer over medium-low heat. Taste the soup for seasoning, and adjust as needed. Gradually whisk in the sour cream.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Arrange the shards of cheddar on top, and garnish with additional chopped fresh dill.

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September 15, 2011 · 7:00 pm

A late-summer risotto

Aside from football, chunky knit scarves and changing leaves, my favorite part of fall is without a doubt the first risotto of the season. The relaxed pace of stirring something starchy over the stove until it becomes as thick as porridge is a romantic image I reserve for chilly evenings because it is so warming and full of comfort.

I often go with something earthy or aromatic in honor of the coming fall harvest and the smell in the air on crisp days as the leaves start to fall. Winter squash, mushroom or saffron thus tend to be the stars of my first fall risotto. However, this summer has been especially warm and rainy, producing a bumper tomato crop.

So I instead dedicate my first fall risotto to the enduring tomato, blended with a contrasting mix of summery and fall herbs. Rosemary toasted in olive oil forms a slightly woodsy base to the rice, while chopped fresh rosemary leaves round out the dish at the end. Mint–which has been overflowing from my parents’ garden all summer–offers a lovely clean contrast and complements the acidic, sweet tomatoes beautifully. And finally the chives add a subtle onion bite I’ve come to rely on in almost everything this year because they’re always just within reach on the deck.

So here’s to the last few days of shorts, skirts and shoes without socks. To long days and even longer nights spent lingering outdoors in the inviting breeze. To the gorgeous bounty of fruit and vegetables and the easy inspiration their full flavors provide.

And here’s to unpacking wool sweaters, stockings and boots in anticipation of cold walks home in the dark. To the smell of wood-burning fires and slow-cooked meat on the stove. To the rush of cold air on your face as you leave your warm house. And all the promise that comes with a new season.

Tomato risotto with chives, mint and rosemary

    5 cups vegetable stock
    1/2 cup tomato purée
    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    3 sprigs rosemary, divided
    1 tablespoon butter, divided
    1 medium onion, small diced
    Salt and pepper, to taste
    1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    1 1/2 cups arborio rice
    1/2 c. dry white wine
    1 large tomato, small diced
    1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
    1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
    1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Pour the vegetable stock and tomato purée into a medium saucepan; heat until simmering over medium-high, and then turn the heat down to low to keep warm.

Heat the olive oil and two of the rosemary sprigs over medium-high heat in a large heavy bottomed skillet. When the rosemary starts to sizzle, swirl it around in the oil for about 30 seconds. Remove the sprigs and discard.

Add half the butter, the onion, salt and pepper and sauté until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in the rice, and toast it for about 2 minutes, until each kernel has been coated in oil and is slightly translucent.

Add the wine and stir occasionally until the liquid is all but gone. Turn the heat down to medium. Add about 3/4 cup of the warm tomato broth, and stir frequently until most of the liquid is gone.

Repeat this in similar amounts each time, until the rice is cooked to al dente and has achieved a creamy texture. This should take about 20 minutes. When you get close to the last addition of broth, stir in the chopped tomatoes. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as needed.

Once the rice has thickened but falls back on itself when you drag a spoon through it (a chef I once interviewed likes to call it “a la onda” or like a wave), turn off the heat. Stir in the rest of the butter, most of the Parmesan cheese and most of the herbs, reserving some for the garnish.

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