Fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes are starting to appear everywhere, even here in Fort Bragg at our local farmer’s market. It’s a season many of us long for – when the taste of the “real” tomato, grown outdoors in the sunshine, is once again at hand.
Of course we want organic tomatoes – it’s important to avoid the pesticides that commercial tomatoes contain. Plus the flavor – the flavor of the sun; the tart sweetness yet slight acidity is the perfect flavor combination for our taste buds, and may bring back memories of wandering in the garden as a child, or that favorite tomato you picked from the vine on your Italian holiday.
Tomatoes in the beginning of the season, in late July and August, are at their peak with that absolute and perfect balance of acid and sweet. We are fortunate today that small farmers are cultivating literally hundreds of varieties of tomatoes, from the common Roma, cherry, and Early Girl, to less familiar heirloom and exotic varieties like the Green Zebra, Black Crimson, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Oxacan Jewel, Brandywine, Mexican Red Calabash, Purple Russian, and many more, all with a particular look, distinct flavor, and sweetness level.
Living Light graduate, former instructor, and celebrity chef Chad Sarno developed this simple recipe to highlight the incredible flavor of tomatoes at the peak of their season. He shared it with us a few years ago at one of our Hot Chefs, Cool Kitchen events here in Fort Bragg, and we thought we would share it with you as we launch full-on into tomato season!
Semi Dried Tomatoes
● 1/2 T spice mix (fennel seed, chile flake, dried oregano, sea salt, black pepper)
● Rocket (arugula) leaves tossed with olive oil and lemon juice
● Fresh Truffle-Caper Tapenade (see recipe below)
Using hot water (be sure it is not boiling!), gently pour over the tomatoes, being careful not to break the stem. Cover and allow to sit to ‘slow blanch’ for 15-25 minutes, remove and carefully peel off the skin, making sure stem is not removed. An option is to place a slice of a fresh clove of garlic in the tomato through the bottom. Continue to dry by placing tomatoes on screen sheet of dehydrator at 105 degrees for 4-5 hours.
To serve: Serve tomatoes warmed or chilled, gently toss the rocket leaves with olive oil and squeeze of lemon, place leaves on plate, followed by scoop of tapenade, place tomato on tapenade. Finish by drizzling tomato and plate with garlic oil and freshly cracked pepper.
Truffle-Caper Tapenade
● 1-1/2 cup capers, rinsed
● 4 cups kalamata olives PITTED
● 1/4 c red onion diced fine
● 3 cloves of garlic fine minced
● 1 T finely minced red chile
● 2 T oregano fine chopped
● 2 T tarragon fine chopped
● 3 T black truffle oil
For best consistency, mince all by hand. If using food processor, process the capers and olives. Hand mix in remaining ingredients.
If you would like to watch incredible gourmet culinary demos of these recipes, plus two dozen other gourmet selections like Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage Cream and Mushrooms, Triple Berry Shortcake with Black Pepper Tarragon Syrup, and Low Glycemic Superfood Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups, sign up at Hot Chefs, Cool Kitchen today – or visit RawFoodChef.com for information on learning more about gourmet raw vegan food!
