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PrintTomato Season Brings Euphoria to the Kitchen
Summer, for me, means the peak of tomato season. Only vine-ripened tomatoes can bring on euphoria when you’re eating them: small ones that pop in your mouth when you chew them, plum ones for sauces, and heirloom varieties that are best eaten with a splash of olive oil and vinegar or a drizzle of pesto atop a piece of crusty bread.
The tomato, native to the Americas, has made its mark on cuisines around the world. The conquistadors encountered tomatoes, called xitomatl by the Aztecs, when they arrived in the New World. When they carried their discovery back to Spain, the name became tomate. From there, tomatoes made their way to the rest of Europe.
Temperate regions along the Mediterranean were particularly conducive to growing this sun-loving fruit. On its travels, the tomato found its way into Spanish gazpachos, French salads, Italian sauces, North African tagines and, eventually, Indian curries and other Asian dishes.
Botanically, the tomato is a fruit of the vine. In the kitchen it is almost always treated as a vegetable. In fact, in 1893, the United States Supreme Court ruled, for the purpose of levying a tariff, that the tomato was a vegetable.
When I am left with pieces of tomatoes that are not pretty because of a slight split or a bruise on the flesh, I make several batches of tomato sauce, but the most enjoyable way to eat them is with pasta using a quick, no-cook sauce.
Bruschetta Pasta
1 pound linguine
4 medium tomatoes
1⁄2 cup fresh basil
3 tablespoon oregano
1⁄2 cup olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1⁄4 pound mozzarella cheese
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic
vinegar
black pepper
1. Boil a large pot of water and cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. Dice the tomatoes and the mozzarella into small chunks, and chop the basil. In a large bowl, combine those ingredients with the olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper. Toss well to combine and set aside until the pasta is cooked.
3. Drain the pasta when it is done and place it back in the pot. Add the tomato mixture and toss well to combine. You can heat this on the stove if you prefer it warm.
