A Practical Ode to Tomatoes

4 easy ways to honour tomato season in Ontario

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It’s tomato season in Ontario and there are few things I love as dearly as a fresh tomato.

While tomatoes feature in a plethora of cuisines (hello, colonialism), I’m most familiar with the role they play in Italian cookery and especially Italian vegetarian dishes like sauces, minestrone, panzanella, bruschetta. I draw a lot of inspiration from how they’re appreciated in these edible contexts, but there is no wrong way to worship a tomato. While I obviously adore a tomato-forward dish— like pasta al pomodoro—in my near-decade of veganism I’ve also really come to appreciate the versatility and complexity tomatoes can bring to many savoury dishes, even when they’re not at the centre. Minestrone is a good example of when adding tomatoes and letting them mingle with other veggies— and with beautiful brothy beans— creates a party of perfect flavours. It’s umami, it’s hearty, it’s rich, it’s complex, it’s tasty! Tomatoes add something to the broth that’s hard to quantify, and thanks to their collaboration with olive oil and beans, minestrone is one of those wonderfully fulfilling veggie dishes where meat’s not missing… it was just never necessary.

Thankfully, the tomato’s lessons on interdependence extend far beyond minestrone, which isn’t really an August dish (though don’t let me discourage you from a little summer soup!!)!

Garden-fresh tomatoes with olive oil, basil, salt and pepper!? A simple and glorious snack alone or on toast, one where everyone works together to offer something special. The tomato, cool and bright and acidic is rounded out by the oil, lended a touch of bitterness. Its sweetness and umami is enhanced by the salt, pepper and basil. But you can still trace each individual ingredient— they get credit for their unique offerings as well as their contributions to the dish as a whole.

Below are a few of my favourite tomato-taught lessons on collaboration and interdependence on the plate.

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Which tomatoes are best?

All tomatoes are good tomatoes! That said, different varieties have different affordances and limitations including but not limited to cost, texture, size and flavour.

Usually, I find myself reaching for heirloom or cherry. Heirloom are so beautiful in their irregularity and usually slice well for sandwiches. Cherry tomatoes have so much flavour contained in their little bodies and are also easy to eat on a walk home from the market. These are my preferences but you eat what you have and what you like!

Tomato Toast (or, basically bruschetta)

The perfect easy breakfast, snack, or side dish.

Cut some sourdough bread. Slice up a tomato. Grab your basil or oregano. Assemble. Drizzle with olive oil (balsamic vinegar too if you’d like). Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and flakey salt (and red pepper flakes if you want some heat).

Tomato on sourdough drizzled in olive oil and garnished with oregano, red pepper flakes, fresh cracked pepper and flakey salt.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes

• Sourdough bread

• Fresh basil or oregano

• Olive oil

• Fresh cracked black pepper

• Flakey salt (non negotiable for me— the texture adds so much to the experience)

• Optional: Balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes

Tomato on sourdough drizzled in olive oil and garnished with basil, fresh cracked pepper and flakey salt.

Tomato, Peach and Basil Salad with Cheesy Tofu

When it’s too hot to turn on the oven give this salad and cheesy tofu combo a try. This is my way to honour the overlap of tomato and peach season— two of my favourites, both of whom partner very well with basil.

I’ve been seeing a lot of salads with creamy elements, like burrata, floating around on social media. This has been encouraging me to play more with raw tofu. I will always be in awe of tofu’s versatility! In this dish it’s not meant to replace buratta— it’s a different ingredient. What tofu offers in this context is something similar. It’s filling and creamy and, prepared in the way I cue below, lends a sourness that balances out the other flavours.

Tomato, peach and basil summer salad with onions, cheesy tofu and roasted pumpkin seeds.

Salad Ingredients:

• Tomatoes

• Mixed greens or arugula

• Peaches

• Onion or shallot

• Fresh basil

• Roasted pumpkin seeds (or whatever nuts and/or seeds you have on hand— I roast mine in olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes but you can also use raw or buy them pre-roasted)

• Cheesy Tofy

• Fresh cracked black pepper

• Flakey salt

• Olive oil

• Balsamic vinegar

Cheesy Tofu Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 block of extra firm tofu (you could try other consistencies but I’ve only tested this with medium-firm and extra-firm)

• 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

• 1/2 small-medium shallot or onion, chopped

• 1 tbsp - 1 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 tbsp pickle juice

• 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt

• 1/2 tsp mirin

• 5-6 cranks of fresh cracked pepper

• 1/4 tsp MSG

Method:

Chop your garlic and shallots. Press your tofu (or just squeeze extra water out with towel/paper towel— this will help the flavourful liquids penetrate the tofu). Cut into desired pieces (or rip or crumble— texture is up to you!). Throw all the ingredients into a jar (I opt for an old 1 litre pickle jar). SHAKE. Taste. Adjust as necessary (ie. if you want it more acidic, add more lemon juice or pickle juice). Store leftovers in the fridge to use on other salads for up to 4 days.

Eric Kim’s Furikake Tomato Sandwich with Smoky Tofu

Eric Kim continues to develop killer recipes. The tomato x furikake combo?! Immediately yes! I tried this the other night with cucumbers, spicy mayo (vegan mayo mixed with the oil from Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisp but you can use your favourite hot sauce/oil), and smoky tofu.

To make smoky tofu I cut a block of extra firm into strips and let them marinate in a mix of olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, liquid smoke, salt, pepper and a touch of paprika (all to taste). Then I pan fry them up until they’re crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, flipping them part way through the fry.

Tomato furikake sandwich with spicy mayo, cucumbers and smoky tofu.

Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

Homemade cavatelli (using my handmade pasta board) in a fresh tomato sauce.

A good dish to make when your tomatoes are getting a bit soft or when you have too many tomatoes and must make something that can be frozen for later. In my experience, it’s hard to make a bad sauce. Just add veggies you like to a pot with the appropriate amount of oil and let them do their thing. Rules aren’t necessary, just taste and adjust to your preferences as you go! If you need a place to begin, however, my veg ratio is somewhere around 50% tomato, 25% alliums (usually shallot and garlic and cooked until sweet, not sharp), 20% other (usually red pepper, sometimes red pepper and zucchini, sometimes red pepper and mushrooms), 5% olive oil.

I begin by chopping up tomatoes, red pepper, shallots and garlic (half the cloves). Shallots and garlic begin cooking first in a generously oiled pot. They get a bit of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes at this point too but not too much! Add more as you go. Once I can squish the garlic with my spatula (and before the garlic burns), I add the remaining ingredients, and season again with salt and pepper.

Then, I cover the pot and let everything mingle on low heat until AT LEAST the peppers are soft (approx 30 mins). The sauce can continue to develop (covered and on low heat) for hours so long as I’m keeping an eye on it and adding water if/when necessary.

This is not an overly sweet tomato sauce. I like my tomato sauce deep and SAVOURY as can be with a bit of spice.

Once the sauce is done, throw it on some cooked pasta. (If you’re interested in making pasta from scratch, I’m currently working on carving some new pasta boards for a fall/winter drop!)

Heirloom tomatoes, red pepper, shallots, and garlic with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes

• Red pepper

• Shallots

• Garlic

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

• Red pepper flakes and/or dried chilis to taste

• Optional: fresh basil or oregano, MSG

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For those of you currently celebrating tomato season, tell me what you’re making, send pictures of your garden, show me your tomatoes!!

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