Episode 91: Tomatoes

Tomato Tarte Tatin
Oven Dried Tomatoes
Tomato Concassee
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Clear Tomato Aspic with Shrimp and Watercress
Tomato Zabaglione
Goat's Cheese, Tomato Concasse and Rosemary Ramekins

TOMATO TARTE TATIN
Preparation is medium

4 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon sherry vinegar
4 roasted garlic cloves
12 Nicoise olives, pitted
4 roasted tomato halves
3 large onions, chopped
Olive oil
½ cup chicken stock
½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
8 ounces prepared puff pastry

Preparation time is 2 hours
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Put some olive oil in a pan, enough to cover the base of the pan well. Heat it until it runs easily over the surface. Add the onions and allow them to saute slowly until golden and translucent. Add the chicken stock and the vinegar and allow the mixture to continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated. By this time the onions should be a rich golden colour.

Put the sugar in a pot with a tablespoon of water and allow the mixture to boil until the syrup turns nut brown. Remove the pot from the heat and add the sherry vinegar to the caramel. Swirl the pan until the liquids are combined.

Pour the caramel into 4-ounce ramekins. Allow the caramel to cool for a minute and put half a roasted tomato into it. Top with the onion confit. Add salt and pepper.

Roll out the puff pastry and cut them into rounds slightly larger than the ramekins. Place the pastry circles over the onion confit and transfer to the oven until the pastry is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.

Turn the tarts out onto plates, top with a roasted garlic clove, decorate with olives and serve warm.

Yield: 4 servings
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OVEN DRIED TOMATOES
Preparation is easy

10 ripe tomatoes, stems and core removed
4 cloves garlic, whole
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
6 sprigs of thyme

Preparation time is 4 ½ hours
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Cut the tomatoes in half and lay them cut side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle the oil over the top of them. Add the whole garlic cloves. Divide the thyme between the tomatoes and bake until the skins become loose, about 20 minutes.

Remove the tomato skins and discard them. Pour any juices that have accumulated into a bowl and reserve. Return the tomatoes to the oven and reduce the temperature to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue to roast and pour off the juices until the tomatoes are slightly shrunken and appear cooked.

Set aside to cool. Transfer to a container and store in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Yield: 20 roasted tomato halves.
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TOMATO CONCASSEE
Preparation is easy

12 very ripe tomatoes
Salt and pepper

Preparation time is 30 minutes

Remove the stalk and score the tomatoes by making a cross over one end. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds. Remove and peel immediately.

Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the core and the seeds. Chop the remainder of the tomatoes into fine dice. Put it into a wide pan (to allow maximum evaporation) and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking until all the moisture released evaporates. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yield: 2 cups
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OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES
Preparation is easy

6 tomatoes
12 basil leaves
6 cloves garlic
6 black olives, halved
1 bunch oregano
1 cup olive oil (250 millilitres)
Salt and pepper

Preparation time is 1 hour
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

Remove the stems from the tomatoes and cut them in half across their equators. Lay the tomatoes in a baking try, cut side up and place a garlic clove and a couple of basil leaves on top of each one. Sprinkle the oregano over the tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings
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CLEAR TOMATO ASPIC WITH SHRIMP AND WATERCRESS
Preparation is medium

20 fluid ounces tinned tomatoes (600 millilitres)
1 large strip of lemon rind
4 to 6 peppercorns
1 clove garlic, well bruised
1 bay leaf
Salt and sugar
1 level tablespoon gelatine (3/4 ounce)
2 ½ fluid ounces water
Black pepper
1 bunch watercress
1 cup small shrimp
1 cup cucumber, diced

Preparation time is 30 minutes, 2 hours setting time

Put the tomatoes into a pan with the lemon rind, peppercorns, bruised garlic clove and bay leaf. Add salt and sugar to taste and bring slowly to the boil. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes and then take off the heat and press the tomato mixture through a strainer, reserving the liquid. Dispose of the solids.

Add the water to the gelatine and allow the gelatine to swell. Add the gelatine to the tomato liquid. Stir it well, until dissolved. Adjust the seasoning, adding black pepper.

Pour into individual moulds and set aside in the refrigerator to set.

To serve, turn out the tomato mould by dipping the base of the mould briefly in hot water. Decorate with watercress, shrimp and any other seafood such as crab salad.

Yield: 6 servings.
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TOMATO ZABAGLIONE
Preparation is medium

6 Tiny Pear tomatoes
6 egg yolks
¼ cup of sugar (50 grams)
1 cup blueberries (6 ½ ounces)
¼ cup shaved semi-sweet chocolate (1 ounce)
1 cup 35% cream (250 millilitres)
1 tablespoon sour cherry extract (15 millilitres)

Preparation time is 30 minutes

Beat the egg yolks and the sugar together over a bain marie. Beat them until they begin to froth up. Then slowly add the chocolate shavings. Take the zabaglione off the heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream. Chop the tomatoes very finely. Add half the chopped tomatoes, half the berries and half the cream to the zabaglione. Add the cherry extract. Refrigerate the zabaglione-berry-tomato mixture for at least 30 minutes.

To serve: In the bottom of a martini glass or glass ramekin, layer the blueberries, then the zabaglione, then the cream, finally topping it off with more berries and the remainder of the chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Yield: 4 servings.
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GOAT'S CHEESE, TOMATO CONCASSE AND ROSEMARY RAMEKINS
Preparation is easy

2 cups tomato concasse (500 millilitres)
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt (10 millilitres)
1 large sprig rosemary
1 cup olive oil (250 millilitres)
1 goat's cheese log, brie-style with a rind

Preparation time is 20 minutes
Preheat the broiler

Crush the garlic with the salt in a mortar using a pestle. Then strip the rosemary leaves from the stem and chop them finely. Mix the rosemary and the crushed garlic with the tomato concasse. Add the olive oil.

Divide the concasse between your ramekins. Then, cut a round of goat's cheese to fit each ramekin. Place it on top and take the ramekins to the broiler to cook.

Broil until the tops are melted and golden, beginning to crisp. The cheese should be almost liquid. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Yield: 6 servings
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Recipe courtesy of Chef Caroline McCann-Bizjak