Recently I was presented with the challenge to take an ordinary tomato and invent some recipes to show a different side of this salad staple. I admit nothing beats a tomato fresh from the garden, rinsed, sliced and sprinkled with sea salt, but these recipes breath some fresh air into a common ingredient and make my mouth water.
First, a fact.
People often debate whether a tomato is a vegetable or a fruit. It’s a fruit. In fact, it is actually a berry. Consider that when you are inventing your own recipes. Why not sweeten them up like strawberries and make a tomato shortcake? Hmm… I might try that.
Second, two tips.
Never store your tomatoes in the refrigerator. It zaps the flavor and turns the texture mealy. Also try to buy tomatoes with a stump of vine attached. While the vine is still on the fruit, it continues to ripen. Because tomatoes are picked before they are fully ripe for transport reasons, most never reach their full flavor potential. The tomatoes with the vine stumps still attached have had the opportunity to deepen their flavor even after being picked. So buy vine-ripened with the stump, or better yet stop by a local farm or farmer’s market, or better yet, grow your own!
Tomato Powder Recipe
Tomatoes are a fruit, but they can also be a spice. Tomato powder has intense flavor and can be added to pastas, soups or dips. This recipe is very, very easy, but it does take a lot of time, so make it on laundry day. This is a perfect idea for gardeners drowning in their August harvest, and missing that fresh taste in January.
3 medium tomatoes
1. Preheat your oven to 225.
2. Using a very sharp knife, slice your tomato as thinly as you can, aiming for about 1/8 of an inch thickness. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and cover it with tomato slices.
3. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Turn slices and bake for another 2 1/2 to 3 hours. When slices are brittle, they are done.
4. Grind the tomatoes in a spice or coffee grinder. Gently use a pastry brush to dust out the power.
5. Put powder through a sieve and package the fine powder in an airtight container. You will yield about 1/4 cup. If stored properly, it will keep indefinitely.
Re-imagined Caprese Appetizer
buffalo mozzarella
olive oil
a few leaves of fresh basil
tomato powder
1. Heat a few tablespoon of olive oil in a small sauce pan over a low flame. Add a few basil leaves. Heat a minute or two until the basil just releases it’s fragrance.
2. Puddle the basil oil on a plate or a Chinese spoon. Place a slice of mozzarella on top. Sprinkle generously with the tomato powder. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf if you choose. Enjoy!
Spicy Tomato Sorbet
This assertive sorbet will wake up your taste buds. Your first impression will be surprise because we expect sorbets to be sweet, not savory. A bit of heat will come on the back end of your bite. You’ll feel the heat in the back of your pallet after you swallowed it. It’s an excellent pallet cleanser and a fun, delicious surprise.
5 ripe tomatoes
2/3 c tomato juice
juice of 1 lime
dash of Tabasco
pinch of cheyenne
1 t sea salt
1. Puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Strain mixture through a fine sieve. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Add to ice-cream maker following your manufacturer’s directions. In 25 minutes you should have a lovely sorbet. Garnish with a basil leaf.
Tomato Spice Mini Cupcakes with Tomato Cream Cheese Frosting
Explore these yummy treats and the sweeter side of this fruit.
For the cake:
1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c tomato paste
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk (or 1 T lemon juice, plus enough milk to equal 1 c)
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 T white vinegar
2 1/4 c flour
1 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 T cocoa powder
1 pumpkin pie spice
1 t lime zest
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line mini muffin tin with papers.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add tomato paste. Beat until combined. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, vinegar and baking soda.
3. Sift flour, salt and spices together. Add to wet mixture until just combined.
4. Fill cups until almost full. Bake for 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. (If you use regular cupcake tins, it will take 30 minutes.)
5. Cool completely before frosting.
Tomato Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 c butter
3 oz cream cheese
1 T tomato powder
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t lime zest
about 5 c powdered sugar
1. Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
2. Add powder, zest and vanilla
3. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until you reach your desired sweetness and texture. Thin with a bit of milk if needed.
4. Frost mini cupcakes and garnish with sanding sugar and mint if you’d like. Enjoy!
Yield: about 48 mini cupcakes
[…] c butter 3 oz cream cheese 1 T tomato powder 1 t vanilla extract 1/2 t lime zest about 5 c powdered […]