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EVERYDAY
MARCH | APRIL 2018
the
Authentic Italian
issue
F
ew ingredients are as revered and
versatile as the humble tomato —
whether sliced raw and drizzled with
olive oil, tossed with pasta or slow-roasted
for hours.The possibilities are endless.
At their peak, in the late summer months,
there is nothing so delicious as a ripe
tomato, plucked fresh from the vine, when
their unmistakable aroma of grass and earth
is impossible to forget. During the winter
months, when tomatoes often find their
way into braises, sauces and stews, they
magically transform into something warm,
sweet and comforting.
Part of the nightshade family, tomatoes
trace their roots back to the time of the early
Aztecs, around 700 A.D. It wasn’t until the
16
th
century that explorers who had visited
the New World introduced the bright red
fruit to Europe, where they at first were
treated with disdain and skepticism (many
feared the plant was poisonous).
It took some time for folks to warm up
to the tomato. In Italy, folks from the
northern regions were more hesitant than
their southern counterparts, where the
Mediterranean climate provided a much
more affable growing environment. Still,
the nicknames given the fruit across the
European continent provide a tiny glimpse
of the affection some may have felt early on:
In England, they were dubbed “love apples,”
and Italians named them
pomo d’oro
, or
“golden apple.”
When cooking with tomatoes, do as the
Italians do and keep it simple. This isn’t
the time for lengthy reductions or fancy
techniques. Just a few ingredients will do the
trick, and few ingredients are as versatile —
and forgiving — as the tomato. Herbs like
basil, cilantro, oregano, thyme and parsley
are natural complements to the tomato.
But less expected pairings, like anise seed,
cumin, fennel, nutmeg and even ginger also
work well.
The varieties and types of tomatoes are
endless, from hearty, sandwich-worthy
beefsteak tomatoes to petite cherry tomatoes
— tiny orbs with a high acidity, which
makes them a natural for topping summer
salads and sides. Plum tomatoes, also
sometimes called paste tomatoes, are perfect
for canning and sauces. Italian varieties like
Roma, with its oval and almost feminine
quality, and the San Marzano tomato, a
slender, pointed variety, are arguably two
of the most well-known Italian tomatoes.
I POMODORI
by
Helen Freund +
photo by
Romney Caruso