In early August, when everyone worried that their tomatoes would never ripen, a glut of tomatoes was unimaginable. But now that the season is nearing its end, some home growers are fretting that cold weather will come before they have a chance to harvest every last bunch.
Tomatoes are a warm-weather member of the nightshade family, along with tobacco, chili peppers and eggplant. Native to Central, South and southern North America, they were probably first domesticated by the Aztecs in Mexico.
Tomatoes that are still green by the end of the growing season are unlikely ever to ripen. In that case, the fall-back solution is obvious. Fried green tomatoes sound simple, and growing up in the Deep South, I’ve enjoyed more than my share of them. However, proper preparation is something of an art form – it’s too easy to wind up with a soggy mess.
Instead, why not try something new? Chef Carlo Cavallo, Sonoma-Meritage Restaurant & Oyster Bar offers Sun readers two original recipes for making the most of our end-of-season crops, either heirloom or miniature tomatoes, which are sometimes called toybox tomatoes because growers packaged them in small square containers.
Panzanella
Serves six
2 lbs grilled prawns
2 cups homemade croutons
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
2 pints heirloom or toybox tomatoes (sliced lengthwise)
2 English cucumbers, sliced thin and quartered
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch basil, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
In a mixing bowl, slowly whisk the virgin olive oil with vinegar to create an infusion dressing, salt & pepper to taste. Add 1/3 of the dressing to the prawns. In a separate bowl, place the croutons, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado and basil. Toss the ingredients with the dressing and top with grilled prawns.
Maine Lobster salad with Micro Greens and Muscat Dressing
Serves 4
2 ½ lbs Maine lobsters, cooked and cleaned (removed from shell)
4 oz of micro greens (can substitute spring mix)
2 grapefruits, peeled and segmented
2 ripe avocados, cut into cubes
2 pints of heirloom or toybox tomatoes (sliced lengthwise)
1 English cucumber, sliced thin on a bias
¼ cup Muscat wine vinegar
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch chives, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
Salt and pepper
Set aside lobster tails and claws; cut tails in half. Layer cucumber slices on 4 individual plates in a semi-circle. Place chives and vinegar in a mixing bowl, then slowly whisk in the olive oil to create an infusion dressing; add salt and pepper to taste. In a separate bowl, place lobster meat; add 1/3 of the dressing and mix. Add the grapefruit, tomatoes, avocado and scallions. Toss the ingredients with 1/3 of the dressing and place the mixture in a cylinder mold; press down firmly and unmold. Place ½ lobster tail and a claw on top of citrus/vegetable mold. Top each lobster salad with a little micro greens and drizzle with remaining 1/3 of the dressing.
