TOMATOES

The tomato was originally viewed as an inedible curiosity. Among its many nicknames in previous centuries was "the poison apple". But other names were more flattering: in Italy, the first variety introduced was yellow, resulting in the name "apples of gold"; and red tomatoes in France became known as "apples of love". The tomato is now one of the most popular foods in North America, grown in most home gardens.

There are a large variety of tomatoes that can be classified in a number of ways: large or small; round, cherry, or plum shaped; red, pink, yellow, white, or orange color; for use in salads, slicing, paste; early, mid-season, or late maturing; and determinate or indeterminate. Determinate varieties are compact and once they reach a certain point in their growth, fruit production stops. Indeterminate varieties continue to grow and bear fruit all season, stopped only by frost or late blight.

Fried Green Tomatoes

• 3 large green or slightly ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• About 1 cup fine yellow corn meal OR all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup bacon drippings, strained through a fine sieve OR vegetable oil OR a mixture of both

Sprinkle both sides of tomato sliced with salt and pepper. Dredge slices in corn meal until completely coated. Let them dry on a wire rack 5-10 minutes. Heat the bacon drippings or oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until an edge of a tomato slice dipped in gives off a lively sizzle. Carefully slip as many of the tomato slices into the skillet as will fit without crowding. You may have to fry in batches. Fry them, turning once, until they are golden brown on both sides and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove to paper towels, drain, and repeat with remaining slices.

Cherry Tomatoes in Basil Vinaigrette Nancy Nolte

• 24 large cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place tomatoes in a large zip-top heavy duty plastic bag; sprinkle with basil. Combine oil and remaining ingredients in a jar. Cover tightly and shake vigorously. Pour over tomatoes. Turn plastic bag to coat tomatoes. To store: refrigerate up to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally. To serve: serve with a slotted spoon. serves 8

Dry milk can be used as a fertilizer. Give each plant one quart of reconstituted dry milk when they start to bloom. This will provide needed nutrients and can help prevent blossom end rot. Do not use whole milk; plants can't deal with the fat.

Stuffed Tomato Salad

• 3 large red ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 can water-packed tuna, drained
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1/8 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 1 small white onion, minced
• Black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup cooked rice

Cut top off tomatoes. Scoop out pulp and place in bowl. To pulp add remaining ingredients except cooked rice. Mash thoroughly. Add rice and blend well. Stuff tomatoes with rice mixture.

Sweet Onion-Tomatoes

• 1 medium onion, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices and separated into rings
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 1-inch thick tomato slices

Put onion rings and water in 1-quart casserole. Cover. Microwave on high 3 minutes. Drain. Stir in butter and brown sugar. Do not cover. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Stir. Top tomatoes with onions. serves 4

Pepperonata

Do not apply too much nitrogen (manure, bloodmeal, or other fertilizer) to tomatoes. It will result in a good growth of leaves, but not much fruit production. Tomatoes do need phosphorus (bonemeal or rock phosphate) and calcium (crushed egg shells, gypsum, or dry milk).

• 2 large red or green peppers
• 1/2 onion
• 4 large tomatoes
• 1/2 clove garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Peel and finely chop onion. Wash peppers, cut in half lengthwise, and remove inner ribs and seeds. Cut peppers into narrow strips. Peel and seed tomatoes, and chop coarsely. Peel garlic and pound into a paste in a mortar, adding a little salt. Heat butter and oil in skillet; add onion and peppers. Cover the pan with lid and cook the vegetables gently until soft but not brown. Add tomatoes and garlic and season to taste with pepper. Put lid back on pan and continue cooking over very low heat, stir occasionally, for 25-30 minutes. The mixture should now be soft and the juices from the tomatoes should have evaporated. Correct the seasoning if necessary. Spoon mixture into a serving dish and serve hot or cold.

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

• 6 large or 12 small tomatoes
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Filling:

• 1 cup rice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup green peas
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds

Bring water to a boil with cinnamon, cloves, and almonds. Add rice, peas, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice is done. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a thin slice off top of tomatoes and set aside. Scoop out seeds and pulp and chop or blend tomato pulp. Strain out and discard seeds. Cook pulp into a thick liquid puree with ginger and turmeric. Stuff tomatoes with filling and pour 1 teaspoon of puree over filling. Replace tops and bake in a glass casserole 15-20 minutes.

Gazpacho

Plant tall, spindly tomatoes up to their first leaves. They will grow new roots along the buried parts of the stem. Use concrete-reinforcing wire for supporting plants; it is stronger than the cages sold in stores.

• 1 cup peeled tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons cilantro
• 1 teaspoon chives
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons salad oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cups tomato juice

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Chill. Serve as appetizer or cold soup.

Variation: for a relish, omit the tomato juice. serves 4

Tomato Soup

• 4 pounds ripe tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped
• 2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 6 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
• 1 cup leeks, finely chopped
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• Minced Croutons

In a large saucepan, heat oil and saute the onions and leeks until wilted and golden. Add 2 cups of the tomatoes, carrots, garlic, and sugar, and cook together, stirring, until the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is thick. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, to cook flour and make smooth. Add the parsley and celery. Add remaining tomatoes, and 3 cups of broth. Cook 10-15 minutes to release the tomato juices and thicken slightly. Add the remaining broth and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with croutons. Makes 2 1/2-3 quarts

Spaghetti with No-Cook Sauce Karla Svoboda

Tomatoes are susceptible to disease. For the best tomatoes, choose a disease- resistant variety and do not plant in the same spot two years in a row.

• 3-4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup fresh minced basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Dash of sugar

Cook 2 ounces of spaghetti per person.

Drain. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Combine with remaining ingredients. Serve at room temperature.

Tomato Chutney

• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 4 cloves
• 1 pound tomatoes, peeled
• 1 red chili pepper, chopped chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Salt and pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped mint

Pound together the ginger, cloves, and chili. Cook the cumin seeds in the oil until they brown. Add the onion and the crushed spices and saute until the onion is golden brown. Stir in tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 45 minutes over a low heat. Add mint and remove from heat.

Tomato Ice Cream Vernon Davison

• 3 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 can Milnot evaporated milk
• 1/2 gallon homogenized milk
• 1 pint whipping cream
• 9 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons vanilla
• 1 pint crushed tomatoes

Beat eggs and sugar together. Add vanilla and Milnot, beat again. Add salt, whipping cream, milk, beat again. Add tomatoes last. Pour into ice cream freezer and freeze until hard. makes 1 1/2 gallon