Even with all their possible issues, tomatoes are one of the easiest and most common plants to grow at home, both indoors and out. Called a vegetable, but more botanically a fruit in the nightshade family, there are more than 10,000 tomato varieties in the world that range in size from cherry to beefsteak and in color from red to yellow, purple, white and even black as the night sky. They also come spotted, striped, round and teardrop-shaped with flavors of tart, sweet and meaty.
Native to South America, the tomato wasn’t referenced in Europe until around the 16th century. Even then, it was feared and avoided as a poisonous plant, as were many nightshades. It’s true that tomato leaves contain toxic levels of the alkaloids that give nightshade fruits their reputation, but these are not present in tomato fruits. After observing the popularity of this juicy fruit/veggie in Central and South America, the tomato became the “golden apple” of cuisine in Italy, France, Spain and eventually most world cultures.
In North America, tomatoes were first mentioned in 1710 when plantations in modern day South Carolina began commonly growing them. At first, they were mostly used as ornamentals, but thanks in large part to Thomas Jefferson and his French travels, they began to be cultivated to enjoy at the table.
For the past 20 years, the consumption of tomatoes in the U.S. has varied slightly but has certainly been high. In 2020, the average U.S. citizen bought or ate around 19 pounds of fresh tomatoes – and that doesn’t account for canned, paste, jar sauce and other processed products. They’re the second consumed fresh vegetable in the country behind onions. Because of the high demand, today’s commercially grown tomatoes tend to be water-heavy or overly-dense and often lack flavor and natural sugars. Heirloom tomatoes are smaller production plants grown from untreated and often organic seeds that may or may not be hybrids. Heirloom growers are committed to the fundamental flavors, textures and richness of the many varieties that exist beyond your grocery store staples of cherry, roma or just “red.”
So, how do you tomato? There are so many ways! Traditional Andean cuisine incorporated tomatoes into salsas, ensaladas, sopas and other hearty foods. They were paired with potatoes and peppers, onions and citrus, meat and fish. Today, many American eateries have a bottle of ketchup at every table, and chips and salsa come with pretty much every American Mexican restaurant meal. BLT sandwiches and grilled cheese with tomato soup remind us of our childhood, and we just can’t resist a few plump cherry tomatoes at the salad bar. They’re so versatile, they can add an accent of color to a dish or be the star of the meal. From salsa fresca and caprese salad to the richest flavors of a velvety tomato soup, tomatoes shine on any table, every day. I like to experiment with my tomatoes, so I offer you my twist on two down home classics: grilled cheese with tomato jam and bacon, and curried heirloom ketchup. N
Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Tomato Jam
» 4 slices of sourdough bread, sliced
» 10 oz sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
» 4 slices of bacon, cooked
» Organic, grass-fed butter
» 2 tbsp tomato jam (recipe online)
Turn on a griddle or use a fry pan over medium heat. Butter both sides of one slice of bread and place two slices of bacon and half the cheese on that slice. Spread butter on the outside of a second slice of bread and jam on the inside. Build the sandwich and grill on both sides until golden. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Enjoy with soup or a tossed arugula salad.
Combine all the jam ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 hour. Process in jars in a water bath canner or cool and refrigerate. This jam also goes well in curry, crab cakes, biscuits, vinaigrette, pizza and BLT sandwiches.
Homemade Heirloom Ketchup
» 3 lbs heirloom tomatoes
» 1 yellow onion, diced
» 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
» 1/2 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
» 1/2 tsp celery seed
» 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
» 1 tsp mustard powder
» 1/8 tsp allspice powder
» 1/8 tsp ground cloves
» 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
» 1 tsp smoked paprika
» 1 pinch chili powder or berbere (optional)
» 1/3 cup brown sugar
» 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
» 1 tsp lemon juice
» 1 tsp sea salt
Place all ingredients except sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and salt into a large stockpot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 45 mins or until a third of the juices have evaporated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool. Place the mixture in a food processor or blender and process on high for about 1 minute until smooth. Pour into a saucepan, over medium heat and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 5-15 minutes until you reach your desired consistency. Process in sterilized jars in a water bath canner or cool and refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Enjoy with sweet potato fries or slathered on a burger.
By S. Michal Bennett
Photography By Joel Riner
As Featured In: Summer/Fall 2022
