Did you know that tomatoes are a mood boosting food – perhaps you have already noticed but there are tomatoes and tomatoes…literally hundreds of varieties and some are definitely more mood enhancing than others!
We usually grow about 25 different types, red, green, yellow, wine coloured, stripy, black…
This year we have fewer, because as some of you may know, we dismantled our old greenhouse before Christmas. We were very, very sad, it had fed us deliciously for over 56 years, but we could no longer ignore the cost of the upkeep and leaks, creaks and drips!
At present the finishing touches are just being put to a brand new acre block of glasshouses for organic production. We are super excited and look forward to using it as a protected garden from Autumn onwards – if you are in the Shanagarry area, come and see it – it’s impressive!
Meanwhile, we have been growing a variety of tomatoes in a tunnel.
We’ve got an abundance right now, many shapes, sizes and colours so we’re tucking into tomatoes in various guises for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Many are heirloom varieties with intriguing names like Bocati, Cindel, Yellow Perfection, San Marzano, Green Zebra, Sakura, Sweet Aperitif, Iris…Lots of sweet little cherry tomatoes like Yellow Submarine, Black Cherry and Sungold. Some of the large varieties like Brandywine weigh as much as 450g and are a meal in themselves.
If you haven’t managed to grow some of your own this year, go along to your nearest Farmers’ Market and seek out a stall selling homegrown tomatoes that have been ripened on the vine. As I mentioned in last week’s article, they’ll have extra flavour and their full complement of the all-important lycopene, an antioxidant which boosts our immune systems and helps lower cholesterol as well as being packed with vitamins, minerals and the all-important mood enhancing properties.
With a few rare exceptions, tomatoes in our supermarkets will have been picked off green and underripe to facilitate transportation. They gradually ripen in transit rather than on the vine, soaking up the rays of the sun. The latter is what provides the WOW factor and boosts the nutrient density.
A brilliant cooks tip that may sound counter intuitive, always season both raw and cooked tomatoes, not just with flaky sea salt and fresh cracked pepper but also a generous sprinkling of sugar to counter the acidity and make them sing….
Real as opposed to faux honey is also delicious on a tomato salad, I love the version dressed with freshly squeezed lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil and a generous drizzle of local wildflower honey.
Don’t forget the classic Caprese with slices of tender buffalo mozzarella interspersed, with slices of super ripe tomato and lots of fresh basil leaves. That Italian summer classic is at its best right now. You might also like to try pairing ripe tomatoes with juicy peaches or nectarines and fresh mint leaves – so good!
Chilled cubes of watermelon and tomato are another irresistible combination, add some wispy thin slices of red onion and a few mint leaves and maybe a little crumbled feta for extra protein.
Even the simple combination of tomato, ripe but still firm avocado and crispy cucumber is a permanent favourite. I’d add some fresh basil leaves to that and maybe toss in some small, hand torn, cubes of yesterday’s bread to soak up the juices, then you have a variation on a Mediterranean bread salad such as Fattoush or Panzanella.
Ripe tomatoes cooked into a melting fondue, piperonata or ratatouille are super versatile and can indeed be frozen for a winter feast.
Towards the end of the season in late August, early September, buy a few chips of sweet, perfectly ripe, soft tomatoes and turn them into purée for winter soups and stews. They can also be frozen whole, literally just throw them into a container in the freezer. But for now, enjoy the juicy ripe Irish tomatoes at every opportunity…
Fresh Summer Tomato Juice
This is only worth making when you have very well flavoured vine ripened tomatoes, we made it from mid-August until about the end of September when our tomatoes have really developed intense flavour.
Serves 5 approximately
Ingredients
450g peeled, halved, very ripe tomatoes
1 spring onion with a little green leaf or
1 sliced onion 5cm diameter and 5mm thick
3 large basil or mint leaves
2 tsp Forum white wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
110ml cold water
1 level tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
a few grinds of black pepper
Method
Liquidise the ingredients together, then strain through a nylon sieve. Taste and correct the seasoning. Best when freshly made and better not kept for more than a few hours. Serve unadorned in tall glasses with a sprig of mint.
Tomato Granita
Make as above but add more sugar, it should taste sweeter than you reckon it should – use a tablespoon rather than a teaspoon of sugar because it will lose some of its sweetness during freezing…
We love to serve it with crab mayonnaise or even a few slices of ripe avocado and a leaf or two of fresh basil – delicious!
Warm Smoked Mackerel with Heritage Beef Tomatoes, Red Onion and Dill
One of my favourite ways to serve the large juicy heritage tomatoes, a delicious flavour combination with freshly smoked mackerel now that they’ve arrived in Ballycotton Bay at last.
It’s super easy to smoke your own fish inside a biscuit tin with a few tablespoons of sawdust. Lay the fish fillets, flesh side up on a tray, sprinkle the fish with pure salt as though you were seasoning generously. Careful it’s easy to over salt if the fillets are thin.
Depending on the thickness of the fish, leave for at least an hour but not more than 3 hours. Dry the fillets with kitchen paper, place on a wire rack and allow to dry in a cool, airy place for 30 minutes approximately.
Put a wire rack into the biscuit tin and lay the fish, flesh side up on top. Put the box on a gas jet over a medium heat for a minute or so until the sawdust starts to smoulder. Cover the box.
Reduce the heat and smoke for 4-7 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn off the heat and allow to sit in the tin/smoked unopened for 5 minutes – remove from the tin and use as you fancy.
Serves 4
Ingredients
450g ripe heritage tomatoes
flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 fillets of freshly smoked mackerel drizzled with extra virgin olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small red onion or shallot, thinly sliced
dill sprigs
Method
Slice the tomato into 5mm rounds, season well with flaky salt, freshly ground
black pepper and maybe a pinch of sugar. Put three slices on each plate, lay
some chunks of smoked mackerel on top.
Slice the onion or shallots into paper thin rings, sprinkle some over the
mackerel. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a generous squeeze of
lemon juice. Sprinkle some dill sprigs over the top and serve.
Heirloom Tomato and Ricotta Tart
This gorgeous tart was inspired by a photo on the cover of a food magazine a number of years ago, it’s now one of our summer favorites. The ricotta and pecorino filling is uncooked, so be sure to assemble the tart close to the time of eating. Best made in late summer or early autumn when the tomatoes are exquisitely sweet. I use the delicious buffalo ricotta made in West Cork for this dish.
Serves 8
Ingredients
For the Pastry
150g plain white flour
75g cold butter
a little water, to bind
1 beaten organic, free-range egg, to seal
For the filling
250g buffalo ricotta
100g pecorino cheese, grated
2 tbsp double cream
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp chopped basil, thyme and marjoram, plus extra leaves to garnish
zest of ½ organic lemon
flaky sea salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
650g mixed heritage and cherry tomatoes, including striped zebra (green), red and yellow cherry tomatoes, if available
Method
First make the pastry. All the ingredients should be cold. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes. Toss the cubes into the flour and then proceed to lift up a few cubes of butter at the time in each hand. Using your thumbs, rub the cubes of butter across the middle three fingers, towards the index fingers.
Allow the flakes of floured butter to drop back into the bowl, then pick up some more and continue until all the butter is rubbed in. As you rub in the butter, hold your hands well above the bowl and run your fingers through the flour to incorporate as much air as possible to keep the mixture cool. This whole process should only take a minute or two – careful not to rub the butter in too much, or the pastry will be heavy. The pieces should resemble lumpy breadcrumbs. If you are in doubt, shake the bowl and any larger pieces will come to the top. Add salt if using unsalted butter.
Using a fork, toss and stir the pastry as you add just enough water to bind, 2-3 tablespoons should do the trick. If you are in doubt, discard the fork and collect up the pastry with your hand as you will be able to judge more easily by feel if it needs a little more water. Careful not to make the pastry too wet or it will shrink in the oven. If the pastry is too dry, it will be difficult to roll out.
When the pastry has come together, turn it out onto the work surface and flatten it into an approx. 30cm round. Cover with greaseproof paper and, if possible, set aside in the fridge to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the gluten to relax. The pastry will then be less likely to shrink in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
Roll out the pastry to a circle approx. 25cm in diameter. Lift the pastry over a 23cm greased tart tin and press down gently around the sides. Trim around the edges with a sharp knife and prick the base gently with a fork. Line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans.
Transfer the pastry case to the oven and bake ‘blind’ for about 25 minutes until pale and golden. Remove the baking beans and paper. Brush the part-baked pastry case all over with a little beaten egg and pop it back into the oven for 5-10 minutes until pale golden brown all over. Set aside to cool.
To make the filling, combine the ricotta and pecorino in a bowl. Add the double cream, extra virgin olive oil, honey, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix gently together. Taste a little dollop of the filling with a slice of tomato and correct the seasoning, if necessary. It might need a little more honey.
Slice the larger tomatoes and cut the smaller cherry ones in half lengthways or crossways, as you prefer.
Not long before serving, spoon the ricotta filling into the cooked pastry case and arrange the tomatoes on top. I like to arrange the sliced, bigger ones, including the green zebra over the base and top with the smaller cherry tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, a little drizzle of honey (about ½ teaspoon) and lots of thyme and marjoram leaves. Garnish with a few little basil leaves and serve soon.
