In The Centre #7 | Tomatoes
Two tomato-focused recipes: one clinging to summer; the other ushering in autumn
Back in June I went knowingly early on the theme of tomato salads — so that you could make the most of those recipes through summer.
In reality it’s at this point in the year (August and early September) when northern hemisphere tomato plants are in their glut phase, and that their fruits taste best.
So it’s now that social media bursts with bucolic / humble-brag snaps of gardeners holding bountiful trugs of tomatoes and courgettes; it’s now that the seasonal market stalls are plump with this fruit-vegetable; and it’s now that we should put tomatoes in the centre of a meal.
One of my favourite ways to do this by hollowing out large, beefy tomatoes, stuffing them with flavourful rice (or sausage meat), and baking them until soft and sweet. If tempted, this harissa and merguez stuffed tomatoes and peppers recipe of mine in The Sunday Times magazine a few years ago will sort you out.
Another excellent option is to make a tomato-centred curry. Not a curry where the gravy involves chopped tomatoes. Rather, a curry where the tomato is the thing.
Simon Hopkinson’s Gujarat-via Tooting curry house-inspired tomato curry is my touch point for this. The recipe is available online in a number of places, with his 1998 Independent On Sunday column housing the original, I think; and then a ‘new’ version arrived a few years ago (tweaked and reissued as a recipe within Simon Hopkinson Cooks). Have a look at those links, but also consider buying Week In, Week Out, which collates his Indy recipes, and is one of my top 3 cookbooks (the paperback costs about the same as a flat white).
Meera Sodha’s ‘loosely’ Tamil Nadu-style cherry tomato curry is excellent.
And if you have copy of my cookbook Crave, you might like my version of a cherry tomato curry, topped with cod and turmeric yoghurt (the fish is very much the support act).
As a related aside, check out this excellent post by
on the heady scent of tomato leaves, along with three ways to use them as an ingredient.Two more recipes for you
So yes. Put tomatoes in the centre. Do have a browse of those links, but please also consider trying these two recipes:
The first is in case we get a few warm weeks (September’s sometimes the best month, no?), and is not much more than an assembly of nice things, reminiscent of a Greek salad …
… save for the twist, which is I use loads of celery and celery leaves instead of cucumbers and oregano. To be eaten as a main, rather than a side salad, with a hunk or two of lightly toasted bread nearby as filler. Also good if that bread is used as a base, akin to bruschetta.
Celery leaves can be categorised as a ‘free herb’, and I personally think the flavour is underrated. Moreover, pickled celery is one of my favourite tomato seasonings. Which means I’m biased but also certain that if you try this you’ll enjoy it.
The second should be your first warm soup of the post summer period: an umami-packed, chunky, rich and intense soup made (almost exclusively) using loads of very patiently-roasted, properly ripe and flavourful, actually peak season tomatoes.
I suppose it’s how to transition from ice-cold gazpacho, to the lava-like nature of squash, sweet potato and other soups that will follow.
As with ‘On The Side’ and ‘Good Things’, the recipes in these ‘In The Centre’ columns are behind a paywall. You can find previous editions here. It takes me an age to ensure these weekly posts and the recipes within them are interesting, entertaining and, above all, tasty.
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Tomato and pickled celery salad
Little new here, except, well, you’ll find pickled celery is a game changer.