Tomatoes

[Jafo232]

I think the lesson here is, if you want a quick sauce, then don't use fresh tomatoes. :P

[KYHeirloomer]

Jafa, I don't think that's the issue.

It's really a matter of whether you prefer a smooth or a rustic type sauce. Peeling the tomatoes, or removing the peels after the fact, produces the former. Leaving them in, even ground up fine, gives you the latter.

We (Americans, that is) tend to think of spaghetti sauce as a thick, long-cooked reduction. But you have to put that in historical perspective, because in Italy and environs, most pasta sauces are made fresh, made quickly, and made thinner than we are used to.

When immigrants came here they were, for the most part, poor. So what meat they could afford was the tough, bottom cuts---those that require long braising to become tender. Thus, the sauces, too, were cooked for long, slow hours. The sauce, you see, was a function of how long the meat had to be cooked.

I am not suggesting that thin is better than thick, or vice versa. Just showing the differences, and how they came about.

[Jafo232]

I have read many Italian recipes and have also translated a couple. Except for a couple marinara sauces, all of them required a minimum of 2 hours (s)low cooking the sauce.

What I am trying to say is, if I am going to cook a spaghetti sauce and I do not have a lot of time, I just used canned tomatoes. I save my fresh tomatoes for those dishes I have time to work.

[KYHeirloomer]

Not to beat a dead horse, but here is Chef Nino Graziano's basic tomato sauce recipe.

Chef Gaziano is the founder and head chef of Il Mulinmazzo--a 2 Michelin star restaurant in Sicily:

1 kg (2 1/4 lbs) peeled, crushed tomatoes
2 tbls EVOO
50 g (1 3/4 oz) onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbls butter
pinch of sugar
bay leaf, flat leaf parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme
Salt, pepper

Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil. Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes.

In a separate pan, saute the herbs in a little butter and olive oil. Filter off the fat and add the herbs to the tomatoes near the end of the cooking process.

And that can be a relatively long time. In the Williams-Sonama "Mastering Pasta Noodles & Dumplings," classic tomato sauce cooks down for only 20 minutes. Even Puttanesca sauce only cooks 20 minutes after addition of the tomatoes.

I could go on. But the point is, relatively few tomato-based sauces are the thick mass we think of as pasta sauce. And about 90% of those that are are Italo-American in origin.

[Mama Mangia]

Being Italian - there are various types of "Italian" tomato based sauces/gravies. Depending on which part of Italy you come from is going to depend on the type of tomato sauce/gravy your family enjoys. Some are cooked longer than others; some are thicker than others; some are spicier than others. I consider myself lucky because my immediate family is from Calabria and Naples, and they have married spouses from Tuscany, Rome, Milan, Sicily, and everywhere from northern Italy to southern Italy. The different ways of cooking various Italian foods has given me a wonderful collection of recipes to enjoy and share. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Depending on what I am making will depend on the type of sauce I will make. Many times sauces are cooked longer depending on the amount of "juice" in the tomatoes and the type of tomatoes used. Sauce is cooked to desired consistency - some longer than others. Thickness of sauce depends on the type of pasta being served or the dish it is going to be used for. Thick sauce does not go with angel hair pasta; homemade "rags" will never go with marinara sauce. It is all in what you are making.

Tomatoes do not need to be cooked for a length of time to begin with - tomato paste and tomato puree as well as tomato sauce are already cooked products - and many of the old-time cooks did not have access to pastes/purees and had to cook sauces longer for thickness. Overcooking (cooking too long) and it will eventually break down and taste nasty! I love a thick sauce - which I can make from scratch in an hour to an hour and a half - tops! I can also make my own homemade tomato paste which sits on the stove cooking for 3 days straight to get the right consistency (larger than an canning pot size) before jarring and canning for future use. Or I can make a quick marinara in 15 minutes.

I prefer roma/pomadoro for making homemade sauce - but many times I've been given bushels of beefsteak or mixed tomatoes - and I've made sauce/tomato sauce from those - once again - depending on the type of tomatoes and the size of the pot - depends on the length of cooking time - and yes - LOW!!! Always cook your sauce on low - never any higher.

There is a difference between tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce - I make both. Tomato sauce is used is so many different recipes; spaghetti sauce is just that. Sometimes I will even make and can my own pizza sauce. Easy for quick meals!

[oldbay]

This morning we had Western Omelet made from my freshly picked garden tomato. The way I make a western omelet is to dice green pepper and onion, then cook until tender. Remove from pan, beat 3 eggs, add to pan and cook until bottom is set but top is still a little uncooked. Then distribute the green pepper and onion evenly, top with freshly diced tomato and cover. Cook until top of omelet is set and the tomatoes have warmed. Serve immediately.

As an alternative, you could warm some chopped DAK style ham along with the pepper/onion mix and top with grated Cheddar cheese when adding the tomatoes. Yet, I think the green pepper and onion are just fine.

[oldbay]

Another favorite tomato recipe:

Scalloped tomatoes

3 cups stewed tomatoes
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons minced onion
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (unseasoned)
butter for dotting top of casserole

Mix tomatoes with soft breadcrumbs, onions, 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, sugar, salt and pepper. Place the mixture in a baking dish. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese with a dry breadcrumbs and sprinkle over top of the tomatoes. Dot top dish with butter. Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

[oldbay]

Everyone knows of fried green tomatoes. Here's a recipe for Fried Red Tomatoes with Gravy:

4 medium sized garden fresh tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons butter or canola oil
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup half and half

Tomatoes
Use fresh firm ripe tomatoes. Cut into slices 1/3" thick, with skin remaining on slices. Roll tomato slices in flour and fry in hot butter or canola oil. When browned on both sides sprinkle with salt, white pepper and brown sugar. Place tomatoes on a warm platter and make gravy.

Gravy:
Add 3 tablespoons of flour to frying pan; blend in the half and half. Cook half and half mixture, stirring often, allowing gravy to thicken. Pour gravy mixture over the fried tomatoes.

[aijaraza]

We grill a lot of our food here in the Philippines and tomatoes make good side dishes to these grilled (inihaw) dishes. We combine tomatoes with green mangoes, chopped shallots and shrimp paste (bagoong) or with grilled eggplant, vinegar and minced garlic or combined with salted red eggs.

Let me share this easy Tomato Salad recipe that goes great with any grilled meat.

4 pieces, large salad tomatoes, sliced crosswise into thin slices
1 small piece onion, chopped fine
1/2 tsp fine salt
1/8 tsp ground white or black pepper
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
lots of olive oil

1. Put a layer of tomato slices at the bottom of a bowl. Top with some chopped onions. Alternately layer the tomatoes and chopped onions, ending with chopped onions at the top.
2. Combine the white wine vinegar with the salt, sugar and pepper in a bowl. Dump into the bowl of tomatoes and onions.
3. Drizzle olive oil on top.
4. Chill inside the refrigerator. Remember to mix well before serving.

[cooker]

I love heirloom tomato salads. The colors make for a beautiful presentation. And a really simple dressing goes a long way. The one I like calls for 2 cloves garlic, diced onion, parsley and basil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.