The Tang of a Tomato

My tomato crop this year looks like a bumper harvest, and I’m thinking about how to consume all them all. Of course, I can freeze some of the Romas for use over the winter. But it still makes most sense to use some of the fresh, ripe tomatoes over the next couple of weeks in a variety of meals. I’ve already made a tomato pie. And this week we had tomato, basil, and prosciutto pasta. What else?

When I think of those tomatoes out there, tang comes to mind – as in an acidic taste. Tomatoes add that tang to everything from pasta and pizza dishes to a simple BLT.  And that’s important. Chef and cookbook author Samin Nosrat points out in Salt Fat Acid Heat that acids bring food to life by offering our taste buds a contrast to fats and starches. Salt enhances flavors, but acids balance them. And when it comes to acids, tomatoes have a pH between 3 and 4, which means they’re not as acidic as lemons (around pH of 3) but more tart than a cucumber or a mango.

They also pack nutritional benefits – a great source lycopene, an antioxidant that’s good at counteracting inflammation caused by stress. A large, raw tomato contains as much potassium as a medium-sized banana, as well as vitamin K and folate.

When it comes to cooking, a good, fresh tomato is also about 95 percent water, about the same ratio as watermelon. I’ll keep that in mind. For example, preparing a good pasta sauce requires cooking down some of that water to concentrate the tomato flavors.

Keeping the food chemistry in mind, some potential recipes include salads that pair tomatoes with sweet fruits such as peaches or watermelon, not to mention a salsa or two. How about soups? Not just tomato soup or gazpacho, but how about a soup with tomatoes and fresh green beans? Fish is a great pairing with tomatoes, especially salmon or a whitefish baked with tomatoes and capers. Poultry such as chicken thighs are a good pairing, as the tart tomatoes balance the fat in a dish cooked with garlic, chili powder, and ginger.

As for beef or pork, tomatoes do a wonderful job of balancing the fat in any cooked dish such as a pork chop with tomato, onion, garlic, and feta or beef steak with green pepper and tomatoes. And let’s not forget the baked tomato pies, galettes, pizzas, tarts, and focaccia, not to mention pasta.

But I’ll also be making myself a simple tomato-centric sandwich. I’ve been enjoying BLTs, but next I’ll try a broiled tomato sandwich or a tomato, avocado, and mozzarella crostini or bruschetta.

Whether you are picking tomatoes from your own garden or picking them out from the tomato basket at the farmers’ market, you should have a good supply to enjoy for another month or so.

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