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Is there anyone alive whose spirit doesn't soar when confronted with a massive, awe-inspiring display of heirloom tomatoes? Greens, yellows, reds, and every conceivable shade in between, resplendent in their glory and just waiting for us to take them home, give them some simple treatment, and be sent into gastronomic nirvana. We have been saved from tasteless, pasty, supermarket tomatoes! (For a month or two, anyway).
I have three basic treatments that I give my tomato bounty: tomatoes: ridiculously simple, very simple, and simple.
- Method 1 -- Ridiculously Simple Tomatoes, As Is
Slice ripe tomatoes into a variety of shapes. Asymmetry is good! Don't feel like they all have to be the same shape. Drizzle them with the best, fruity green extra virgin olive oil you can, and dust them with the best salt you can find. My favorite is lavender salt -- there's something about the combo of lavender and ripe, fragrant tomatoes that feels transcendent, one of those exceedingly rare pairings that needs absolutely nothing else. But you can also use your favorite sea salt, whatever it is. Maybe a pinch of coarsely ground fresh black pepper, too.
- Method 2 -- Very Simple Tomatoes, With Eggs
Add some butter to a nonstick pan over a low flame, crack a few eggs into the pan, and add a dollop of plain yogurt. Very slowly and very gently, stir the eggs, and add a cup or so of chopped heirlooms, and stir some more. Generously season with the salt of your choice and black pepper and cook slowly over the smallest possible flame until some of the juice of the tomatoes has evaporated. Enjoy them like that, with hot buttered toast, or throw on a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh herbs (tarragon works incredibly well, as does basil, Thai basil, and oregano).
- Method 3 -- Simple Tomatoes, with Pasta
Set a pot of water to boil. While it heats up, finely chop up an onion and some garlic, and sauté them in a combination of butter and olive oil. Finely slice a few cups of fresh, ripe tomatoes and set aside. Cook your pasta of choice (linguine seems to dominate around here), drain it, and return it to the pan. Drizzle some good fruity extra virgin olive oil over the pasta and mix it in (I use long chopsticks for this job, but tongs work well, too). Add the onion mixture, mix well, and grate in a generous quantity of parmesan. Add a handful of fresh chopped herbs, mix some more, and adjust the salt and pepper. Transfer to warmed, large bowls, top with the tomatoes, and keep the wedge of parmesan on the table to pass around.
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