Chicago Home and Lifestyles – 7 ways to enjoy your tomatoes

Tomatoes are so versatile with their sweet savory taste! If you’re looking for ideas, here are some perhaps new ways to prepare tomatoes or different things to pair them with. 

Pair with other fruits. Botanically, tomatoes are considered a fruit. They can be wonderful when used in fruity applications. Melons and soft fruits like peaches and plums bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes and give the fruit an acidic zing. 

Sprinkle with lemon juice. Tomatoes are often dressed with different vinegars but these may overpower the tomato flavor. Try using lemon juice instead. It is a gentler acid that enhances the brightness of the tomatoes and doesn’t overshadow. 

Get the right size. Size does matter both in what you buy and how you cut them. Tomatoes like cherries, grape or Sungolds are more consistently sweet as they have less water. They also maintain their shape when marinated or cooked. Keep large tomatoes chunky, fat wedges or two-inch chunks so they stay intact for that best juicy bite. 

Pair tomatoes with dairy. They balance each other beautifully! When their acid and fat, plus sweet and tang meet up, it creates something wonderful. Most cheese will work, whether milky like mozzarella or burrata, or nuttier parmesan or cheddar. Who doesn’t love a simple bowl of tomato chunks and cottage cheese?

Eat with chili crisp. This delicious condiment is made from simmering chili peppers, garlic and shallots in hot oil. It retains crunchy bits to provide its signature bite. The best store brand I’ve had is “Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp”. Salt cut your tomatoes and let them sit so the juices accumulate. Drizzle with chili crisp and be ready to lick the bowl. 

Grate them. Grating tomatoes brings out all their flavor while getting rid of those tough skins. Halve a large tomato through the middle. Then grate on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl. It’s delicious just on its own but it’s even better with salt and lemon juice. Cook quickly with onions and garlic softened in extra virgin olive oil, add oregano, salt and pepper for a wonderful fresh sauce that’s delicious with toasty bread or pasta. 

Bake them. Baking tomatoes gets rid of moisture and makes them more savory and silkier. Bake them with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. This drives off the water and concentrates the tomato flavor. At low temperatures, the fruit’s sugars won’t burn, they’ll caramelize and get sweeter and sticky. Delicious with crusty bread and salad!

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago