Summer's Bounty: Tomatoes
By Rowann Gilman
Posted July 12, 2015

Imagine tiny fruits strung along wild-growing vines in South America, especially in the Andes, winding their way around Central America and Mexico thousands of years ago, becoming more and more cultivated at each stop along the way. In the 16th century, in a fairly roundabout course, the juicy fruits arrived in Europe, and almost 200 years afterward made it to our shores. By the Civil War, tomatoes were hugely popular, and America began to import them from the Caribbean. Within just a few years, factories began canning them. Today, there are hundreds of varieties of the little berry (think Beefsteak), and according to the USDA, Georgia is one of the top six states now growing them in terms of area planted.

If anyone knows her tomatoes, it’s Miriam Rubin, former chef, avid gardener, food writer, recipe developer and food historian. Her recent book, efficiently named Tomatoes, specifically targets southern tomatoes. What makes a tomato “southern?” Ms. Rubin says it happens when “…it’s sliced thick, salted well, given a righteous slathering of Duke’s, slapped between two slices of floppy white bread, and eaten over the kitchen sink.” From a southern point of view, the fruit is essential to countless southern dishes. “A plate of tomatoes, she adds, “is not only welcome but expected at the table at every meal.”

TOMATO TLC

1. Do not refrigerate less-ripe tomatoes in the refrigerator: cold stops them from fully ripening and destroys their flavor.

2. Keep tomatoes at room temperature, away from direct sunlight (which encourages spoilage), until they are fully ripe.

3. If tomatoes are hard, do not ripen them upside down on their “shoulders”—they will easily spoil and become bruised.

4. As soon as tomatoes are ripe, you may refrigerate them to prevent further ripening, but for ultimate flavor, bring them to room temperature before serving.

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TOMATOES, by Miriam Rubin, North Carolina University Press, 2013
www.uncpress.unc.edu

A prominent food writer and tomato connoisseur, Miriam provides fifty vibrant recipes as well as wisdom about how to choose tomatoes and which tomato is right for which dish.

Below is one of Miriam’s favorite ways to enjoy tomatoes, especially in summer when they’re at their very ripest:

Tomatoes w/ Chopped Egg Vinaigrette