{"id":78191,"date":"2021-10-01T02:23:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T06:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/improvisedlife.com\/?p=78191"},"modified":"2021-09-27T14:24:19","modified_gmt":"2021-09-27T18:24:19","slug":"we-savor-the-last-tomatoes-of-summer-neruda-with-recipes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/improvisedlife.com\/2021\/10\/01\/we-savor-the-last-tomatoes-of-summer-neruda-with-recipes\/","title":{"rendered":"We Savor the Last Tomatoes of Summer (Neruda with Recipes)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In late September, as cool weather creeps in, I become aware that the waning moments of summer tomatoes are imminent. I hunger for a last bit of lusciousness that only food in its season can convey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pick out some “real” tomatoes at the farmer’s market \u2014 no matter how unkempt they may look \u2014 to savor\u00a0the perfect, \u00a0simple way I learned from my friend Anthony Giglio<\/a>: slice tomatoes thickly, salt them generously just before eating, and toss with fine extra virgin olive oil and torn basil leaves if you like. Eat as is, or with slabs of fresh mozzarella and\/or great bread for mopping the juices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sally Schneider<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Eating them, I remember Neruda’s Ode to Tomatoes<\/em>, marveling at how it echoes Anthony’s instruction…<\/p>\n\n\n

The street<\/em>
filled with tomatoes<\/em>
midday,<\/em>
summer,<\/em>
light is<\/em>
halved<\/em>
like<\/em>
a<\/em>
tomato,<\/em>
its juice<\/em>
runs<\/em>
through the streets.<\/em>
In December,<\/em>
unabated,<\/em>
the tomato<\/em>
invades<\/em>
the kitchen,<\/em>
it enters at lunchtime,<\/em>
takes<\/em>
its ease<\/em>
on countertops,<\/em>
among glasses,<\/em>
butter dishes,<\/em>
blue saltcellars.<\/em>
It sheds<\/em>
its own light,<\/em>
benign majesty.<\/em>
Unfortunately, we must<\/em>
murder it:<\/em>
the knife<\/em>
sinks<\/em>
into living flesh,<\/em>
red<\/em>
viscera,<\/em>
a cool<\/em>
sun,<\/em>
profound,<\/em>
inexhaustible,<\/em>
populates the salads<\/em>
of Chile,<\/em>
happily, it is wed<\/em>
to the clear onion,<\/em>
and to celebrate the union<\/em>
we<\/em><\/strong>
pour<\/em><\/strong>
oil,<\/em><\/strong>
essential<\/em><\/strong>
child of the olive,<\/em><\/strong>
onto its halved hemispheres,<\/em><\/strong>
pepper<\/em><\/strong>
adds<\/em><\/strong>
its fragrance,<\/em><\/strong>
salt, its magnetism;<\/em><\/strong>
it is the wedding<\/em><\/strong>
of the day,<\/em><\/strong>
parsley<\/em>
hoists<\/em>
its flag,<\/em>
potatoes<\/em>
bubble vigorously,<\/em>
the aroma<\/em>
of the roast<\/em>
knocks<\/em>
at the door,<\/em>
it’s time!<\/em>
come on!<\/em>
and, on<\/em>
the table, at the midpoint<\/em>
of summer,<\/em>
the tomato,<\/em>
star of earth,<\/em>
recurrent<\/em>
and fertile<\/em>
star,<\/em>
displays<\/em>
its convolutions,<\/em>
its canals,<\/em>
its remarkable amplitude<\/em>
and abundance,<\/em>
no pit,<\/em>
no husk,<\/em>
no leaves or thorns,<\/em>
the tomato offers<\/em>
its gift<\/em><\/strong>
of fiery color<\/em><\/strong>
and cool completeness.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

Unlike Neruda’s experience in the temperate southern hemisphere, on the east coast of the United States, perfect tomatoes don’t invade the kitchen in December unabated<\/em>. So every September, I also slow-roast batch after batch to capture their summer flavor for the dark days of winter. I use them as an instant hors d’oeuvre, in tomato tarts and pizzas, as pasta sauce, as jam…(You’ll find many delicious things to do with them, here<\/a>.<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, too, is the simplest of preparations, requiring only olive oil, salt and time (a batch takes about 3 hours unattended, while you do other things…)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recipe: Essential Slow-Roasted Tomatoes<\/strong><\/p>\n

To roast tiny cherry, grape and egg tomatoes, follow the method below.
Roast egg or grape tomatoes about 1 hour; cherry tomatoes about 1 1\/2 hours.<\/p>\n


Makes about 60 roasted tomato halves, 2 1\/4 cups mashed or pureed<\/p>\n


4 pounds ripe or nearly ripe tomatoes, about 30 plum tomatoes, or 12 to 16 regular tomatoes<\/em><\/p>\n

Extra-virgin olive oil<\/em><\/p>\n

About 1 teaspoon sugar<\/em><\/p>\n

About 1\/2 teaspoon kosher salt<\/em><\/p>\n

Freshly ground black pepper<\/em><\/p>\n

Preheat the oven to 325\u2019. Slice the plum tomatoes in half lengthwise through the stem; larger tomatoes should be quartered through the stem. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil to coat. Arrange the tomatoes cut-side-up on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper.<\/p>\n

Roast the tomatoes 2 1\/2 to 3 hours, until the tomatoes have lost most of their liquid and are just beginning to brown. They should look like dried apricots and hold their shape when moved. If some tomatoes are done before others, remove them with a spatula while you continue cooking the rest. Cool to room temperature.<\/p>\n

To serve the tomatoes as an hors d\u2019oeuvre or size dish, arrange in concentric circles on a round or oval platter. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.<\/p>\n

Store the tomatoes covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or up to 3 months in a plastic container in the freezer. Once refrigerated, the tomatoes will soften and lose their chewy exterior though their flavor will be just as good.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Maria Robledo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Related Posts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lucia LoPresti’s Secret to Perfect Tomato Sauce<\/a><\/blockquote>