3 Quick and Savory Recipes for Peak-of-the-Season Tomatoes

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/10/dining/tomato-recipes.html

Version 0 of 1.

We’re in tomato thrall. Real tomatoes are back, in all their tomatoey glory. The cherry tomatoes at the greenmarket are so riotously colorful — bright little spheres in yellow, red, burgundy, orange and green — that I keep a big bowl of them on the kitchen table. It’s hard to pass by without grabbing a couple, as if I were reaching for a few juicy grapes or berries.

We’re reclaiming the visceral summer experience of biting into a freshly picked, firm but truly ripe, never-refrigerated tomato and relishing it. At my house, there will be tomatoes in some fashion at every meal for the coming weeks.

Plain and unadulterated is the way to go with the first tomatoes of the season. Thick slices or wedges, a little salt, a little pepper (optional), a drizzle of good olive oil, a plate. Repeat. Life is good.

Then take the next step, and dress your tomatoes with a garlicky vinaigrette. And when you’re ready to forge ahead with more forceful seasoning, remember the anchovy. Tomatoes and anchovies play very well together, often in the company of olives and capers. Chopped anchovies added to a dressing, or an anchovy fillet draped casually over a salad, provide a meaty, savory umami, not just saltiness. It’s a perfect match for sweet, ripe tomatoes.

Go for the best anchovies you can find. They cost more, but they’re worth it. You’ll find them online, in gourmet food emporiums and in some supermarkets. Look for oil-packed anchovies from Spain, southern France or Italy. Most Italian delis also sell salt-packed whole anchovies, which need rinsing and deboning. (It’s not hard to do.) They have a great texture and tend to be milder than anchovies in oil. I like to give inexpensive oil-packed anchovies, which can sometimes taste strong, a brief rinse in lukewarm water, followed by blotting on paper towels.

I’m offering three recipes with tomatoes as stars of the show but with anchovies in supporting roles. All are designed with summer ease in mind. Of course, you could leave out the anchovies, but that would be a pity. Let the tomato-anchovy combination seduce you, like a slow tango.

Pasta fredda is what you want for lunch or dinner on a sweltering day. You cut a pile of cherry tomatoes in half, then dress them with chopped anchovy, garlic, red onion, olive oil and a little vinegar. Basil, summer savory, marjoram and parsley are the best choices for herbs. Prepare the mixture several hours ahead if you wish, but wait to boil the pasta until just before serving. Take care to cook the pasta on the firm side of al dente. Spoon the cherry tomatoes and all their juices over the pasta and toss gently. As the cool tomatoes hit the hot pasta, an extraordinary mingling of flavors occurs. Let the dish rest for a few minutes; it tastes best after it sits a bit. Cheese isn’t necessary, but you could add some grated mild ricotta salata. A final sprinkle of flaky sea salt, crushed red pepper or more herbs would be welcome, as would a drizzle of fruity olive oil.

If the grill is going, consider giving your tomatoes a quick char, then turning them into a room-temperature antipasto or first course. The grill, or a broiler, gives the tomatoes a little smokiness but doesn’t cook them too much. Dab them with a mustard-garlic vinaigrette and garnish with hard-cooked egg, anchovy fillets and crunchy bread crumbs. It is a pleasure to get a bit of each element in every mouthful.

A tomato tart with mozzarella and anchovy is easy to put together. It has all the appeal of pizza, but it doesn’t require keeping the oven at full blast. And it doesn’t really need to be served warm. I actually prefer it at room temperature. The pastry dough is made with olive oil instead of butter, which makes a crisp crust. For a fancier version, use puff pastry instead. Roll the dough out to a rectangle, and cover the surface with thin slices of tomato and mozzarella. Dot with anchovy fillets, adding capers and olives, perhaps, or roughly chopped rosemary and hot pepper. Cut the tart into large or small squares.

But, fellow tomato lovers, remember also to make the ultimate BLT or a meatless avocado version. And don’t forget the mayo-slathered over-the-sink tomato sandwich.

Recipes: Charred Tomatoes With Egg, Anchovies and Bread Crumbs | Pasta Fredda with Cherry Tomatoes, Anchovies and Herbs | Tomato Tart With Fresh Mozzarella and Anchovies

And to Drink ...

With long-cooked tomato sauces, the reflex is to grab a red. But with the fresh tomatoes of summer, a crisp, incisive white is a better choice. The lively acidity of these whites is a superior match for the deceptively potent acidity of fresh tomatoes, even when they are charred or cooked. Fianos from Campania, carricantes from Mount Etna and vermentinos from Liguria are intuitive pairings, but my secret weapon is from France: Bourgogne Aligoté, the stealth white from Burgundy. Aligoté is lighter and more acidic than chardonnay, and generally made in an unoaked style. The flavors of a good aligoté meld beautifully with fresh tomato sauces and the other recipes here. Other options include good dry rosés, and light sparkling wines like good cavas or crémants from Jura or Alsace. ERIC ASIMOV