8 minute read
Discover unusual ways touse WATERMELON
CHEESE TORTELLINI IN
FRESH TOMATO BROTH
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PHOTO BY KATE BLOHM
AT FRANNY & THE FOX, the Charleston, South Carolina, chef, Tim Morton, prepares homemade pasta with a fresh tomato broth. His recipe is adapted by Feast and Field.
• 1 package (20 oz) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini • 3 lemons • 2¼ pounds heirloom tomatoes, stem end removed and tomatoes cut into chunks • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided • ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste • 1 pint cherry tomatoes • freshly ground black pepper • 4 large basil leaves, plus more for garnish • freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Heat large covered saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat; add tortellini and cook as label directs. Drain pasta. Meanwhile, from lemons, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze scant ½ cup juice; transfer peel and juice to 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Add heirloom tomatoes, 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt and heat over medium heat just until tomatoes break down and become gently warmed, stirring occasionally. In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking; add cherry tomatoes and cook until skins begin to burst, swirling pan occasionally. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper; set aside. In blender, add basil and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; blend until basil is pureed. Add tomato mixture to oil in blender; cover blender with lid removed to allow steam to escape. Blend until mixture is pureed. Pour tomato mixture through cheesecloth-lined strainer into large bowl, pressing on any solids to release liquid. Add salt to tomato broth to taste. Divide pasta between each of 4 pasta bowls; pour tomato broth evenly over pasta. Arrange cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese and basil leaves to serve.
WATERMELON SORBET
PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW THIS REFRESHING RECIPE is courtesy of Jeremiah Galey, the executive chef at Amy’s on Franklin in Evansville, Indiana.
• 3 cups fresh watermelon juice • 1 cup raw or granulated sugar • ½ cup water • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice • 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
In 2- to 3-quart saucepan, add all ingredients; heat over medium heat until mixture reaches 140 to 150°F. The sugar should be dissolved; no need to boil. Remove saucepan from heat; cool completely to room temperature or cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Freeze mixture in ice-cream maker as manufacturer directs, allowing sorbet to churn until frozen past the slushy stage. If not serving right away, transfer to airtight container; cover and freeze up to 3 days.
CAST-IRON WATERMELON
PHOTO BY ZACH STRAW • RECIPE BY JEREMIAH GALEY
• 1 (1-inch-thick) center slice watermelon, cut into 8 equal wedges • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar • 2 tsp peanut, coconut or grapeseed oil, divided • 1 lime, cut in half • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese • coarse sea salt • Tajín seasoning
In small saucepan, heat balsamic vinegar over medium heat until thick, syrupy and reduced by half, being careful that it doesn’t burn; remove saucepan from heat and allow vinegar to cool.
Meanwhile, preheat 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high; add 1 teaspoon oil and 4 wedges to skillet. Cook 1½ to 2 minutes or until watermelon is heated through and caramelized in spots, turning with tongs to lightly sear both sides. Transfer wedges as they are done to salad plates, 2 wedges per plate. Drizzle vinegar over watermelon; squeeze lime juice on top and sprinkle with cheese and a pinch each salt and seasoning to serve.
Farm Fresh
We sampled summer’s sweetest produce, and here are a few of our tastiest tips.
Picking the right BY ALEXANDRA MARVAR tomato for your dish
For more than two and a half millennia of cultivation, humans have honed the tomato, a beloved, acidic and possibly aphrodisiac fruit from the nightshade family. In the context of time, it was thought to be poisonous up until relatively recently. Today, thousands of varieties are grown around the world. A southern chef shares expert tips on choosing the right one for your culinary pursuit.
Tomato types, from hybrid to heirloom
The Green Zebra, the Lucky Cross, the Golden Jubilee: There are some 3,000 types of heirloom tomatoes currently in cultivation, in myriad colors, flavors, shapes and sizes, each with its own clever name and history.
“Heirloom refers to the seed, a seed that can be traced back some number of years,” says chef Tim Morton of Frannie & The Fox. “The heirloom tomatoes that were growing in the ground here in Charleston, South Carolina, are the same tomatoes that they were picking here 100 years ago.”
Other tomato plants change over time, thanks to growers who breed certain types together to tease out and boost their most desirable traits, from climate and blight resilience to certain colors and flavors.
Best tomatoes for eating raw
Among the most snackable are small, sweet and versatile cherry tomatoes. Similarly bite-sized and slightly more oblong, the grape tomato is another cultivar available year-round. On the far end of the size spectrum, mild-flavored, thick-skinned beefsteak tomatoes can weigh a pound each. They’re beloved for slicing on sandwiches. evolved over generations in service to Italy’s culinary tradition. There are plenty of imitations on the market, but the original San Marzano grows mainly in the rich soil of Italy’s Campania region. Deep red, light on seeds and acidity and heavy on pulp and flavor, these are considered the cream of the crop when it comes to pasta and pizza sauces — and they’re easy to peel, too.
Other popular tomatoes for sauce are the Margherita — named for the same 19th-century Italian queen the pizza takes its name from, Margherita of Savoy — and variations on the Roma tomato, including the Amish Paste, the Orange Roma and the SuperSauce, a hybrid engineered for efficient sauce-making weighing as much as two pounds per fruit.
According to Morton, any tomato past its prime may lend itself more to a sauce than a salad. “Sometimes, tomatoes as they age, can become mealy in texture or soft,” he says. “That’s when we would identify those to be used more in sauces.”
Any tomato past its prime may lend itself more to a sauce than a salad.
Popular, ready-to-eat heirlooms include the Black Cherry, a bite-sized heirloom with a color that lives up to its name; the Azoychka, a yellow-orange beefsteak with a citrusy flavor; and the Brandywine, an heirloom varietal of the beefsteak that comes in various hues of pink, just as suitable for slicing.
Raw heirloom tomatoes make the perfect addition to a caprese salad or the centerpiece on a bed of greens. They shine on the particularly southern tomato sandwich (tomato, mayo and not much else).
Best tomatoes for cooking: from pizza to pasta sauce
When cooking with tomatoes, look for a cultivator with thinner skin, fewer seeds and lower water content, like Roma or plum tomatoes.
When it comes to pasta sauces, Morton is fan of the San Marzano tomato,
Tomatoes off the vine
Freshness also dictates use: The fresher the tomato, the simpler the preparation it will require.
“A tomato off the vine has all of its inherent sweetness at its peak, all of its nutrients. It’s still essentially being fed from the plant at that point,” Morton says.
You may spot tomatoes “on the vine” at grocery stores, like the Campari tomato, sold in clusters of four or six. While some say they offer more of a tomato aroma, they are generally still ripened after harvest and can’t quite compare to a tomato you pick by hand in the garden.
5 unusual ways to use watermelon
BY AMY LYNCH
There’s nothing more refreshing than
biting into a cold slice of watermelon, but that’s not the only way to enjoy this classic seasonal fruit. Try a few of these unexpected suggestions to make the most of your watermelon.
A SWEET ADDITION TO SAVORY RECIPES. Watermelon
makes a fine addition to fresh summer recipes like gazpacho and salsas, subbing in for — or as a complement to — its timely tomato counterparts. Bolder chefs might even consider including it in sushi rolls and lettuce wraps. It also pairs surprisingly well with salty, tangy ingredients like feta cheese and balsamic vinegar as a creative salad or side dish to accompany grilled meats.
Searing, grilling and smoking watermelon on skewers seals in the juice, changes the texture, and brings an interesting, charred element to the party. You can even roast watermelon in the oven to utilize as a vegan meat alternative.
GETTING JUICY WITH IT. Juicing a watermelon is easier
than you think. Just puree seedless or de-seeded cubes in a blender, food processor or juicer, then pour through a strainer to remove the pulp if desired. Even simpler, cut a whole seedless watermelon in half, then zap the inside with a wand immersion blender and strain. Sip the juice on its own for a rehydrating beverage or blend it into a smoothie. Or, mix the fresh juice with vodka, gin or rum and garnish with lime or mint leaves for a tasty patio cocktail.
SPICE THINGS UP. In the melon farming region of southern
Indiana, the salt vs. no-salt debate simmers on. Advocates adhere to the belief that a light sprinkle of salt brings out the sweetness of the fruit, but purists wouldn’t dare sully their slices with sodium. There’s no right or wrong way to do it; it’s just a matter of personal preference.
Play around with different herbs and seasonings the next time you slice up some fresh watermelon. Lime juice, fresh ground black pepper, chopped mint, chile peppers, tamarind, cayenne and garam masala all elevate the fruit.
THE RINDS CAN BE CUT THEN BOILED AND CHILLED IN A BRINE TO CREATE AN OLDFASHIONED PICKLE.
TOP SEEDS. If you’re a fan of roasted pumpkin seeds, you
