Special to the HT
MEEKER | As co-owner of a tiny gourmet grocery, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about food — lately, the tomato. Nerdy? Maybe… However, it has a surprisingly rich history, and there are ways to get more out of it than you might expect so let’s geek out a bit. FYI, I don’t have enough words for citing sources, and some do conflict, but it’s worth exploring further if you’re interested.
The tomato, as most of you already know, is botanically a fruit (a berry). Typically used in savory dishes, this prompted the U.S. Supreme Court in 1893 (Nix v. Hedden) to classify it as a vegetable, keeping this plant subject to the Tariff Act of 1883.
One of my favorite tomato tidbits: for centuries, people thought they were poisonous. Blame their membership in the nightshade family (like belladonna), plus a lingering fear that the fruit itself carried that toxicity. Another theory pointed to aristocrats getting sick after eating tomatoes – but the real culprit may have been lead-laced pewter plates reacting with the fruit’s acidity. I think about this possible connection when I watch The Return of the King – where Denethor is eating the cherry tomatoes and those pewter vessels…one can infer that the tomatoes leaching lead from the pewter may have contributed to the madness of this character. Alas, it seems that this theory no longer really holds water. The acid of the tomato actually leaches out a very trivial amount of lead from pewter, so getting sick from it really wouldn’t have been a thing.
You know the Sunday gravy Nonna makes? There’s nothing like it. How does Nonna get her tomato sauces to be so…. fantastic? It is my opinion that it is Nonna’s use of wine or vodka in these sauces that help them be the exceptional creation they are. Why? Tomatoes have flavor compounds that cannot be extracted via water or fat, but are instead alcohol soluble. By using alcohol when cooking with tomatoes, you get access to these compounds in your dish that would otherwise remain elusive.
Let’s end with a quick, comforting tomato soup recipe I make when I just need something simple. I don’t really write recipes down, I cook by feel, so this is a bit loose. Until next time, my friends.
Over medium-low heat, sweat half a chopped onion in olive oil. Add 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp black pepper. Once onions are translucent, add 1 cup dry red wine, 24 oz passata (or crushed tomatoes), and 16 oz stock; bring to a simmer. Add 5–6 fresh basil leaves and a pinch or two of sugar. Cook on low 30–60 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in ¾ cup cream, and purée. Return to low heat briefly to warm through and serve.
By ALEXIS HULL-STONE
Alexis Hull-Stone is the co-owner of Off the Olive Branch, a specialty grocery, and On the Grapevine, offering quality wine, beer, spirits, mixers, and non-alcoholic options, at 317 E. Market St.
