Opening with the best ever Bloody Mary, a zippy tomato aspic, and a perfect cream of tomato soup, here is where we start our tomato journey. These recipes only begin to highlight the versatility of this vegetable (which is really a fruit). You don’t even have to grow your own or wait for tomato season because all the soups but the Green Tomato and Bacon Soup may be made with top-quality canned tomatoes.
The quintessential tomato quencher is the Bloody Mary. This recipe makes enough for four because it’s a sociable drink. Make it fancy by rubbing a lime wedge around the rim of each glass and “frosting” it in a plate of coarse salt or Cajun seasoning. And you may omit the vodka, of course. If you add the splash of pickled okra brine, garnish the drinks with pickled okra. It’s more fun than a celery stick! This is even better made with my Fresh-Brewed Tomato Juice (page 122).
MAKES 4 DRINKS
4 cups chilled tomato juice
¼ cup lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish
2 tablespoons peeled, finely grated horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
5–6 grinds of the pepper mill
2–4 dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Splash of pickled okra brine (optional)
Lots of ice cubes
6–8 ounces vodka
Pour the tomato juice into a pitcher. Mix in the lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, salt, Cajun seasoning, pepper, Tabasco sauce, and okra brine, if you like.
Fill 4 tall glasses with ice. Pour the Bloody Mary mixture and 1½–2 ounces vodka into each glass. Stir, add lime wedges, and serve.
This is a stellar first course to serve when the tomatoes are at their peak—heavy, ripe, and juicy. Clemson Blue is an artisanal cheese that’s made in small amounts at Clemson University, in the Piedmont area of South Carolina. Any other mild blue cheese may be substituted. Use locally produced, wood-smoked bacon, if you can get it.
MAKES 4 FIRST-COURSE SERVINGS
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fruity extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
⅓–½ cup crumbled Clemson Blue cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives or scallion greens
1 bunch arugula or watercress, rinsed and spun dry
5–6 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes, such as Cherokee Purple, Delicious, Striped German, or Brandywine (2½ pounds), cored and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices
4 thick bacon slices, cooked until crisp and crumbled
Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, pepper, salt, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl with a whisk or fork. Stir in the blue cheese and chives or scallions.
Divide the arugula or watercress between 4 plates. Stack the tomato slices on the greens, leaning a little, and sprinkle lightly with a little more salt and pepper. Spoon the dressing on top and crumble the bacon over the tomatoes. Serve.
The salsa that’s served alongside the corn custard started out as a nice but uninspired chopped salsa. When I saw it was going to be too watery because the tomatoes were so juicy and ripe, I got out my skillet and reduced it to a delicious, flavorful sauce. It now holds its own yet blends beautifully with the custard.
Prepare the salsa after the custard goes into the oven or a bit earlier. The custard dish is placed in a waterbath, which provides steam and a cushion from the heat of the oven so the custard becomes silky and creamy. Serve as a first course or for a light supper dish.
MAKES 6 FIRST-COURSE SERVINGS AND 1½ CUPS SALSA
FOR THE CUSTARD
2½ cups corn kernels, including the “milk” from the cobs, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1½ cups heavy cream, divided
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2–3 teaspoons green Tabasco sauce
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
FOR THE SALSA
3 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes, such as Brandywine or Cherokee Purple (1½ pounds), grated (about 2 cups)
½ cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 jalapeño pepper, minced, with some or all of the seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
½ cup chopped cilantro
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish.
Put ½ cup of the corn in a food processor and pulse 2 or 3 times to chop coarsely. Mix the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of the cream in a cup, stirring well to dissolve the cornstarch.
Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, and Tabasco sauce in a large bowl until well blended. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and remaining cream. Stir in the processed corn, whole kernels, and scallions. Scrape into the prepared baking dish. Place the baking dish into a larger metal baking pan or roasting pan. Pull out the middle oven rack, place the baking pan on the rack, and pour about ½ inch of hot water into the larger pan.
Bake the custard until lightly puffed, firm at the edges, and just a little jiggly in the center, 30–40 minutes. Carefully remove it from the waterbath and place it on a wire rack. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, to make the salsa, put the grated tomatoes in a medium bowl and stir in the red onion, lime juice, jalapeño, cumin, and salt.
Warm the oil in a heavy, medium skillet over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Carefully pour in the tomato mixture. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and is a deeper red, 13–15 minutes. Cool. Stir in the cilantro. Serve the custard with the salsa.
I confess I did not grow up eating tomato aspic, deemed “the ultimate party dish” by southern food writer James Villas. In the hilarious volume Being Dead Is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays, we learn that in the Mississippi Delta, tomato aspic must be served at the reception following a funeral. It’s considered essential for “dying tastefully.” Therefore, no self-respecting book on southern tomatoes would be complete without a recipe for tomato aspic, served, of course, with homemade mayonnaise. Some like it chunky, like me and Mrs. S. R. Dull, author of the standard, Southern Cooking, and Lee Bailey, whose recipe was the inspiration for this one. Some like it smooth, like my Savannah-born friend, Margaret Shakespeare.
Another friend, Carroll Leggett, who was born in Bertie County, North Carolina, said his mother never made it. “It was considered sort of fancy and bridge club food where I came from. Never saw it at a church event. We had no electricity when I was born; we had oil lamps and an icebox. No one wanted to be running around in the heat with tomato aspic.”
MAKES 8–12 FIRST-COURSE OR SIDE-DISH SERVINGS
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
⅔ cup cold water
4 cups tomato juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup lime or lemon juice
1–2 tablespoons prepared white horseradish
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or more to taste
½ cup finely chopped tender inner celery stalks, plus ¼ cup chopped tender celery leaves
½ cup finely chopped peeled hothouse cucumber, plus sliced cucumber for garnish
½ cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper
¼ cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
Soft lettuce leaves and parsley sprigs, for garnish (optional garnishes include ripe or pimiento-stuffed olives and cooked shrimp)
Homemade Mayonnaise, for serving (page 54)
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small bowl. Stir briefly. Let stand for 5 minutes to bloom.
Stir together the tomato juice, sugar, salt, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin mixture, stirring until completely dissolved. Pour into a large metal bowl and stir in the lime or lemon juice, horseradish to taste, vinegar, and Tabasco sauce to taste. Refrigerate, uncovered, until it starts to thicken slightly, 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Generously oil an 8- to 10-cup gelatin ring mold or Bundt pan. Gently fold the celery and celery leaves, chopped cucumber, bell pepper, and onion into the thickened tomato juice. Pour into the prepared mold. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight until firm.
To unmold, dip the mold briefly in hot water, then wipe off the outside with a towel. Place a silver platter over the mold and turn both over together, giving a sharp shake to loosen the aspic. You might need to let it sit a moment until it falls out. If it doesn’t, repeat the brief dipping, as above. Surround the aspic with lettuce leaves and garnish with parsley sprigs, cucumber slices, and other garnishes, if desired. Serve with Homemade Mayonnaise.
NOTE * To transport this dish on a hot day, leave the aspic in the mold and place it and the mayonnaise and garnishes in a cooler with ice. Pack your silver platter and unmold the aspic at the reception.
This is what cream of tomato soup is supposed to taste like but (almost) never does. Ladle it into your best china bowls for a starter at a snazzy dinner, or serve it in everyday earthenware for a casual lunch. Grilled cheese with tomato is perfect on the side. Out of season, use canned tomatoes. Straining the soup creates a rich, velvety texture, so don’t skip this step.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
6 large, ripe, meaty tomatoes, such as Amish Paste, Celebrity, or German Johnson (3 pounds), peeled, cored, and seeded, cut into rough pieces (about 5½ cups), or 2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes in juice, drained
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
½ cup half-and-half
2½ teaspoons kosher salt (1½ teaspoons if using canned tomatoes)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Purée the fresh or canned tomatoes in a food processor, in batches if necessary. You’ll get about 4 cups foamy, pink purée (closer to 3½ cups for canned).
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; it will turn golden in spots. Gradually whisk in the milk and half-and-half, about ½ cup at a time. Cook, whisking often, until it thickens and just comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often and scraping the sides, for 3 more minutes.
Whisk in the puréed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often so it doesn’t scorch. Remove from the heat.
Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a large saucepan, pressing down on the solids. Reheat over medium heat, stirring often. Taste for seasoning. Serve hot.
Good hot or cold, this soup may be prepared with fresh or canned tomatoes. Serve it in small portions topped with a cooling spoonful of Greek yogurt. You don’t have to seed the fresh tomatoes here, unless they’re awfully seedy. If they are, remove only some seeds or you won’t have enough tomato.
To prepare the lemongrass, cut off and discard about 2 inches of the bulb end. Pull off the tough outer leaves and slice only the tender end part, stopping when the stalk feels fibrous. Chop finely. You’ll need about 3 stalks of lemongrass.
MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1½ tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass
1 tablespoon peeled, finely grated ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
5–6 large, ripe, meaty tomatoes, such as Amish Paste, Celebrity, or German Johnson (2½ pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch chunks (about 5 cups), or 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice, drained (about 4 cups)
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Plain Greek yogurt, for serving
Toast the cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and a little darker in color, about 3 minutes. Tip into a bowl and cool. Grind with a mortar and pestle or crush with the bottom of a small, heavy pan. Mix in the coriander, salt, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and spice mixture. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, and tomato paste; increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. With an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor, process the soup to a slightly chunky texture. Reheat or chill, and taste for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and top each with a spoonful of yogurt. Serve.
I’m not sure of the heritage of this soup, but it may be Pennsylvania Dutch. My connection to it is strictly romantic. I first tasted it while being courted by my husband-to-be at a now-closed restaurant, the Willow Inn. Situated in an old farmhouse in southwestern Pennsylvania, it was owned by two men who, sadly, are no longer with us.
Pat Varner was host, headwaiter, and creator of the folksy paintings that adorned the walls. The chef, Ralph Wilson, was always a little gruff, and there was no asking for a recipe. There was no menu either, just an elaborate multicourse dinner, whatever Ralph felt like cooking that day. The dishes were always rich and a little over-the-top, like this soup, which was served in a white china tureen, scented with cinnamon, and crowned with light, eggy dumplings.
After some searching, I found the recipe in an e-newsletter published by the Cactus Cablers, a sewing club in Tucson, Arizona, specializing in the “smocking arts.” One of the members must have come from southwestern Pennsylvania. And somehow, she got the recipe from the chef, who apparently got it from an old issue of Gourmet.
MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS
FOR THE SOUP
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes in juice, drained (1½ cups juice reserved)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ large Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped (about 1½ cups)
1 medium-large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives or chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
FOR THE DUMPLINGS
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine table salt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
To make the soup, purée the tomatoes with the reserved juice, in batches if necessary, in a food processor.
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onion and bell pepper, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8–10 minutes. Add the puréed tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, tomato paste, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Whisk until blended. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the flavors are blended.
To make the dumplings, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs and oil and beat vigorously with a spoon until well blended. The batter will be sticky. Drop heaping ½ teaspoons of the batter on top of the simmering soup. (They won’t be round; instead they’ll be a little lumpy-looking, but that’s fine.)
Cover the soup and simmer over low heat, without stirring, until the dumplings are firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle each with some chives or parsley, and serve.
NOTE * Any leftover soup will thicken in the refrigerator. Add a little broth or water when reheating.
Here’s a great use for those tart green tomatoes and a perfect meal for a chilly evening. Add cornbread or biscuits and some fruit or a salad. Green tomatoes are sometimes available at the grocery store. Just ask the produce manager; the store might have them “ripening” in the back. This soup freezes well.
MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS
3 thick bacon slices, cut into rough ¼-inch pieces
½ large Vidalia onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
1 medium green bell pepper, coarsely chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped (about ¾ cup)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 medium green tomatoes (1½ pounds), cored and coarsely chopped (about 4½ cups)
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, until all the fat is rendered, 6–8 minutes. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings, leaving the bacon in the pan.
Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic to the drippings and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are nearly crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the green tomatoes and mix well.
Add the chicken broth and water; increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the tomatoes are very tender and the flavors are blended, 25–30 minutes. If you like, crush the tomatoes with a potato masher to make the soup thicker and more cohesive. Taste for seasoning. Serve hot.