Gastronome

Gastronome > Good Eats Without the Heat

Words by Nancy Davidson

Corn and tomatoes are this season’s must-haves.

ONCE you’ve tasted corn and tomatoes at their peak, it’s hard to go back to eating them out of season. When the piles are high and the prices are low at the farmer’s market—that’s the time to buy. In season, corn and tomatoes need little or no cooking, which works out well, since they’re best in late summer, when it’s too hot to cook.

As soon as corn is picked, its sugar begins its conversion to starch, so try to buy corn on the day you plan to eat it. Choose husks that are neither wet nor too dry, and check for rot or mold at the top. White corn has smaller kernels and is sweeter than yellow. You can slice the kernels right off the cob into salads by standing it on one end, and running a knife close to the cob. Or, for cold soups, shave the cob with the coarse side of a cheese grater over a bowl.

Yes, tomatoes are available year round, but for a truly great tomato sandwich, you’ll want to hold out for tomatoes grown close to home. A tomato sandwich—like a BLT, only without the bacon and lettuce—is best on soft, squishy bread with mayonnaise (ideally Hellman’s). For a more sophisticated sandwich, use European-style bread with a hard crust, such as ciabatta or a baguette. Drizzle the bread with fine extra virgin olive oil and add a squeeze of lemon, then season with freshly ground pepper and sea salt.

When shopping, look for firm, unbruised flesh and a bright red or red-orange color. Low-acid yellow tomatoes are a nice alternative in both flavor (they’re milder) and color. Heirloom tomatoes, in contrast, may look like the child of Frankenstein’s monster—misshapen, mottled and multicolored—but they’re not genetically modified. They’re the natural offspring of selected cultivars that are at least fifty years old. They tend to be delicate, and are worth handling with care.

Recipes

Spaghetti With Raw, Ripe Tomato Sauce

This is from Andrea Reusing, chef/owner of Lantern Restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC.
www.lanternrestaurant.com

6 large, very ripe tomatoes (2 1⁄2 pounds)

Coarse salt and black pepper to taste

2 dried chilies, crumbled

3 large cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a heavy knife

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch fresh basil, leaves torn 1 pound dried spaghetti

3⁄4 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Salt it well; it should taste as salty as seawater.

Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes. Transfer them to a bowl and immediately season with the salt, black pepper and chilies to taste. The mixture should be flavorful and highly seasoned. Add the garlic, olive oil and basil. Set aside to marinate.

Cook the spaghetti until just tender and, just before draining, remove about one cup of the pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta in a colander, and (off the heat) put it back in the pot along with the marinated tomatoes. Quickly toss, adding a little of the reserved pasta water to moisten.

Divide the spaghetti mixture among warm pasta bowls, top with the mozzarella and serve, passing additional olive oil and a pepper mill at the table. Serves four.

Sunshine Salad

This perfect summer salad marries ripe, juicy tomatoes and fresh corn off the cob. Slice tomatoes into chunky wedges, then toss with corn kernels, a bit of olive oil, a few drops of white balsamic vinegar or rice wine vinegar, a dash of sesame oil, and salt and pepper. It’s great for a picnic.