Tomatoes have been trickling into farmers markets for weeks and they've arrived in abundance. As Alex Barkley, executive chef of Botanica, preps for a 7-course tomato tasting menu on July 14, he shares how he is using the fruit.
"Tomato water seems to be all the rage this year," Barkley says. Blending tomatoes with herbs and spices then draining the mush through cheesecloth creates a liquid that can be used in dressings or turned into a gelée.
Sliced and dehydrated tomatoes are ground into a powder that coats Marcona almonds, dried sungolds, and fenugreek seeds. Sundried tomatoes recall the 1990s when this ingredient was all the rage. Barkley uses larger varieties like beefsteak or heirlooms, slices them thickly and sprinkles them with salt to help suck out the moisture. Their unique chew can be preserved by putting them in olive oil.
While working with Renee Erickson at The Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle, Barkley learned to use vanilla with tomatoes. MaiTai and Benevento varieties sliced thickly and rubbed with vanilla salt are tossed with lemon juice and red wine vinegar.
The Gomez family specializes in bringing tomatoes and melons grown in Paso Robles to market. Early morning harvests are one strategy the farm is using to navigate the recent heatwave, Victor Gomez says. Temperatures swing from 60 degrees in the evening and early morning to 107 degrees during the day's hottest hours. Gomez takes pride in the Celebrity, Black Brandywine, and Pineapple varieties on his table.