Hot or cold, raw or cooked, the tomato is a flavorful and healthy addition to any meal.
By Associated Press
Published August 13, 2003
PORTLAND, Ore. - It's a tasty question to face: What to do with all those colorful, juicy, ripe tomatoes spilling from the produce section?
This is the season to explore new ways to prepare the plump fruit, and to taste the heirloom varieties that come in a rainbow of colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, white, purple - and even brown, black and mottled.
"They're powerful flavor bombs," says Paul Klitsie, executive chef and co-owner of Ristorante Fratelli here. "You can do so many things with them ... I'll use tomatoes whenever I can."
The 39-year-old Dutch chef sees tomatoes as one of the most versatile foods, adaptable to every course of a meal from the simplest uncooked salad to a tomato sorbet.
He even teaches a tomato-themed cooking class.
Tomato purists argue that nothing matches the succulence and sweetness of a just-picked tomato, eaten uncooked and out of hand. Advocates of fresh tomatoes accompany them with basil, or pair them with the freshest mozzarella or goat cheese, lightly seasoned with salt, fresh ground pepper and a sprinkling of extra virgin olive oil.
Tomatoes were not always so well-liked. Indigenous to South America, the tomato was domesticated in Central America and Mexico, then taken back to Spain by early explorers. But because tomatoes are members of the nightshade family, some thought them to be deadly. (Their leaves do contain toxic alkaloids.) They became popular in this country only in the 1900s.
Like the apple, the tomato is botanically a fruit, but in 1893 the U.S. government classified it a vegetable for trade purposes.
Whether you call it a fruit or a vegetable, tomatoes rate high on the healthy foods scale. Because they're a good source of vitamins A and C, they have gained attention in recent years for their antioxidant value. In particular, they contain lycopene, which gives them their vibrant color and is related to beta carotene. The nutrient is concentrated when tomatoes are heated.
Both hot and cold dishes are the theme of Klitsie's tomato class. He recently demonstrated the recipes and talked about his cooking and use of tomatoes during an interview in his restaurant.
The chef, who grew up eating hothouse tomatoes in his native Rotterdam, describes his cooking as "traditional with a twist ... simple." His kitchen philosophy: Use few ingredients, prepare them perfectly and bring out natural flavor combinations.
"It's very unpretentious," he says of his cooking and his restaurant's food, which is often enhanced by the produce from his partner's prolific nearby garden.
Klitsie was trained at culinary school in Germany, apprenticed in European restaurants and was the executive chef at the acclaimed Italian Restaurant Vasso in Amsterdam from 1989 to 1997. He wrote the restaurant's cookbook.
The next year, Klitsie came to Portland and opened his rustic regional Italian restaurant with chef Tim Cuscaden, a 35-year-old Culinary Institute of America graduate.
Klitsie had met Cuscaden in Europe and hired him as his sous chef at Vasso. They named their restaurant Fratelli (Italian for "brothers"), Klitsie says, because it typifies their relationship.
For his class menu, Klitsie favors Italian plum (Roma) tomatoes. "They hold up well," he says. Along with eggplant, they are the basis for caponata, the Sicilian dish he calls a stew.
The dish is typically served cold or hot, as a salad or side dish. Klitsie recommends putting it on bruschetta for an appetizer. His special secret? Finishing the stew with a half-cup of strong coffee, which he says brings out the acidic flavors of the ingredients.
His Fratelli panzanella, or tomato bread salad, also has a twist. Traditionally, this salad was the poor man's dinner in Rome and Tuscany because it used stale bread soaked in water.
Klitsie replaces the bread with toasted bread croutons and fresh bread crumbs. He substitutes roasted red peppers for the traditional raw peppers, adds Parmesan cheese and mixed greens, and eliminates the capers from the traditional recipe.
The chef demonstrated how he prepares a tomato dressing over sauteed halibut on wilted spinach. The dressing is made with skinned, diced tomatoes which he prefers to skin with a knife instead of briefly plunging the tomatoes in hot and then cold water to loosen skins. He says the hot-water treatment starts to break down the tomato flesh.
The flavorful dressing can also be used on an arugula salad or as an accompaniment to other fish.
The finale to Klitsie's class menu is basil gelato, a complex and rich ice cream with a pleasing flavor. After all, what goes better with tomatoes than basil?
Sauteed Halibut With Wilted Spinach and Tomato Dressing
For the dressing
8 large Roma tomatoes, skinned and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (see following directions)
2 small red onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup pitted sliced olives
2 anchovies, minced (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
For the spinach
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup white wine
11/2 pounds of fresh spinach
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper,
to taste
For the halibut
Extra-virgin olive oil to coat pan
6 halibut filets, about 6 ounces each, skin removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
To make the dressing:
Slice off the top and bottom ends of the tomatoes and cut the tomatoes lengthwise into quarters, removing the seeds. Lay the tomato quarters skin side down on a cutting board and filet the skins from the meat. Dice the tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces.
Combine the tomatoes, red onions, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, thyme, Italian parsley, olives and anchovies and gently toss in a metal bowl. Add the salt, pepper and sugar. Mix gently. Add the red wine vinegar and stir. Carefully add the extra-virgin olive oil, making sure the oil covers the ingredients. Marinate the dressing for four hours.
To make the spinach:
Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add half the onions, half the wine, half the spinach, the salt and pepper. Cook together until the spinach is wilted by half. Add the rest of the onions, wine and spinach. (Half of the spinach will be more cooked; this will add variation to the color and texture). If desired, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
To make the halibut: Season the fish on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring a large saute pan to high heat. Add olive oil and then saute the fish in the pan with the "skin" side down for about 3 minutes, until this side appears to be crisp and golden brown. Flip the fish to its other side and cook for 3 more minutes. The halibut is best served when it is still medium-rare to medium on the inside.
NB: Longer cooking may result in the fish becoming dry.
To assemble the dish: Divide the spinach among 6 plates and place the sauteed halibut over the spinach. Stir the dressing, and then evenly divide the dressing over each portion of halibut.
Makes 6 servings.
Source: Paul Klitsie, executive chef and co-owner Ristorante Fratelli, Portland, Ore.
Fratelli Panzanella Salad
For the panzanella
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 red onion, julienned
2 ripened tomatoes, cut
into quarters
3 roasted red peppers, julienned
5 anchovy fillets ground into paste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
For the base and garnish
1/4 pound mixed greens
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly toasted bread crumbs
2 cups freshly toasted croutons
To make the panzanella: Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss gently. Put the mixture in a cool place to marinate for three hours. When ready to serve, bring the panzanella to room temperature. Strain the mixture slightly to eliminate excess juice and prevent salad from getting soggy.
To serve, add the panzanella to the greens and garnish, and gently toss. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. Arrange the mixture on a large plate and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Source: Paul Klitsie, executive chef and co-owner Ristorante Fratelli, Portland, Ore.
Caponata Calda (Sicilian Vegetable Stew)
10 tablespoons olive oil
2 green zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
3 celery stalks, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large red onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 medium-sized eggplants, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
6 large Roma tomatoes, halved and with the green heart removed from the center
4 tablespoons tomato juice
2 tablespoons black olives, pitted and sliced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup strong coffee
Salt and freshly ground pepper,
to taste
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the zucchini, celery, onion and garlic and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan. After 5 minutes, lower the heat to medium-low.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add half of the eggplant and roast until brown. Repeat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the other half of the eggplant.
Add eggplant to the vegetable mixture.
Add the tomatoes, the tomato juice and the olives to the mixture. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the vinegar and the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil.
Let the vegetables stew uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once stewed, add the coffee. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled, or on bruschetta.
Makes 6 servings.
Source: Paul Klitsie, executive chef and co-owner Ristorante Fratelli, Portland, Ore. Bruschetta
1 baguette
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, or preheat grill over high heat.
Slice six 1/2-inch pieces of the baguette on a 45-degree angle. Coat each slice with about 1 teaspoon olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast the slices in the oven or on the grill until they are golden brown on each side. Remove from heat.
Cut the clove of garlic in half. While the bread is still warm, rub one side of the bread with the garlic. Top with Caponata, and small dollops of fresh goat cheese, as desired.
Makes 6 servings.
Source: Paul Klitsie, executive chef and co-owner Ristorante Fratelli, Portland, Ore.
Basil Gelato
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
10 to 12 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
12 egg yolks
Note: A thermometer is needed for this recipe.
Combine the milk and cream. Put half the sugar into a bowl and add 1 cup of the milk-cream mixture. Add the egg yolks until thoroughly blended. Set aside.
Put the remaining half of the sugar into a heavy saucepan. Add the remaining 3 cups of the milk-cream mixture. Add the basil and slowly bring to a boil (once the mixture is heated, it will reach a boil quickly). As soon as the mixture reaches a boil, remove it from the heat and let stand for about 5 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon, slowly stir the contents of the saucepan into the bowl containing the egg mixture. Then, place a strainer over the saucepan and pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to medium heat until it reaches 178 degrees, stirring constantly. (Do not exceed this temperature or the eggs will overcook.)
Pour the mixture through the strainer into a bowl surrounded by ice. Let rest until it is cold. Then, pour the mixture into the ice-cream maker and spin until frozen. Let it set in the freezer for about 3 hours before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
Source: Paul Klitsie, executive chef and co-owner Ristorante Fratelli, Portland, Ore.
