We're two weeks out from a trip to Portugal, and I will not stop thinking about it. Grilled peri peri, proper olive oil, and tomatoes that taste like they mean it. Portugal takes its tomatoes seriously, and so do my parents. They're growing around 400 tomato plants on the farm this year. Look at the size of these beefy ones, skins nearly splitting, packed full of sunshine and ready to burst. I'm growing six plants in my raised planters and feeling very outnumberedπ.
Tomatoes in my parents garden
And it's not just flavor. Cooking tomatoes actually makes them more nutritious in one way: heat breaks down their cell walls and makes lycopene, that deep red pigment, much easier for your body to absorb. A splash of olive oil helps even more, since lycopene is fat-soluble. Here's what's going to be on repeat in my kitchen this week, three completely different ways to use a glut of ripe tomatoes.
Silky Tomato Soup β Roasted vine tomatoes, a whole garlic bulb, and a spoon of miso blitzed into something silky and deep. It makes the whole house smell like late summer.
My unofficial Portugal warm-up dish. Chicken thighs roast right on top of peppers, onion, and whole tomatoes, then the rice bakes in all those spiced, citrusy tray juices. Crispy edges, juicy tomatoes, minimal washing up.
Cherry tomatoes, quick pickled red onion, crispy chickpeas, and a creamy tahini dressing. Sourdough croutons soaking up those lovely juices, this is a proper meal, not a side, and it keeps well for lunch the next day.
If you don't grow tomatoes yourself, buying them in season, or locally makes such a difference. Get those summer flavors in and whatever you're not eating now, make them into sauces and jar them for later or even freeze whole tomatoes like my mum does.
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