Ask Digestivo: Rats Are Absolutely Going to Hate This Announcement
This is not Ratatouille.
Sweet readers, lets “check in” for a minute - it’s become increasingly apparent that for better or for worse, we’re just not as available as we once were. Lives? We’ve got em! Deadlines? In spades. While we miss you terribly when we’re away, we’re once again thinking about how to keep this project joyful and fun for all parties involved. For the immediate future, it looks like that means we’ll be slowing our pace and publishing a couple of times a month. That’s right. We’re officially coming out as bi-weekly. Representation matters, and we hope you’ll be a good ally and continue to send your food-and-not-food-related questions to askdigestivo@gmail.com.
Despite it being mid (late?!) October, the tomatoes continue to overfloweth at the farmers market and in my friends gardens. Any favorite recipes to help me keep the summer vibes alive a little longer? Is tomato season actually just Libra season?
-Throwing Nightshade
Now that we think about it, it’s fitting that tomato season runs into libra season – a little reminder of the sweetness of life as the world slowly withers around us! Ha ha! In any case, by the time you’re reading this dear reader, Tomato Season may well be winding to a close after all. We’ve compiled a few of our favorite recipes for your Last Lycopene Supper in the days to come.
If you’re lucky enough to have flavorful slicing tomatoes this late in the season, tomato mayo sandwiches are a no brainer. A classic version, a la Harriet the Spy, requires no more than the aforementioned duo slathered and slapped upon basic white bread - no offense to Harriet, but we feel toasting your bread is vital for a sandwich as simple as this; a couple basil leaves wouldn’t hurt. If you’re craving something a little more colorful, follow Zaynab Issa’s example with this curried tomato sandwich - bloom your preferred curry powder in olive oil, then use that to toast your bread, offering color, flavor, and aroma all at once.
As for salads, we love this spin on caprese from Hana Asbrink, swapping mozz for soft tofu. She pairs her tomatoes with peaches, but depending on your growing region you might try swapping in plums or even persimmons. Night + Market’s Kris Yenbamroong dresses his tomatoes in a heady lime and fish sauce-based vinaigrette; add in chopped Persian cukes and peanuts for a little extra crunch, or enjoy the tomatoes and vinaigrette on their own. We’re also eyeing this simple preparation from Andy Baraghani, finishing heirloom wedges and/or halved cherry tomatoes with a fennel and anchovy-infused Italian chile crisp.
Perhaps your abundance of tomato riches includes some that are less than perfect looking. Blend these into a gazpacho - it’s probably too late for this watermelon variety, but you shouldn’t have a problem finding the ingredients for something like this. Imperfect tomatoes are also prime specimens for stuffing - Rachel Roddy’s Roman stuffed tomatoes are a bit of a project, but the simple combination of ingredients really sings after a bit of rest. We’re also intrigued by this version from Food52, stuffed with a verdant combo of grated zucchini, toasted pistachios, and chopped parsley.
Eggs and tomatoes are a natural pairing - stewed and poached numbers like shakshuka and purgatorio are best left to canned tomatoes, but fresh ones are excellent in strapatsada, a Greek scramble blended with feta and oregano. Chinese tomato-egg stir fry (aka Fanqie chaodan) is another adaptable fave, accommodating tomatoes of many shapes and varying quality - Lucas Sin shows how to turn this classic dish into noodle soup over on his IG highlights.
I (SB) have been taking advantage of the tomato bounty still at the co-op to transition to heartier fall fare, as well. We both got pretty into Al*son Roman’s bucatini with slow roasted tomatoes and anchovies a couple of years ago, and the confited tomatoes are a reliable and freezer-friendly sauce base to enjoy with basically any carb. (JS: Try them in lieu of roasted cherry tomatoes in the creamy gochujang pasta!) As the temperature has dropped, I’ve also stewed quartered tomatoes in a white bean and chard soup, made this bharta-adjacent roasted eggplant soup, and added the ingredients for this fried tofu and tomato dish to my grocery list.
Sauces are another natural solution for one's potentially-fading tomato bounty. In the realm of salsa, it’s tough to go too wrong with a pico de gallo or roasted tomato deal, but you might also consider the simple pleasures of a naked tomato sauce or tomato chutney.
As for baked goods, it’s no secret that we’re focaccia fiends. Cherry tomatoes are most excellent on Katie Parla’s focaccia, but the purists among us might enjoy the aforementioned confit or chutney alongside a simple plain focaccia. Saltie’s is easy and yeasted; Carla Finley’s naturally leavened version is only a smidge more difficult; I’m (JS) having visions of a tomato confit and whipped ricotta sandwich on Caroline Schiff’s salted honey focaccia. Ladenia, an olive-oil-rich dough laden with an aromatic mix of stewed tomatoes, onions, and oregano, is another focaccia-adjacent favorite - evidently I (JS) included it in a mini roundup of tomato recipes two years ago. (We have changed, but we’re still the same.)
How are you guys celebrating PSL season?
-Basic Witch
To be completely honest, neither of us is especially a fan of ye olde Pumpkin Spice (save for our Substack colleague Alicia Kennedy’s sold out and never to be repeated blend - RIP! Spooky!) At the risk of self-parody, we might instead recommend you season your autumnal bakes and brews with a pinch of chai spice or garam masala*. Sorry we like complexity!!!!
*Check the contents of your blend before experimenting; cumin can be off-putting in sweets.
PETITS FOURS
For a moment there, we found ourselves on Team McNally.
After rapidly bingeing the third and sadly final season of Derry Girls, your humble narrators are dipping their Netflix toes into two Korean legal dramas: Partner Track and Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
We celebrated SB’s 30th at the Kreung x The Fly pop up this past Monday and have yet to stop wondering how we might recreate the Cambodian rotisserie chicken with tuk trey ping poh (perhaps we’ll start here).
New York is back, baby (concrete jungle wet dream tomato).