Lobsters and Tomatoes, Not Poisonous!
When I was growing up in the Bronx in the 50's they called it 'red sauce'. If you were Italian it was 'gravy'. In our house we rarely saw it since we were Irish and though our meals were healthy and fine every night at dinner our plates consisted of 3 colors, green, white, and brown. Peas/rice/meatloaf, or broccoli/potatoes/pot roast....which is probably the reason why I became a gourmet cook as I grew up and left that borough for a larger world, a larger culinary experience for sure. For me the tri-color menu plan left me sad and yearning. I needed more.
Just think of the tomato, so shockingly red that it was thought poisonous when introduced in America, just as the lobster was, for the very same reason. It was probably sheer starvation that led those people to ultimately eat the fruit and now it's the most commonplace of foods everywhere. I cannot imagine life without it or all the products containing it....even ketchup! Even sauce from a jar! There is a sweet/tart beauty in the tomato unlike any other food. Putting the jars and bottles and cans aside let's consider the fresh tomato and its versatility.
There are the wondrous cherry tomatoes, crunchy and surprising, the heirloom varieties, purple, yellow, and green, the big beefsteak tomatoes, so impressive in scale, and the humble plum tomatoes, sweet and usually cheap. You can always find some decent tomatoes at any time of year in the market and even if they aren't superb if you cook them they become sweet in the process, and you can always add a tiny bit of honey.
Here is a recipe for a sauce that is simple and satisfying. It is a coulis, a cooked tomato sauce that is traditionally served underneath a main course as a kind of lovely blanket on the plate. I never do this. I plop it right on top of a simple chunk of salmon, or chicken, or even a good hand-made tortilla.
This recipe should serve two depending on how much you use to enhance your simple dish.
Seared Tomato Coulis
10 cherry tomatoes
½ cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, pepper and a smidge of honey or brown sugar to taste
Place a cast iron pan over medium heat until it is very hot but not smoking. This should take a couple of minutes. Do not walk away from the stove. As you are keeping an eye on the pan rinse your cherry tomatoes. Toss into the pan and move them around with a wooden spoon until they begin to change color. This could take about 5 minutes. Add your chopped red onion and continue to move the ingredients around so they sear, but do not burn. Your pan may begin to smoke a bit. When it does turn off the flame and cover and let sit for a few minutes. This allows the tomatoes to steam just a little, and when you remove the cover they will have started to split. Scrape into a food processor and pulse very briefly (you can also chop by hand since this is not a puree). Add salt and pepper and oil and taste for sweetness. If needed add a bit of sugar or honey and stir. This sauce should be served warm. Many people like a coulis with the addition of garlic, but I feel it overpowers.