Tomatoes are in season, and I just looked at my entry this time last year, and sure enough, it was tomatoes. This year - 2011 - I'm talking about doing puree, which is more than I've done for the past 10 years, ie. talking....so who knows.. it might even happen. Chances are though, I won't get around to organising a bulk load of roma tomatoes from Adelaide, so instead I will make do with heaps of tomato bruschetta..
A word about tomatoes... tomatoes are now available year round, possibly because Australia is such a vast continent there is always somewhere they are in season.. however, because most of our produce in Alice Springs comes from Adelaide and the southern states, they are generally best around this time of year. I always have a weakness for very ripe Roma Tomatoes.. I will try the vine-ripened ones of of season, but they're not my favourite. One variety you cannot get in shops is the ox-heart. I've purchased ox-heart tomatoes in north Queensland and Darwin, generally from road-side shops or market gardens, but nowhere else... I have now resorted to attempting to grow them myself. (Stay posted... they have raised their little heads already and will soon be relocated to a big grown-up garden bed...)
Ox-heart are wonderful eating tomatoes, but I don't know about cooking with them. Tomato topping for Bruschetta.. yes, I would use Romas or ox-hearts.. but remember, your tomatoes must be ripe, this means they are red all way through, not just the skin.
Bruschetta refers to the bread, with garlic and olive oil... but what I am going to give you the recipe for is the topping.
Tomato topping for Bruschetta Recipe
Ingredients
5 ripe roma tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped)
2-3 cloves good garlic, preferably organic
fresh basil
2 tablespoons or more of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Method
Mix everything together and taste for seasoning...
If you're feeling lazy... don't bother peeling and seeding tomatoes.. it will give you a more watery mixture and some added texture, but still delicious.
