Tomato is a fruit mostly used as vegetable. The taste is quite moderate, except when they have been dried. In this state, they develop an overpowering aroma, packed with umami.
Umami is the 5th taste, also called ''savory''. It has a meaty flavor, due to the presence of an amino acid: the glutamate.
A controversy is ragging since years about tomatoes, and more specifically, its family : the nightshades. Nightshades are also composed of eggplants, capsicums, cayenne pepper, potatoes, tobacco, chilis... It has been said that they can trigger inflammation in some people.
Tomato's best pairing: basil, olive oil, rosemary, avocado, onions, soy sauce, garlic, lemon, vinegar, cayenne pepper, honey.
Texture of the dish: creamy
Taste: sour, sweet, citrusy, umami, smoky.
RECIPE FOR APPROXIMATELY 400 GRAMS
Preparation 5 mins ∞ Cooking 25 mins ∞ Rest 0 min ∞ Total time 25 mins
Ingredients:
100g sundried tomatoes
400g Fresh italian tomatoes (good for sauce and cooking as it contain less water, but grab any other tomatoes if you can't find them)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TBSP Honey or date paste
1/2 TBSP vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 TBSP Tamari or Soy sauce + 1/2 tsp at the end
Tiny pinch of Salt
Instructions:
1. Make a paste with all the ingredients in your food processor (except the
1/2 tsp of tamari sauce).
2. Add it to a pan and cook for 20 minutes on low stove
3. Add 1/2 tsp of tamari sauce
4. Bon appétit!
Ps: This plant-based recipe can be prepared cold and eaten raw. Cooking the sauce allow the aromas to develop further and will thicken the sauce by evaporating some of the water contained in the fresh tomatoes.