Tomato

Tomatoes offer sweet acidity and umami, especially when cooked down.

Flavor

How to use it

Salt ahead. Salt draws out juice and concentrates flavor; let slices sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Cook paste first. Fry tomato paste in oil until brick red to deepen its savory flavor before adding liquid.

Common mistakes

• Refrigerating ripe tomatoes.
• Using out-of-season tomatoes raw, when canned will taste better.

What goes with tomato

• Basil. Basil's sweet, anise-like oils echo the fruity notes in tomato and soften its acid.
• Pasta. Tomato's acidity breaks through pasta's starchiness, a foundational pairing.
• Zucchini. Tomato's acidity contrasts zucchini’s mild sweetness perfectly.
• Feta. Tomato's acid and sweetness offset feta's salty tang perfectly.
• Bacon. Salty, smoky bacon pairs with tomato's acid and sweetness, as in a BLT.
• Cucumber. Cucumber's cool juice balances tomato's acid in fresh salads.
• Garlic. Garlic's savory pungency deepens the sweetness and acidity of tomato sauce.
• Salt. Salt draws out tomato's juice and sharpens its sweet, umami flavor.

Try tonight

• Slice with salt, olive oil and basil.
• Simmer canned tomatoes with garlic for a sauce.
• Roast cherry tomatoes until they burst.

Storage

Keep ripe tomatoes at room temperature; the fridge dulls flavor and makes them mealy.