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TOMATO WATER

Tomato water is an extremely interesting ingredient with its unexpected intense tomato flavor that can be used in a variety of ways.  It is also a great way to use excess quantities of ripe tomatoes and is very easy to make.

Take 2 kg/4.4 lbs very ripe tomatoes, chop roughly and scrape into a food processor.  Add 1 tablespoon coarse salt and blend thoroughly.  Line a sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth and let it rest over a deep bowl.  Ladle the processed tomatoes into the cheesecloth and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.  You might be tempted to push the tomato to force the juice through, but don’t!  Their own weight will be sufficient to extract the water.

Without squeezing the cloth, discard the contents.  Tomato water keeps, covered and chilled for 4 days, otherwise freeze for later use in small containers for up to 3 months.

STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

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