Tiny Tomatoes, Big Flavor

Credit…Illustration by Kasia Pilat

We’re in the first stage of tomato season here in the Northeast, that part of summer when the rubicund beauties piled at the farmers’ market consistently tempt and deceive me. July tomatoes are pretty, but they’re just the vacant, mealy look-alikes of their flavorful, nectar-dripping August siblings. I must resist their siren song a bit longer before BLT season can truly begin.

In the meantime, the adorable cherry and grape tomatoes out now are the real deal, ripe and ready for snacking, salad tossing and sautéing. Our own Tanya Sichynsky has written you a meal plan starring summer cherry tomatoes, which you can find in The Veggie, her superb newsletter (subscribe here!).

All three recipes are by Ali Slagle, so they are disappointment-proof. I especially love the look of her curry tomatoes and chickpeas with cucumber yogurt; it’s like a combination of chana masala and raita all on one platter. It’s a brilliant study in contrasts — warm, spicy chickpeas and tomatoes on a bed of cool and creamy cucumbers. Serve it with rice or flatbread for an under-30-minute hot-weather meal.

Featured Recipe

Curry Tomatoes and Chickpeas With Cucumber Yogurt

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Staying speedy but going vegan now, we have Kay Chun’s coconut-caramel braised tofu. Kay simmers a fragrant sauce of coconut milk, miso and ginger, letting it thicken and reduce until it becomes a rich and glossy caramel in which to cook the tofu. Then she adds lightly charred green beans for a smoky note, and lime juice for a balancing hit of acid. It really earns its five-star rating.