Staff Blog
You say tomato, I say roasted peppers
posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio
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| Photo l Felicia D’Ambrosio |
| No-tomato Caprese. |
Everyone’s been mourning this year’s sad-sack tomato pickings. June’s drippy days fostered a bad crop of late blight, a fungus that attacks heirlooms and beefsteaks alike with the sort of gusto a fat kid applies to birthday cake. If the love apples you’re eating are disappointing, try substituting them with something new.
Pictured above, Caprese salad (mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt) with sliced roasted red peppers in the tomato role. The same roasted reds add sweetness and freshness to BL, minus the T. Red onions, quickly pickled in vinegar, sugar and spices add crunch and ruddy tones to green salads.
If you took the leap of faith at a good farmer’s market, or grew your own backyard tomatoes, there is no shortage of recipes that make use of your good luck. Mark Bittman’s tomato jam is tempting, flecked with ginger and jalapeno; CHOW has a great thread on what to do with a bevy of cherry tomatoes.
