At our house, tomatoes are a through line — nearly every meal seems to have tomatoes in some form, from pasta sauce to salsa to salads. So I felt pretty confident I "knew" tomatoes. But even those of us who consider ourselves tomato aficionados will find many surprising ways to feature this kitchen staple in Martha Holmberg's SIMPLY TOMATO.
Holmberg is perhaps best-known as the co-author of the James Beard Award-winning Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables. She recently moved to Spokane, where she and her husband now run an Airbnb as she works on her next cookbook and tends her tomato garden.
So why a cookbook centered on just one ingredient? "I am obsessed with tomatoes, and I realize I'm not alone! Everyone gets a thrill from the first ripe tomatoes of the season, whether you've grown them yourself or found them at the farmers market," she notes. "But roasting — my favorite cooking method — brings out a tomato's intense umami-savory quality, which I adore."
With 100 delectable recipes ranging from appetizers to soups, pastas, risottos and tarts, it's hard to know where to start in Simply Tomato. Luckily, the cookbook is also simply fun to read. Each recipe features Holmberg's cheerful descriptions interspersed with a wealth of insider tips for growing, choosing and using tomatoes: She recommends making your own tomato paste — it's surprisingly easy — but she's forgiving if you need to use store-bought, and even offers a way to make it taste better.
Ever thought of eating tomato leaves? They can be an unusual addition to a green salad, or fried up into a conversation-starting appetizer. You'll also find tomatoes turning up in unexpected places — like the G&T&T, a gin and tonic featuring tomato syrup. Or getting updated in unexpected ways, like the Sheet-Pan Spaghetti Sauce. Perhaps consider the BLT Salad, a brilliantly tidy way to make every mouthful a perfectly balanced combo of B, L and T.
Whether you slice them, roast them, or turn them into tomato water — something Holmberg recommends having on hand at all times — Simply Tomato is a unique and colorful addition to the cookbook shelf.
Simply Tomato will be released June 20. Find it at Auntie's Bookstore and wherever books are sold.
