Heirloom tomatoes | All Things Sicilian and more

POMURORU is the Sicilian word for tomatoes, POMODORO is the Italian, and simple tomato salads feature very frequently in my kitchen.

This is not surprising as local tomatoes and basil in summer are at their best.

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS in Tomato Salad

When I say simple, I mean made with basic ingredients – in season tasty tomatoes, fresh basil, spring onion, the inside part of the celery, salt and extra virgin olive oil. In fact, so simple that I have not written the recipe for a tomato salad in my blog.

Just writing about tomato salad makes me want to have some – I can taste the fresh bread that I particularly like to use to mop up the juices. Good, extra virgin olive oil is as important as the quality of the tomatoes.

A SIMPLE FAMILY AFFAIR

I have inherited my like of tomato salads from my father; it is one of the things my father made well and my parents, especially when they were elderly would eat a tomato salad almost every day for lunch (accompanied with some sort of cheese, smallgoods, frittata, or left over meat or fish from the night before). This sort of tomato salad was not considered special enough to present to guests – it was family, simple, every-day food and to a certain extent it has remained so in my present home.

IMG_2974.JPG[1] — Beautiful tomato produce

ABOUT SQUEEZED ONION

Apart from the simple tomato salad made with spring onion, my father excelled in the salad his mother used to make (NONNA Rosa lived in Ragusa, Sicily). this salad was made with squeezed onions or as he used to call it – cipolla dolce (sweet onion) – the onion is made sweet by having the bitter juices squeezed out of it before it is used.

Tmatoes in California. I found so many varieties

The squeezed onion makes the taste of the salad unique and my children and nephews still mention this legendary version of a nonno-tomato salad. When they were in season the large, fresh, salad onions were his favourites (sold in bunches with the bulbs and part of the green stalk still attached) but the ordinary white or the red onions sufficed at other times.

HOW TO MAKE squeezed CIPPUDDA (onion) for salad

Cipudda is the Sicilian word for onion and cipolla the Italian.

Probably because it is used extensively in Calabria, red onion is called cipolla calabrese or cipolla di Tropea in Italian, Tropea is a very picturesque, old fortified town built on a cliff overlooking a spectacular beach in Calabria.

I now have the old colander my father used to use to strain the onion – this was one of the very few, kitchen implements that came with us from Trieste where we lived before coming to Australia.

Amusing: in Italian a colander or strainer is called a scolapasta – scola means strain…and where would Italians be without an implement to drain their pasta!

RECIPE for PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions)

To sweeten onion: Expect to shed tears during this process.

Place 2 large, thinly sliced onions in a colander, sprinkle with about 2 heaped tablespoons of salt and leave it for about 30 minutes. Do not be concerned about the quantity of salt, it will draw out the onions’ strong juices. If fresh onions are in season, leave the sliced onions with the salt for about 15 minutes.

Use your fingers and palms to squeeze the onions inside the colander – the juices and the salt will just dribble through the perforations.

My parents have always made tomato salad with firm, slightly golden, unripe tomatoes. Interestingly in Italy, tomatoes (pomodoro) were first called pomo d’oro, apples of gold and these early specimens were not necessarily red in colour.

My father was making salad well before the heirloom varieties of tomatoes were available – he would have enjoyed using these tomatoes that come in a multitude of colours and variety of shapes. Interestingly, not all are coloured red.

In most parts of Sicily, the most common tomato salad is as follows:

6-8 tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil at least ½ cup
fresh basil (or dried oregano)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk of celery from the inside part of the celery and include some of the pale green leaves – all sliced thinly
1 spring onion sliced thinly or replace the spring onion with the sweetened onions

Cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces and add everything else and serve.

REGIONAL VARIATIONS by other Sicilians

From Comiso and Vittoria (towns south of Ragusa) and popular inland (in Enna and Caltanissetta) it is common to cut large tomatoes called (cuore di bue — ox heart), horizontally into halves, remove the seeds and stuff each crevice with chopped garlic, salt and extra virgin olive oil. On visits to the South of France I found that these tomatoes are popular and eaten in the same way. Surprise, surprise!

In my last post I made reference to Sicilian tomato salad. See post:

RICOTTA, TOMATOES and Basil. A perfect summer dish.

These little beauties below were left by a neighbour at my door.

I feel a tomato salad coming on.

RICOTTA, TOMATOES and Basil. A perfect summer dish.

GREEN TOMATOES: Pickled under oil

TOMATO SALAD WITH GORGONZOLA (INSALATA DI POMODORI E GORGONZOLA)

Burrata, mozzarella and stracciatella are among Italy’s culinary pleasures. These fresh cheese are simple and beautifully made, proving that outstanding ingredients need very little to please.

Whenever I travel through Italy, I make the most of every opportunity to eat these fresh cheeses.

During a recent visit to Venice and Trieste I enjoyed as much mozzarella, burrata and stracciatella as I could, accompanied by magnificent summer tomatoes that were at their seasonal best.

Fortunately, we now have those fresh cheeses in Australia, but maybe some makers are not as good as they could be.

Three Fresh Cheeses, Three Different Experiences

Fresh mozzarella, whether made from cow’s milk (fior di latte) or buffalo milk (mozzarella di bufala), has become widely available outside Italy. Burrata, however, remained relatively unknown for many years, although it has now become one of the most sought-after cheeses on restaurant menus around the world.

The reason is easy to understand. Burrata offers the delicate freshness of mozzarella with an indulgent creamy centre that transforms even the simplest dish into something memorable.

What is Stracciatella?

Stracciatella is the luscious filling found inside traditional burrata. It is made by combining finely shredded strands of fresh mozzarella with rich cream, creating a soft, almost spoonable cheese.

Its name comes from the Italian verb stracciare, meaning “to tear” or “to shred,” referring to the torn strands of mozzarella curd that are folded through the cream.

It is delicious served on its own with crusty bread, but inside burrata it becomes something even more irresistible.

Burrata: Puglia’s Creamy TreaT

Burrata originates in Puglia, the region of southern Italy famous for its olive groves, beautiful coastline and handmade orecchiette pasta.

The outer shell is made from stretched mozzarella curd, while the centre is filled with creamy stracciatella. As soon as you cut through the delicate casing, the creamy filling gently spills onto the plate.

It is one of those foods that never fails to impress.

The name burrata comes from burro—the Italian word for butter—a reference to its rich, buttery texture. Traditionally, some versions were filled with fresh cream rather than stracciatella, making the connection even more obvious.

Freshness Matters

Like all fresh cheeses, burrata is best eaten as soon as possible after it is made—ideally within 24 hours.

It is usually sold immersed in lightly salted whey or water, which helps preserve its freshness and delicate texture. Unlike aged cheeses, burrata is all about freshness, softness and clean dairy flavours.

Two traditional styles of burrata—the classic round burrata and the hand-tied version, both filled with creamy stracciatella.

Both burrate delicious and both enveloping the creamy filling.

Burrata and Tomato Salad

When beautiful tomatoes are in season, burrata needs almost nothing else.

Combine ripe heirloom tomatoes with sweet cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil leaves, a drizzle of exceptional extra virgin olive oil and perhaps a few slices of mild red onion. Finish with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The combination is extraordinary: the sweetness and gentle acidity of the tomatoes, the perfume of basil, the richness of the creamy cheese and the peppery fruitiness of the olive oil create perfect balance.

An Italian Meal in Paris

I purchased ingredients and assembled this salad in Paris.

The tomatoes, basil and red onion came from markets around the Mediterranean, while the burrata itself was Italian.

It was a reminder that wonderful cooking is often less about complicated recipes and more about choosing excellent ingredients and allowing each one to speak for itself.

Sometimes the simplest meals are the most memorable.

the friends made it for expressed that the mild acidity of tomatoes, basil, super-duper good quality extra virgin olive oil was ecstasy.

A SAVOURY COEUR À LA CRÈME to accompany a summer fresh tomato salad or summer vegetables

PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions). INSALATA DI POMODORO (Tomato salad)

Tag: Heirloom tomatoes