Obviously, I am talking naked tomatoes. Obviously. Another almost non-recipe that went from spotting on a site to preparing and blogging in record time… The source for this little gem is the video blog Food Wishes, hosted by Chef John. I’ve been following his site for a long time, he always posts interesting stuff, but I admit to rarely watching the videos. I am a very impatient person. Give me the recipe, if possible with just a photo or two, and I’m a happy camper. But, I must say whenever I watch his videos, I feel happy I did. He is a natural teacher, concise, and very witty. Anyway, these naked tomatoes intrigued me. I read his post while we were away in Portland. We landed back in town, and stopped at the grocery store on our way home. I made a beeline for the fresh produce stand. Not a single cherry tomato to be found. However, gorgeous grape tomatoes said hello to me, so I asked “do you mind if I take your clothes off?”
NAKED GRAPE TOMATOES
(adapted from Food Wishes)
a bunch of grape tomatoes
salted boiling water
ice water bath
a little patience and loving care
extra-virgin olive oil
white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic, or sherry vinegar)
dried thyme to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Make two very small and not too deep incisions in each grape tomato on the side opposite of the stem.
Drop them in salted boiling water for just a few seconds. The moment the skin starts to curl up, remove them quickly and dump them in ice water until cold.
Carefully peel off the skin, one by one. Be Zen. It is good for you.
Add them to a small bowl. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, thyme (or another herb of your choice), salt and pepper. Pour over the tomatoes, cover with plastic and leave at room temperature until serving time.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: I will not lie to you, peeling small tomatoes is a labor of love. But worth it. If you have a dinner party, these would be amazing as appetizers. Grab a toothpick, pop one of these naked cuties in your mouth, repeat. I also envision them served over crostini, a nice smear of ricotta underneath, maybe even baked ricotta. Have you ever had baked ricotta? Here is a recipe for you, just to make things easier. Both Phil and I loved these tomatoes, the resulting texture is wonderful! The dressing, instead of slipping off the tomato skin, permeates delicately through its flesh. Is that sexy or what?
Dinner is served: Turkey Portobello Burgers, avocados,
and Naughty Grape Tomatoes…
ONE YEAR AGO: Cream Cheese Mini-Pancakes with Smoked Salmon
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FOUR YEARS AGO: Into the Light Again
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SIX YEARS AGO: The Nano-Kitchen
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Kaiser Rolls
Interesting…I’ve peeled many a tomato, but not baby tomatoes…maybe it’s time to try? I’m all for labours of love ❤️
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same here… I peeled plenty of regular ones but never the tiny ones. It takes a little time, but well… time is there to be spent 😉
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You’re a riot! Love it.
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Glad you enjoyed it!
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What an imaginative heading can do 🙂 !!!
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Well, as you can see, I am a very well-behaved blogger. No X-rated stuff in my site 😉
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So funny you posted this- the first time I had “naked tomatoes” was at the restaurant Mani in Ann Arbor. They were the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. The waiter told us they used pernod in the pickling liquid along with a little crushed red pepper. They served theirs with whipped ricotta, olive tapenade and crusty bread. Sooooo good.
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OMG!!!!! That is so cool that you had these in a restaurant… now I am dreaming with different dressings, yes Pernod, why not? Whipped ricotta…. wow!!!!!
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I think that’s a great opener Sally “excuse me, do you mind if I take your clothes off” – I love learning about techniques like this and just had a listen to John’s video clip – you’re right, he’s engaging and passionate and just kind of puts you in a good mood. Very fun!
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I think it’s always nice to ask before undressing someone… wouldn’t you agree???? 😉
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You had me at Naked 🙂
I think rather than grape tomatoes, this would be “easier” with those plum tomatoes or small roma tomatoes that are a bit meatier but still small. The kind you see in all the farm markets or the price clubs
This looked beautiful
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Definitely easier with bigger tomatoes – and should work too… 😉
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