You Say Tomato, I’ll Say Yes
/Top tomato recipes from a one of DC’s top tomatoes
By Bonnie S. Benwick | Photography by Jennifer Chase
No matter how often that height-of-summer tomato sandwich—eaten over the sink, yadda yadda—is held up as the ultimate way to savor my favorite fruit-vegetable, I know better. Nine years of running the Washington Post Food section’s Top Tomato reader recipe contest taught me so.
The first year was 2007. We called it the Easy Tomato Recipe Contest, capping the ingredient list at 10 and counting on the honor system to deliver original dishes from home cooks. Their creations would reflect a wide range of tastes, accompanied by often-charming stories. We built a single-subject, annual section around it. The initial winner was, and still is, a chilly reminder that fresh doesn’t have to be best: a savory granita with basil and mascarpone.
Arlingtonian Linda Reck still serves her famous caprese-style appetizer, with an upgrade that reminds her of the Bloody Caesar cocktails her mother favored. Reck steams clams in Clamato juice; the strained liquid goes into the recipe’s tomato mixture and the shelled bivalves garnish each serving.
I hadn’t made her original in a few years but was happy to dig in on a muggy June afternoon. Crunchy-cool and creamy, aromatic and refreshing, it remains one of my all-time favorites from the newspaper’s tomato contest era that ended in 2015.
What other recipes were on my short list, asked Edible DC? I pretended to have one, as my list of favorite tomato recipes is awfully long.
I remembered another winner—this time from 2011. Tomato Kimchi-Chi is the kind of versatile, no-cook relish/side dish that everyone can enjoy. Its mélange of tomatoes, jalapeños and an umami-bomb blend of rice vinegar, hot sauce and fish sauce are non-negotiable, but other components can be swapped in. Shari Scoggin-Saslaw sent in the recipe from North Carolina. Now she lives near Baltimore and she, too, has tweaked the original, adding blanched, chopped garlic scapes and Thai chilies to the mix. I love the crunch factored into this dish by way of jicama, daikon radish and sesame seeds.
The novelty of smoked tomatoes drew me to Tim Artz’s crawfish gratin. Romas can stand up to a few hours of such infusion, resulting in sweetness as well as a woodsy perfume. I’ve kept in touch with the Oakton resident since I wrote about his DIY food prowess for the Post in 2010, and consulted him on a possible workaround for those without a grill or smoker. He shares exploits and recipes at timsfoodobsession.com (homemade koji and miso, nocino, scrapple!), where you can read how his 2014 recipe came together.
Revisiting Becky Hamill’s Top Tomato contest entry turned out to be bittersweet. I learned that the Lewes, Del., retired caterer and passionate cook died in 2017; among the many accomplishments revealed in her obituary was the fact that she “proudly earned an honorable mention in the Washington Post.”
Hamill gave us her Savory Tomato Cornbread Cobbler in 2013, based on the kind of deep-dish fruit recipes found in Junior League cookbooks. It comes together quickly and is tailor-made for summer soirees. But it’s just as doable year-round because it calls for the kind of snacking tomatoes always available in the produce department. They are halved and seasoned with garlic, lime, chili powder, celery salt, a whisper of ground cumin—simple enough, yet Hamill’s treatment does wonders for those little pops of juice and seeds nestled into tender corn bread.
In the end, I think, the dozens and dozens of readers’ dishes that were tested and published during those Top Tomato years provide an invaluable snapshot of home cooking. They enrich the Post’s recipe archive. When the beefsteaks and Brandywines ripen, start with this list of favorites and add it to your own.
Caprese Granita
From Arlington resident Linda Reck with Bonnie S. Benwick
Just as refreshing: That’s the verdict, 13 years later, for the winner of the Washington Post Food section’s first tomato recipe contest. You’ll need a 9- by 13-inch freezer-proof baking dish/pan and 6 small glasses, preferably vertical enough to display the alternating layers. Make sure to use ripe, in-season tomatoes. They need to macerate for at least 1 hour, and the granita needs 2 to 4 hours in the freezer, with intermittent scrapings. This is an update of the original recipe.
Yields 6 small starter servings
INGREDIENTS
1½ pounds medium-size, ripe red tomatoes, cored, skinned and cut into chunks (see NOTES)
1 clove garlic, minced or run through a garlic press
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Basil sprigs, plus small leaves for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
¼ cup mascarpone (see NOTES)
6 pitted kalamata or other black olives, minced, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Toss together the tomato chunks and garlic in a mixing bowl (preferably glass or ceramic), then sprinkle the salt and vinegar evenly over them. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour OR up to a few hours in the refrigerator, covered. Re-stir occasionally.
Transfer the mixture and any juices to a food processor or blender; pulse or purée until fairly smooth. Press through a strainer (larger than fine-mesh) directly into the baking dish/pan, discarding the solids left behind. (If you use a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, you can skip the strainer step.)
Freeze for 2 to 4 hours; every 45 minutes or so, scrape a sturdy fork through the mixture. The goal is to create granita crystals that are large yet light. For best flavor, do not allow the granita to freeze solid.
One hour before serving, freeze or refrigerate 6 shot glasses or other small glasses.
To assemble, stack leaves from the basil sprigs, roll tightly and cut crosswise into thin strips (chiffonade). Drizzle them with a few drops of the oil, no more than ¼ teaspoon, to coat, then gently stir them into the tomato granita—or use them to create their own separate layer.
To assemble, place a spoonful of the granita at the bottom of each chilled glass. (At this point, you can add a layer of basil if you did not already stir the herb into the granita.) Drop a few mascarpone balls or a small spoonful of mascarpone into each glass, then add another layer of granita. Top with the minced olives and a small basil leaf. Serve right away.
NOTES: To peel the tomatoes, score a shallow “X” at the bottom of each one. Let them sit in a bowl of just-boiled water for 15 to 30 seconds, until the skins have loosened. Drain and peel, discarding the cores, then cut the tomatoes into chunks.
To achieve a “bocconcini” effect with the mascarpone, roll small portions into balls and freeze until semi-firm.
Tomato Kimchi-Chi
From Shari Scoggin-Saslaw with Bonnie S. Benwick
The beauty of this 2011 Top Tomato contest winner is in its versatility. Freshly made with the full 2 tablespoons of hot sauce, it’s zippy and crisp; after a day’s refrigeration, its heat is more prominent in every chilled bite. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.
Yields about 5½ cups
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds small and medium tomatoes, preferably a mix of colors, cored then cut into wedges, slices or bite-size chunks
About 6 ounces firm jicama, peeled and cut into large or bite-size chunks (at least 1 cup)
6 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into large chunks or ½-inch dice (1 to 1½ cups; may substitute red radishes)
6 scallions, white and light-green parts, cut on the diagonal (½ to ¾ cup)
¾ cup rice vinegar (plain or seasoned)
2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons chipotle-flavored hot sauce, preferably El Yucateco
1 to 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 or 3 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
¼ cup “tuxedo” (black and white) sesame seeds
Directions
Combine the tomatoes, jicama, daikon, scallions, vinegar, hot sauce and fish sauce (both to taste) in nonreactive (glass or ceramic) mixing bowl. Toss to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight, stirring a few times. If desired, drain off some, but not all, of the liquid.
Stir in the cilantro, jalapeños (to taste) and sesame seeds just before serving.
Savory Tomato Cornbread Cobbler
From Becky Hamill with Bonnie S. Benwick
Easy to assemble, this riff on a skillet fruit pie is best served the same day it’s made. Serve as a side or as a main course. If celery salt is hard to find, you can make your own by grinding celery seed with a touch of salt. You’ll need a medium (10-inch) cast-iron skillet.
Yields 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
For the filling
1 pound mixed-variety cherry/grape tomatoes, each cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon pure chili powder
¼ teaspoon celery salt (see headnote)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 scallions (white and light-green parts, minced; enough for ¼ cup), plus 2 tablespoons minced green scallion tops for garnish
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
For the crust
½ cup flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup whole or low-fat milk
Directions
Place the skillet in the oven; preheat to 350°F.
For the filling: Toss together the tomatoes and garlic in a mixing bowl.
Evenly sprinkle the chili powder, celery salt, kosher salt and cumin over the tomato mixture and toss to coat evenly, then stir in the ¼ cup of minced scallions, the lime zest and juice. Let the filling sit while you make the crust.
For the crust: Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
Once the skillet is hot, add the butter. Watch closely; when the butter is melted and bubbling, stir the milk into the flour mixture to form a somewhat lumpy batter. Transfer the skillet to the stove top just long enough to pour in the batter, spreading it evenly.
Immediately scatter the filling evenly over the surface. Return the skillet to the oven; bake until the cobbler is crisped on the edges and has started to pull away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 35 minutes.
Cut into wedges; serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with the minced scallion tops.
Smoked Tomato and Crawfish Gratin
From Oakton resident Tim Artz with Bonnie S. Benwick
This Top Tomato contest finalist from 2014 calls for time and effort spent upfront—skinning a batch of Romas, then smoking them for 1 to 3 hours. But there is a shortcut: Start with commercially smoked, dried tomatoes (available online); place in a bowl and cover with just enough hot water to rehydrate, then drain and chop. Your house-smoked tomatoes can be refrigerated 2 or 3 days in advance, or frozen for up to 6 months. Frozen crawfish tails (preferably deveined) are available at Wegmans and Harris Teeter stores, and at some seafood markets. You’ll need a 2-quart gratin dish.
Yields 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ medium onion, minced (¼ cup)
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups diced, smoked Roma tomatoes (see headnote and NOTE)
2 pounds cooked, frozen crawfish tails, defrosted (see headnote)
¼ cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
½ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic, onion and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, just until the onion is translucent.
Stir in the diced, smoked tomatoes; cook just until their moisture has evaporated but they have not disintegrated. Transfer the pan’s contents to a mixing bowl. Return the pan to medium-high heat; add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Once it has melted, add 1 pound of the crawfish tails; cook just until warmed through. Add the wine and lemon juice; cook until those bubbling liquids have reduced, for a few minutes.
Return the smoked tomato mixture to the pan, stirring to incorporate. Stir in the parsley and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream. Season lightly with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that next you will blend in 2 cups of the grated cheese.
Use a little butter to grease the gratin dish. Distribute the remaining pound of crawfish tails evenly over the bottom, then spoon the sauté pan’s contents evenly over the crawfish. Scatter the remaining cup of grated cheese over the surface. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbling at the edges with melted cheese on top.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
NOTE: To smoke the tomatoes, soak several handfuls of wood chips in a pan of water for 30 minutes. Light about a half a chimney starter full of charcoal.
Fill a large bowl with ice water. Choose 8 to 10 meaty, ripe Roma tomatoes. Core, then blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for a minute or so; drain and place in the ice-water bath. Once they have cooled, discard the skins, which should slip off. Cut the tomatoes lengthwise in half.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect heat. Brush the grill grate lightly with oil. Drain the wood chips and scatter them evenly over the coals (or enclose in a perforated foil packet for a gas grill).
Arrange the tomato halves, cut sides up, on the indirect-heat side of the grate; close the lid and smoke for 1 to 3 hours (to taste; you may need to add more soaked/drained wood chips after the first hour, and briquettes/charcoal halfway through). The tomatoes should look dry, a little brown around the edges but not burnt. Cut into ¼-inch dice.
Bonnie S. Benwick is a Washington freelance editor, writer and recipe tester. She retired from the Washington Post in 2019. Follow her at @bbenwickon Instagram and at bonniesbenwick.com.
