Tomatoes, Tomahtos!
On the evening of Oct. 9, I received a call asking if I needed ripe tomatoes due to an oversupply in Ifugao. They needed to dispose of around six tons or 6,000 kilograms of tomatoes. Initially, I committed to getting one crate of tomatoes for The Plaza Catering, which was only about 23 kilos.
Due to the irregularity of schedule of catering events vs. the requirement of a restaurant, the fresh produce we require is highly dependent on the catering events and the menu chosen by the client. However, I felt the urge to post and maybe, just maybe, more would be interested in purchasing.
A crate of 23 kilos of tomatoes was sold for only P25/kilo or P575 per crate, while it is currently being sold in the markets for P50/kilo and up, and in high-end grocery stores for as high as P100/kilo.
I was overwhelmed with all the messages and orders I was receiving on Facebook and Instagram. The response of my community was so overwhelming. Some friends simply shared my post on their social media pages while other friends, even those who were not even in the food industry, committed to purchasing a whole crate of tomatoes and more. As we went along transacting their orders, I found out that most friends consolidated orders with friends and family while the others bought to give away, as their intention to buy was mostly to help the farmers.
In case you find yourselves with kilos and kilos of tomatoes, here are some ideas on what you can do with them.
One of the easiest ways to use tomatoes is in a salad. My favorite is caprese salad made of fresh tomato slices, fresh mozzarella from La Petite Fromagerie and fresh basil leaves. Drizzled with olive oil, balsamic glaze and sprinkled with a little bit of salt and pepper.
Karen Yam made her tomatoes into Air-fried Tomato Farcies where she stuffed them with a mixture of ground beef, onions, breadcrumbs, and cheese, stuffed in tomatoes and air fried at 140°C for 23-30 minutes. They looked so delicious! The full recipe is on Karen’s Instagram account @karenmnl1289. As for the rest of the tomatoes, she’s made them into tomato soup to be enjoyed with a simple grilled cheese sandwich.
Friends from as far as Cavite and Laguna picked up their tomatoes and happily posted photos of the fresh, plump produce. Some had even tagged me on their posts every step of the way, from receiving the tomatoes, to bulk cooking them, and even until the finished product.
Chef Kai Ancheta of Second Story Cafe, located in Cavite, has used the tomatoes in several ways. Tomatoes were received by the adorable Caramello as seen in the photo. Chef Kai dehydrated the tomatoes to preserve them, then made into confit, slowly cooked in oil with garlic cloves and herbs to be used in pizza, pasta and salad.
On my end, I was left with less than a kilo of tomatoes and mostly rejects or the soft and bruised pieces. Just so they wouldn’t go to waste, I made a quick tomato sauce for dinner.
I cut the tomatoes in half and threw them onto a baking pan with olive oil, garlic cloves, leftover rosemary, salt and pepper, and roasted them in my Instant Pot Vortex air fryer at 180°C for 20 minutes. I cooled them down for a bit, then blended it all up. Right before serving, I just heated up the sauce, added a splash of cream, and checked the seasoning. You may use the same process to make roasted tomato soup and will just need to add a bit of water or stock to thin it out. If you wish for a smoother soup, you may pass it through a strainer after blending.
In The Plaza kitchen, since the tomatoes were already ripe and ready, we needed to find a way to cook them all. Aside from our catering events that week and production of tomato soup and pasta sauce for our branches, some of the tomatoes were used the next day for the staff meal. They made it into kinamatisang baboy, or basically, a soupy pork dish with lots of tomatoes as the souring agent, making it similar to sinigang.
It is made by first sauteing garlic and onions until translucent, followed by the pork and fish sauce or patis. You may use any part you wish, usually pork belly, ribs, hock or shoulder. Then add in tomatoes, a lot of chopped tomatoes. Once softened, you may cover with water and continue to simmer until pork is tender. Season with more salt as needed and as a finishing touch, add in some pechay for a minute or so before serving with steaming hot rice.