Barbecue season is here and with it all those great tomato-infused dishes — salsa, fresh tomato and mozzarella salad and of course that perfect burger with a thick tomato slice that pops and melts in your mouth, showering your palate with the excellent marriage of tart and sweet …
But wait a minute. That’s not going to happen is it?
In the wake of the most recent salmonella outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration has warned against consuming raw red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes.
What to do? Call the whole thing off? Serve beefstew instead of burgers for Father’s Day?
Nope. Don’t fret, say local chefs and a food editor at Epicurious.com, a food site with more than 35,000 professionally tested recipes.
Not all tomatoes are affected — locally grown (although we’re not quite in season here in the Mid-Atlantic) and the mini varieties, such as cherry and grape tomatoes are not affected. And tomatoes — while very unique — can be substituted at least in some dishes.
Take the classic caprese salad:
“Instead of tomato and mozzarella you could use red pepper and mozzarella,” says Sarah Kagan, food editor at Epicurious.com. “Add some basil or oregano and olive oil and you’re set.”
She recommends blanching the red pepper over a flame. Then, cool it in a paper bag. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin before using it in salads or salsas. Using this technique brings out the sweetness of the red pepper, she says.
“It doesn’t taste exactly like a tomato, but it’s nice,” Ms. Kagan says.
Alison Swope, executive chef at Restaurant K by Alison Swope in downtown Washington, says she has had to make some precautionary changes to her menu as a consequence of the salmonella outbreak. For example, she had to remove the tomato-based salsa and replace it with a jicama-based salsa (see recipe below).
“It’s tangy sweet with a different texture and color,” Ms. Swope says. “I like it.”
Aside from the adjustments to the salsa, she has had to remove the fresh tomato slice from various sandwiches.
“Honestly, some people are annoyed that they can’t have a slice of tomato on their sandwich, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” she says.
At Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar, executive chef Drew Trautmann has a different strategy. He’s not pulling tomatoes from the menu, because he says he’s certain that the locally grown varieties he buys are not contaminated.
“We pay top dollar for locally grown, vine-ripe tomatoes, and our guests have come to trust us,” Mr. Trautmann says, adding that his sources for tomatoes include Amish farms in Pennsylvania.
At DC Coast, a downtown Washington restaurant favored by lobbyists and other business types, chef de cuisine Travis Timberlake says he’s been in close contact with suppliers to make sure the potentially contaminated tomato varieties come nowhere near his stainless-steel counters.
“And then on top of that we’ve taken precautionary measures,” Mr. Timberlake says. “We cook all our tomatoes.”
They cook them and then they remove the skin, which is where the contaminants hang out, he says. The pulp — underneath the skin — is then used for dishes such as the DC Coast house salad: chopped romaine, tomato, radish, egg, blue cheese, smoked bacon and Lorenzo dressing.
So, you see, whether you cook and cool, substitute or use local varieties, there are plenty of ways to salvage the treasured Father’s Day barbecue.
Offers Ms. Kagan: “It makes you branch out and try something new.”
Alison Swope’s jicama salsa:
*1 lg jicama, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 C. cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
Juice of 1 large lime (approximately 1 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Toss jicama with remaining ingredients in stainless steel or glass bowl, refrigerate for at least 1/2 an hour to allow flavors to blend.
*Choose jicama that is pale brown in color, quite firm and free of pits, dents or other signs of age. For this recipe, choose one that is the size of a small cantaloupe.
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