Skinny Cooks Can’t Be Trusted
By Dave Kessler

Have you been buying tomatoes and finding them hard as young rocks? If it’s a while before home-raised vine-ripe tomatoes will be available to you, if at all, you’ll need to make do with what’s available.

The reason for finding hard tomatoes in markets is these ship better with less bruising and smashing than fully ripe tomatoes. Most of us live a long way from the source and having shipped tomatoes look good in the produce aisle is important to market owners.

Restaurateurs have long used the trick of seasoning and broiling hard tomatoes to make them more palatable for their paying clients. In fact, seasoned and broiled whole tomatoes are served in some high-class establishments, alongside snails in garlic butter and poached quail eggs.

The trick explained in today’s column is how us regular folks can make a high-class tomato on a low-class budget.

Nuked tomatoes
Whole tomatoes
Parm Plus (available in markets)
Shredded cheddar cheese

Wash the whole tomato in plain water to remove any dust or dirt. Use a sharp pairing knife to slice a flat surface across the bottom of the tomato so it will sit up straight in a microwave safe bowl.

Now make a slice across the top of the tomato just deep enough to go below the stem socket. Make the slice straight so you’ll have a flat top on your tomato.

Sprinkle on the Parm Plus. You can use regular Parmesan cheese instead of the seasoned variety, if you wish. Cover the whole top flat surface with the Parmesan cheese. Use your fingers to pick up a bunch of shredded cheddar cheese and arrange it on top of the tomato in a mound. I always use enough of this so it drips down the sides of the tomato.

Cover this with plastic wrap and place it in your microwave set on full power, and nuke it for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the plastic wrap and serve the tomato in the bowl in which you nuked it.

You’ll need to be careful, as this tomato will be exceptionally hot. Because of its high liquid content, it will stay that way for a good time. So, test a small bite so you don’t burn the roof of your mouth or your tongue. Slice it down with a very sharp knife and use this as your side vegetable with any meat. This turns an ordinary hard tomato into a delectable dish.

I usually make these in my cereal bowls, only one tomato to a bowl. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time if you use a large casserole dish to make a few at a time.