Healthy & Seasonal Cooking Advice from Canada’s Top Chef
By: Chef Rory White
The Return to Heirloom
Over the past year we have spent a considerable amount of time sourcing out new products and farms to work with. One thing that always excites us is seeing lost or forgotten varieties of vegetables.
Right now, we are in the height of tomato harvest season in Ontario and have some of the best tomatoes we have ever seen. A new tomato that we have never seen is a Tasti Lee. It’s a medium size, plum red tomato that is one of the sweetest things we have ever tasted. Deep red flesh tastes great fresh or cooked, with true tomato flavor.
Not only are tomatoes packed with flavour, but they are also filled with important nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, calcium and more. Low in calories tomatoes also are rich in antioxidants like lycopene making tomatoes a super food linked to several benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancers.
Tasti Lee tomatoes combine superior sweet flavour with the health benefits of up to 40% more lycopene than similar types. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that tomatoes and superfoods like this make up a staple of diet in all the five Blue Regions in the world, allowing residents to live much longer and healthier lifestyles.
Tasti Lee tomatoes are great equally in salads or when used in cooked dishes. According to an article published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry however,
“Many protective compounds are enhanced when vegetables are cooked.”
Tomatoes, broccoli and carrots are three vegetables shown to have improved nutrient value when cooked.
Tomatoes are what is known as a determinate food.
That means that tomatoes are tasty and maintain excellent food quality long after harvesting.
Below is a recipe for a tomato soup that’s perfect for this time of year. This soup requires amazing high-quality local tomatoes.
Cream of Tomato Bisque Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 kg Heirloom tomatoes
- 2 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1-liter of good quality chicken stock
- 150 ml heavy cream
- 1 bunch fresh basil
Directions
- Remove the core from the tomatoes and cut an X at the bottom.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds.
- Shock tomatoes in a bowl of ice water and allow them to cool.
- Once cold, remove the tomato skins and cut them into large chunks.
- In a heavy bottom pot, sauté garlic and shallots until slightly golden. Add in tomatoes and chicken stock.
- Bring to a light simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Make sure to season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. While blending add in heavy cream.
- To serve, warm up the soup over medium heat to insure it does not burn and finish with freshly torn basil.
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Header photo c/o Top Chef Canada