Tomatonaise Is The Condiment Of The Summer
Just a friendly lunch reminder: tomatoes are in full swing. FULL. SWING. And there's no easier homemade condiment on the planet, so get friendly with tomatonaise and enjoy this lovely summer day. This story originally ran on May 30, 2013. -Jess
Happy first hot day of the summer! Why am I wearing a cardigan? I don't know! How long do air conditioning units last? I think mine's broken, or else the filter is unhappy. But I'm super happy because hot weather, besides making blow-drying one's hair absolutely excruciating and sweaty enough to basically be pointless, means there will most likely be tomatoes at the farmers market this weekend. And that means tomatonaise sandwiches.
What is tomatonaise? It's my secret summer weapon. It's just super-ripe tomatoes food-processed, or immersion-blended, with mayo, salt and pepper in a ratio that only you can dictate. If it's more tomatoey, it's an amazing spread or finishing touch on fish. If it's more mayo-esque, it's also an amazing spread on a simple sandwich like leftover baked ham or sharp cheddar. If it's chunkier, it's a nice little salad with some basil. You cannot lose. Unless you don't like tomatoes or mayonnaise, and some people don't. Crazy people.
Here are some other things you can do with tomatonaise, other than loading it into a baguette and eating the whole thing:
- Toss it with shredded chicken for a super-juicy and flavorful closer-to-vegetarian tomato chicken salad. Nobody said Meatless Monday was about cold turkey. Ooh! Tomato turkey salad!
So happy summer, everyone. Watch it be like, 55 and rainy tomorrow. But that's okay, cause then the cardigan will make more sense and I can write about grilled cheese.
More condiment love for lunch on Food Republic: