Kamatis the Season

It's time we treat native tomatoes better. Also: treat yourself to tinned fish!

If our native tomato had Kris Jenner as a manager, could it maybe have a shot at global grocering stardom? Or at least snag some of the glimmer where the likes of Roma and San Marzano enjoy the spotlight? 

Lately, I’ve been thinking more about the tiis our humble kamatis has endured from my long history of mocking it. Traditionally, a native tomato isn’t so much grown but allowed to exist. Cultivated from mongrel seeds, its characteristics vary. Wherever they’re sold, however, their appearance always seems stunted: small, unpalatably firm, often a dull orange with gasps of green and red; as undecided in its color as a queer tween browsing hair dyes for the first time. 

Like Hillary Duff in A Cinderella Story, the palengke-purchased tomatoes in our childhood home were just “not very pretty” and “not very bright,” especially when compared to imported variants that outdid them in both plumpness and tumescence. And as far as flavor went, they were notorious for having as much personality as a Star Magic talent from the early 2000s. 

In my kitchen, the native tomato’s destiny was limited to a classic ensalada, as a palate cleanser to salted egg and punchy red onion. Otherwise, it was the afterthought I begrudgingly sliced up for a puttanesca when plum tomatoes weren’t immediately on hand. 

Maker & Made’s salmon stracciatella topped with pickled native tomatoes

A little distance from something allows for greater appreciation, however. Recently, I spoke to Chef Rue Ribon, who spent 20 years working in Singapore and came home with a fresh outlook on local produce, particularly on native tomatoes. At her recently opened BGC brunch spot Maker & Made, Ribon opts to pickle them; a clever way to lean into their inherent crunch and sourness, especially in brightening salmon and stracciatella on toast. The pickled tomatoes are such a scene stealer, Maker & Made plans to sell them by the jar.

Pickled native tomatoes at Maker & Made, soon sold by the jar

Ribon isn’t alone in pondering the native tomato’s potential. Chef Miko Calo, who clocked in seven years at the Robuchon group before opening award-winning French restaurant Metronome, also believes our kamatis are due some delicious justice. Beyond the reality that they’re often picked prematurely, mainly to maximize their shelf life, her hunch was that local tomatoes develop a thicker skin due to harsh weather conditions; what ultimately gets in the way of their flavor.  

Recently, Calo tested her theory. She peeled a bunch of Benguet-grown salad tomatoes and dressed them in a simple calamansi vinaigrette with a sprinkle of sumac. The tomatoes’ character immediately came through. A diner, delighted by the dish, asked if the tomatoes were imported. 

Chef Miko Calo peeled Benguet-grown salad tomatoes to top a thin layer of fromage blanc

Point is that whatever variant you take home, caring a little more about your kamatis lets them give you their best. That, too, could mean a little more time to ripen at room temperature. It wasn’t too long ago that Mr. Mafalda called me out for storing my tomatoes in my fridge’s crisper drawer. “That messes with their texture,” he said, calling into question the way I’d seen local supermarkets store their tomatoes since forever. “It’s what makes them mushy. And possibly delays their ripening.” 

With just a bit of patience and prep, you can make the most of the notoriously meh native tomato—or any veg for that matter. One method that’s having a moment in my kitchen is ohitashi, a Japanese dashi-infused salad where briefly blanching your choice of vegetable and soaking it in a fish-and-kelp stock amplifies its natural flavors. 

Through this briny bath, your produce of choice enjoys a lively new story arc. You know, like Charlotte in And Just Like That. Once, one-note and uptight; now, a surprise contender as your fave character. 

TOMATO OHITASHI 

Grab your blandest tomatoes and let them live their best life with a dashi bath. 

INGREDIENTS 

Serves 4 

For the Marinade 

480ml (2 cups) Kombu Dashi—Japanese stock made with kelp and dried bonito flakes (available in pre-portioned packets at any self-respecting supermarket or Asian grocery)

2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce (Usukuchi Shoyu)

1 Tbsp Mirin 

Sea Salt 

For the Salad 

455g Local Tomatoes (about 4-5) 

6 Shiso or Korean Sesame Leaves, julienned (also available at any self-respecting Asian grocery (less frequently, at SM supermarkets). Otherwise, basil is a decent substitute.

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

½ Tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds 

Other Garnish of Your Choice

Pour the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin into a small pot, then add the salt. Bring to a boil, shut off the heat, and let cool. Adjust seasoning as you please—keep it flavorful but light, like a clear soup you can sip. 

Blanch the tomatoes by filling a medium pot with water, or at least enough to submerge your tomatoes. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, preparing a medium bowl of ice water as you wait. 

Score the top of each tomato about 1/16 inch deep, then carefully drop into the boiling water. After about half a minute, drain your tomatoes and immediately toss into the ice bath. 

Once cool enough, peel the tomatoes’ skin while keeping their flesh intact. Your bare fingers are fine for this task, or a paring knife. 

Slice your peeled tomatoes into quarters or halves, then place in a medium bowl. Pour your marinade and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, and up to an hour. 

Once ready to serve, garnish with your shredded shiso, a crack of pepper, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, or whatever texture-enhancing topping of your choice!     

While commonly a Japanese side, this salad is filling enough to be the star of your meal. 

THE FISHWIVES CLUB: A CONTEST!

Lately, I’ve been busy with a new jobby job so canned cuisine has been both convenient and necessary. 

Luckily, we’re witnessing the dawn of de lata supremacy. Especially in the world of preserved seafood, which has officially entered its Ariel era as it sings I want moooooore. 

Behold a new wave of canneries that are pickier about seasoning, hell-bent on conservation, and more adventurous when it comes to design. 

At the forefront of this movement is Fishwife. 

Besides having the cutest damn branding and cleverest collabs, Fishwife is just damn tasty. A good mix of fat and flakiness in certified-sustainable seafood.

The brand hasn’t penetrated our shores (and supermarket shelves) just yet, but consider me your Scuttle, swooping in from above to offer you a taste of what’s out there!

Fancy some Fishwife? Join this contest! In the comments section, answer: 

“If you were a mermaid princess, what would your first order of business be?”

3 winners each get a tinned 🐟 trio that includes: Smoked Rainbow Trout, Smoked Atlantic Salmon, and Cantabrian Anchovies. Plus a bonus sachet of this cereal glitter to turn your Cheerios into Queerios! 

Winners to be announced in @mafalda.makes’s Instagram stories on August 30.