Skinning Tomatoes – Beautifully

Before ever writing a word online I’d enjoyed reading blogs.

One of my favourites : Three Beautiful Things -  exquisite observation of the everyday that renders it extraordinary.

So I wondered if Clare, the author, would agree to turn her eye to the beauty of tomatoes.

She generously said yes and so I’m delighted to feature ‘ The Three Beautiful Things Tomato Salad‘.

Clare’s words, my photos; the beauty is in the words, not the pictures !   By following Clare’s instructions something magical happened. I’d thought life too short to skin a tomato but doing it her way I found all my senses engaged in the process – with a delicious salad to boot !

Tomato Salad by Clare Grant

1. Fill a bowl with cold water and set it to one side.

2. Pour boiling water into a pyrex bowl. I drop the tomato in, because I like hearing the splash – but probably I should be sensible and pour the water over the tomato. I use a pyrex bowl because the water and the tomato make interesting reflections.

 3. Count to 20. I prick the skin with point of a knife to see the skin split. Lift the tomato out with a spoon and peel off the skin. It comes in long orange strips that scroll themselves up, and the real rich colour of the tomato is revealed underneath.

4. Drop the nude tomato into the bowl of cold water – this is to stop it cooking and turning mushy.

5. Once the tomato is cool, cut it up. I like thick slices because it seems more generous, but the important thing is to think about how easy it will be to serve and eat.

6. Lay the slices on a white plate and scatter with torn basil leaves, a crack of black pepper and some large flakes of salt, when you look at them closely, they are tiny Aztec pyramids.

Other things to add:

• green-gold olive oil
• cubes of bright white salty cheese
• those black olives that taste like a mouthful of seawater

Many thanks to Clare for her guest post and recipe. For beautiful writing, everyday, subscribe to Three Beautiful Things.