A New Zealand tomato taco
The tomato and peach salad at Azzuro Pizzeria e Enoteca in Napa
Jess Lander
Agnolotti La Toque
My favorite season is tomato season.
I love it so much that it triggers a seasonal bout of acid reflux and heartburn that lasts through September every year.
By far, my most memorable tomato dish was a colorful tomato taco I had in New Zealand at Amisfeld in the Central Otago wine region. It was only a few, heavenly bites, and yet I dream about it often. My tomato affection (er, obsession) is further fueled by the fact that tomatoes are often paired with my favorite food group: cheese. Burrata, feta, goat and especially mozzarella — who doesn’t love a simple Caprese? — the two go together in a salad or sandwich like Napa Valley and cabernet.
I kicked off this tomato season with an heirloom tomato, mozzarella, and arugula sandwich from The Station in St. Helena. It was simple and perfect and the house-made focaccia toasted with garlic herb sauce was so good, it almost outshined the tomatoes and cheese.
Next, I picked up some heirlooms from the St. Helena Farmers’ Market and made a tomato and goat cheese tart at home. Simply layer tomato slices and goat cheese rounds in a puff pastry, season with Herbs de Provence, and bake until cheese is melted.
Now, as the season really takes off, I am on a mission to devour the best tomato dishes throughout wine country. In Sonoma, the fried green tomato sandwich from The Girl & The Fig is always a favorite that I must sample annually.
Eiko’s usually rolls out a delicious, refreshing, and unique heirloom tomato roll (with snow crab, avocado, wasabi-infused goat cheese, basil, cilantro, and jalapeño oil).
Last year, I fondly recall a tomato, peach, and burrata salad from Azzuro Pizzeria, which I pray they bring back this summer.
Beyond that, I’m hoping for some help from you, dear readers. Please email me with your best local suggestions for this tomato worshiper.
Treat yourself
With most summer vacations canceled and stress at an all-time high these days, it’s important to treat yourself. Self-care comes in many forms, and for me, that’s often a really good meal. I recently revisited Napa’s Michelin-starred La Toque for some epicurean self-care on their back terrace, sampling my way through their new a la carte menu, which is available for the first time ever at the restaurant. This means that instead of sticking to the traditional Chef’s Tasting Menu (or the Vegetable Tasting Menu), you can build your own meal, choosing from more than a dozen dishes.
Hands down, my favorite dish of the evening was the twice-cooked octopus. Octopus is notoriously easy to screw up, so much so that I’m often hesitant to order it, but I knew I’d be in good hands with chef Ken Frank. It was cooked to perfection and was accompanied by the most wonderful medley of flavors and spices within the tomato-based romesco sauce. Licking the plate is probably frowned upon in a Michelin-starred restaurant, but I practically did so anyway.
Another standout dish was the poached Alaskan halibut on tomato coulis with veggies. I typically only eat fish when it’s served to me — raised a carnivore, I’ll always choose land over sea — but I couldn’t get enough of this. The halibut fell apart at the slightest poke of my fork and the dish was light, fresh, and perfect for a summer evening. The agnolotti with ricotta, fava beans, peas, saffron, and Grana Padano cheese was also made for summer with bright, citrusy flavors.
La Toque offered its All Black Truffle Menu in July, but those who missed it can get a taste via the grilled black truffle sandwich, which includes a whole ounce of sliced black truffle with a touch of truffle cheese served between two pieces of Model Bakery sourdough.
Next time, I’m for sure going to try the A4 Wagyu with lobster bordelaise sauce or the ricotta cavatelli with Maine lobster and bacon lardons.
For those concerned about dining in, La Toque seemingly took the safety of their guests and staff more seriously than any restaurant I’ve visited during COVID-19. We were asked to sign a form in case they needed to do contact tracing, they checked our temperature, requested that we wear masks until our order was placed, and provided envelopes for our masks so that they didn’t touch any surfaces while dining.
Watch it now: 9 popular foods you didn’t know were vegan
Jess can be reached at jesslander11@gmail.com. For more Napa Valley food inspiration, follow her on Instagram at @willwrite4wine.
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July 28, 2020 at 01:30AM
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Jess Lander, Leftovers: My favorite season: tomato - Napa Valley Register
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Tomato
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