Granted, the recipes are, in some ways, the least part of Amy Goldman's picturesque new book, The Heirloom Tomato. And granted, some of the varieties of the love apple specified in said recipes are more than a little obscure. When was the last time you saw an Amish paste or Opalka, a Jersey Devil or Aunt Ruby's German Green tomato in a local farmers market, never mind in a supermarket?

But most of the recipes that Goldman developed with Eve Felder, associate dean for culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America, are both simple and forgiving. If you don't have the specific tomato called for in the recipe, you can substitute another in its general category — easily available romas, for example, can stand in for Sicilian and other more exotic paste tomatoes, while smaller cherry and pear tomatoes can substitute for currants

You might want to give these three a try while fresh, ripe tomatoes are abundant in local markets and backyard gardens.



The cherry tomato salad, Goldman writes, is the heart of this simple dish, so don't skimp on the one-hour waiting period that allows the juices to flow and flavors to mingle.

SPAGHETTI WITH CHERRY TOMATOES
AND TOASTED CRUMBS
(Serves 10)

For the toasted crumbs:
1 loaf rustic bread
1/2 cup pure olive oil
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

For the cherry tomato salad:
1 pint Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 pints cherry and currant tomatoes, mixed

For the pasta:
1 gallon water
1/4 cup salt
2 pounds spaghetti
3 green basil sprigs
3 purple basil sprigs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To make the toasted bread crumbs: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the crust from the loaf of bread and cut the bread into large dice. Pulse in a food processor until the pieces are small. In a large bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the crumbs evenly on rimmed baking sheets and bake, turning frequently with a spatula, until browned. Cool and reserve.

To make the cherry tomato salad: Slice the tomatoes in half. Combine in a medium bowl with the sherry-shallot vinaigrette and let rest for 1 full hour before completing assembly and serving the dish.

To prepare the pasta: Bring the water to a boil and add the 1/4 cup salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, or to taste. Drain.

Lay the basil leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a cigar, and slice them into thin strips.

In a large bowl, toss the warm pasta with the cherry tomato salad. Plate the pasta and top with the Parmesan, basil and toasted bread crumbs. Serve immediately, while the bread crumbs are crunchy.


Marinating the shallots in vinegar and salt for a half hour pickles them so they can bring out the best in sweeter, lower-acid tomatoes.

SHERRY-SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE
(Makes 1 pint)

2 shallots, cut into fine dice
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
1 cup pure olive oil
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl, soak the shallots in a mix of all the vinegars and salt for 30 minutes.

Whisk in the olive oils. Taste and adjust with additional salt, vinegar or oil as needed. Store in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator, bringing it back to room temperature before using. The vinaigrette will keep for 4 or 5 days.


Goldman achieves the rich saffron hue of this drink by using tomatoes like Aunt Gertie's gold or Caro Rich. Feel free to substitute whatever yellow or gold variety you can find. Note that you can substitute sweet basil (particularly the purple variety) for the Thai basil, although the flavor will not be quite the same. The drink can be served with or without alcohol.

THAI TOMATO COCKTAIL
(Serves 8)

4 pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 strips lime zest
3 tablespoons husked and finely chopped lemongrass
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 Thai hot chile pepper
1 tablespoons coarsely chopped Thai basil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Vodka to taste (optional)
Optional garnish: 8 stalks lemongrass, peeled

Combine the tomatoes, salt and sugar. Crush the tomatoes and let them sit in a nonreactive bowl for 2 hours to extract the juice.

In the meantime, blanch the lime zest in boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. In a blender, combine the blanched zest and chopped lemongrass with the lime juice, fish sauce, ginger, chile, basil and garlic and purée until smooth and almost liquid. Season with black pepper and add to the macerating tomatoes.

At the end of the 2 hours, pass the tomato mixture through a sieve. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve over ice in tall, chilled highball glasses. Add vodka, if desired, and garnish each glass with a stalk of lemongrass.


Goldman suggests serving this savory salsa with pappadams, Indian flatbreads that bubble when heated. You could also serve it with potato, pita or tortilla chips. Note: To peel tomatoes, drop them into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and slip off the skins while still hot.

INDIAN TOMATO SALSA
(Makes 1 quart)

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
2 teaspoons nigella (black onion) seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds

Heat the 1/4 cup oil in a sauce pot over moderate heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a sauté pan. Add the mustard seeds, black onion seeds and cumin seeds. Cook until they begin to pop. Add to the tomato mixture.

Serve the salsa as a dip with pappadams (heated according to package directions), chips or pita crisps.