Rotten Tomatoes: Reporting from the Front Line

There’s a US wide fresh tomato shortage!  What’s a girl with a tomato titled blog to do?  Re-name my blog?  I say food shortage; you say food shortage – a look at food in the USA from an outsider’s perspective.   Find out what the root cause of the problem is?  Well, turns out I’m living in the root cause of the problem!

I’ve been complaining for months now that I’ve been freezing my cherry tomatoes off in weather-battered Florida.  The long and difficult winter across the rest of North America has flushed cold air through Florida and affected tomato, corn, citrus fruit and strawberry crops, amongst others.  The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts that the January freeze will cost Florida vegetable producers about $300 million, with tomatoes generating half of that total loss.  Approximately 70% of tomato crops have been destroyed, and during the early months of the year (Jan- late March), Florida is the largest grower of fresh tomatoes in the USA and the major supplier on the East coast. 

According to the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, a 25-pound box of tomatoes is trading for $30, compared to last year’s $6.45.  The hike in prices means that restaurants, supermarkets and fast-food chains have been running low or are unwilling to buy tomatoes at these prices.  It’s reported that Burger King and Wendy’s have stopped adding tomatoes to their burgers unless a customer specifically requests a tomato slice.  But lets be honest, when your mind is set on a giant Whopper, are you all that fussed about a little slice of tomato?  Thankfully tomato commodities such as tomato ketchup and tomato soup are not affected, which is particularly lucky for Wendy’s and Burger King as I could imagine a ketchup shortage causing riots across parts of the world.     

Like any crop shortage the only way to survive is to eat local and seasonally so wait for the warmer months and indulge in juicy little tomatoes and summer fruits when you can enjoy them at their best.  For the time being, I took the liberty to check for any international wine shortages but on the whole the market seems to be fine, so I suggest staying out of the cold and pouring yourself a glass of wine instead.  

Recipe: Baked Tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil

Here's a very easy recipe that I often make when tomatoes are in season.  I like cherry tomatoes for this recipe and like to make it as an appetizer or starter to a casual supper.  


Ingredients:

1 tub of cherry tomatoes

2-3 garlic cloves (depening on how much garlic you like)

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

1 tsp sugar

Balsamic vinegar

Mozzarella (I like using small mozzarella balls but mozzarella chopped into bite size pieces works too)

Fresh basil

Olives (optional)

Method:

Turn oven to 350°F or 200°C and prick each cherry tomato with the tip of a knife

Pop tomatoes and garlic cloves into baking dish and cover with a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper and a dash of sugar and bake for 10 minutes

Check tomatoes and add a splash of balsamic vinegar and a little more olive oil if needed and bake tomatoes for another 5 or so minutes

Add in mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, olives and bake for 2-5 minutes (or until mozzarella loses its shape slightly)

Drizzle with a little more olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve with nice warm bread such as ciabatta or French bread. 

I use a nice baking dish and put the dish out on the table and let everyone tuck in for a casual appetizer/starter. 

I made this dish yesterday for the sake of this blog and had to use plum tomatoes but wait for cherry tomatoes to be in season as they taste better and hold their shape so the final presentation is nicer.