I hate tomatoes!!!

   Tomatoes.  I hate them!  Well mostly... Cooked in a marinara, added to a curry or stew, even pureed with cream in a soup, all beautiful. However, the thought of eating a raw tomato on a sandwich, gushing its essence against a beautiful slice of country wheat bread, or crusty baguette starts my gag reflex.  I know this kind of thought can be sacrilege, especially to those living close to tomato country, like Grainger County, Tennessee, where tomatoes hold a special place almost equal to the Vols or Peyton Manning, but I would argue that God got a little busy the day he created them and didn't quite finish the job.

  Now, sprinkle them with salt, toss with olive oil and crushed garlic clove, add a chiffonade of basil, maybe even fresh mozz and I'm in.  Or maybe diced up with onion, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice and pass me a chip.  You can even roast those little sweet grape tomatoes like I did this evening with kosher salt, garlic, olive oil and a balsamic drizzle and mix them in with the sautéed spinach and finish with crumbled feta- my wife's request)- A dish she and the kids love (sans spinach, for the kids) and I find pretty it enjoyable.
  

    But....raw tomatoes, on their own. No sir!  And I would have to say,  I have run into so many folks in my thirty plus years of cheffin' who feel the same way, that I think any argument for or against the infamous vegetable/fruit would be split down the middle. Still it gives me pause.

  What kind of example am I setting for my children, or anyone who might find their first bite of a Grainger County red that leads them to a life long love affair with the produce?  I have trained and tried to explain to many cooks that a good chef  should know what flavors he or she is working with.  You may have an a well developed sense of taste and a good understanding what ingredients work well together, but until you have actually tried the food you are leaving a lot to chance.  If you don't sample it yourself, how are you going to know if your tomatoes are really sweet, slightly salty mealy or even bland?  I must confess on this tomato front, I have been a hypocrite.  I loathe the thought of swallowing a fresh tomato yet to much the chagrin of many shocked onlookers, I have been known to not shy away from a pinch (even a handful) of raw hamburger from time to time.  I will occasionally cut off a small slice of a cherry, or brave a wedge of heirloom, only to flash back to that day long ago when I was 7 or 8 and my aunt standing hand on hip in that double wide, shaking her Pall Mall at me, forced me to swallow the fresh tomato she had so lovingly cut, for me. I fought and screamed against the idea even when she offered the oh so tantalizing addition of Wonderbread and Miracle Whip.  Three guesses which part of the country I'm from.   She swore she knew what was good for me. She could tell I needed the iron and she was worried.   I was sickly looking and anemic, and would never grow.  If she could see me now, 250 odd pounds later, her fear would be relieved and then some.

  I guess my disdain of the raw tomato has turned into a begrudging admiration, even a fondness, and set me on a quest for what new ingredients I might combine with it to make it palatable to my delicate senses.  It has been a journey.  While the tomato has slowly earned my respect if not my love, it has won over one of my daughters, and this despite the warnings of their not so chefly father.  It usually makes at least a weekly appearance on our dinner table in some way, shape or form.   So, I guess there is hope for our relationship yet. Still, if any one asks, I hate tomatoes.