From Garden to Table: Reviving Century-Old Recipes for Tomato Season

Flipping through the cooking sections of mid-1920s newspapers, it’s clear that tomato recipes were just as important 100 years ago around this time of year as they are today. It’s no wonder why: garden-fresh local tomatoes are delicious, and they are strong sources of vitamins C and K, as well as potassium and folate. “Frozen” salads and cold soups were popular a century ago and remain refreshing classic dishes to make this month with farmers market or garden-fresh ingredients.

Across the U.S., the popularity of cooling and refreshing frozen salads peaked in the summer of 1925. Traditional frozen salads were made with fruits or vegetables. Tomatoes starred frequently because of their abundance and also because of their water content, which makes them ideal for a frozen salad. Frozen tomato salads were crafted in gelatin molds and decorated with fresh garden-grown curly parsley and cherry tomatoes. Prominently displayed on a glass cake pedestal, frozen tomato salads were the centerpiece of many summer picnics, evening soirées, elegant luncheons and afternoon teas.

Consommé Madrilène (tomato consommé or broth) was on the menus of the fanciest hotels in New York City in the mid-1920s. This recipe for Consommé Madrilène includes tomatoes and other garden-fresh produce that are ripe now, including peppers, cilantro, onions and more. Jazz up this recipe with your favorite herbs and vegetables. The more ingredient variety, the more distinct and robust the flavor will be. No fancy consommé cups are needed. Once chilled, this flavorful, refreshing consommé can be served in a soup bowl or even in pretty cordial glasses at a poolside party as festive as Jay Gatsby’s.

 

Frozen Tomato Salad

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

12 small vine-ripened tomatoes

2 tsp gelatin powder (or vegan substitute)

1 Tbsp cold water

1 cup sour cream (or vegan sour cream)

½ cup chopped chives

Juice of 1 large lemon

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp hot Hungarian paprika

1 large shallot, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp cooking spray

8 grape or cherry tomatoes

Fresh curly parsley sprigs

12 iceberg lettuce leaves

Specialty tools: Gelatin mold (optional) or a parchment paper-lined 9-by-4-inch bread loaf pan.

Clean, peel and chop the vine-ripened tomatoes, cleaning out the inner core of each one.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin powder in the 1 Tbsp of cold water.

In a blender, combine the tomatoes, gelatin mixture, sour cream, chives, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, shallot and garlic, and pulse until well combined.

Coat the inside of a gelatin salad mold with cooking spray.

Pour the tomato mixture into the gelatin mold.

Cover the mold with foil or plastic wrap, and set in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

Dip the mold in a large container of hot water for 1 to 2 seconds to release the tomato salad from the edge of the mold. Remove the covering. Place a plate over the top of the mold, and invert the salad onto the plate. Place the plate adjacent to a cake plate, and slide it onto the cake plate. Arrange the grape tomatoes on the top and parsley around the edge.

Serve a slice of the salad on a small plate on top of a leaf of iceberg lettuce.

Recipe from The Great Gatsby Cooking and Entertaining Guide, by Veronica Hinke (Weldon Owen, 2024)

Consommé Madrilène

Yield: 4 servings

4 cups canned tomatoes, undrained

4 cups beef broth (or use vegetable broth)

4 cups chicken broth (or use vegetable broth)

2 cups chopped carrots

1 cup chopped leeks

1 large Spanish or white onion, chopped

Juice of ½ a lemon (reserve other half of the lemon)

½ cup chopped red bell pepper, plus more for garnish

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground multicolor peppercorns

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the tomatoes, beef broth, chicken broth, carrots, leeks, onion, lemon juice, bell pepper, garlic, salt and ½ tsp of the pepper, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium, add the lemon half and simmer for about 1 hour.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Set in the refrigerator until chilled completely through, about 1 hour.

Serve in a soup bowl or in a hollowed-out half of a red bell pepper. Garnish with diced red bell pepper and fresh cilantro. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ tsp of pepper.

Recipe from The Great Gatsby Cooking and Entertaining Guide, by Veronica Hinke (Weldon Owen, 2024)

Veronica Hinke specializes in historical cooking and entertaining. She is the author of The Last Night on the Titanic: Unsinkable Drinking, Dining and Style; Titanic: The Official Cookbook; Harry Potter: Afternoon Tea Magic: Official Snacks, Sips and Sweets Inspired by the Wizarding World; and The Great Gatsby Cooking and Entertaining Guide. Learn more at VeronicaHinke.com.