Grating tomatoes

I haven't done a real post in awhile (though I do have some pictures from the local Korean grocery store I need to post), so I thought I'd do a quick update tonight with a technique I've picked up recently: Grating raw tomatoes.

Back in August, the AJC ran a piece with different tomato recipes. One of them was a quick tomato gazpacho, which I have to try. However, the method for making it has stuck with me. It's so ingeniously simple, I've used it at least three times since I first read it.

Take a tomato and slice it in half along the hemisphere. Poke out the seeds from the cavities with your finger, and discard or save, as your recipe demands. Then rub the tomato, cut side down, against the "big hole" side of your box grater. Do that until only the skin remains. I do this into one of my big Corningware dishes, so I have enough room for the grater, the tomato mush, and my hands.

I've used tomato prepared this way in a roasted tomato soup, black beans over rice and tonight's pasta dish. I like it because it's a quick and easy way to use fresh tomatoes in cooking. I have used a few cans of tomatoes this summer, but since I learned how to do this, I've only used them in the tomato soup, because I ran out of fresh ones.

Definitely give this one a try before all the good tomatoes are gone.