The cruelty

(Karis, holding our newest crop of grape tomatoes and just about the only contact she can have with them these days.)

Imagine a world without tomatoes. No red-sauced pizza, spaghetti, ketchup, etc. Well, that's exactly what I've been doing over the last 24 hours. I haven't wrapped my brain around it yet, but I've been informed I must.

I took Karis in to the pediatrician for a re-check for an infection yesterday, and the doctor, flipping through her chart, says in a no-big-deal kind of way, "Oh, and she's allergic to tomatoes."

(Head spinning for a few moments.)

"What?!" I finally threw back, followed by a slew of objections to the diagnosis: "But we eat tomatoes like everyday!" and "Tomatoes are in everything!" and "But we're GROWING tomatoes in our backyard!"

I like Karis' doctor. She's calm and collected when crazy parents say the aforementioned things. She smiled and responded, "I'm growing tomatoes too. They are this high (pointing to her chest)."

Her distraction worked, and we talked a little bit about our gardens, comparing notes. When the conversation lulled, I looked at her and asked in a small, pleading voice, "Really? No more tomatoes?" There was no point in asking twice.

I drove home, my head swimming in a sauce of shock, grief, and hopelessness that is a life without tomatoes. The injustice seemed overwhelming. Whoever heard of a tomato allergy and better yet, whoever heard of a good substitute for tomatoes in cooking?

I thought about the delicious homemade pizza we dined on the night before, and what's more, the amazing marinara sauce I discovered just one week prior. My friend shared a recipe she had learned, and it was everything I was looking for in a sauce. It wasn't like this sauce which has been all over the internet but left me wanting more herbaceous, garlicky flavor. Well, with my friend's delicious recipe, I finally found what I was looking for, only to be told my perfect new sauce could be harmful to my child.

The cruelty. The injustice! The lycopene deficiency!!

Now I am aware that my diet doesn't have to change, but as any parent knows, the hassle of cooking separate meals and keeping small kids out of adult food, no matter how forbidden, is just that...a big hassle. I'm a mom that cooks one meal for one table, not a chef cooking a menu for multiple tables. I plan to keep things that way.

As the day wore on and some rational thinking took over my emotionalism, I came to a few good conclusions. The truth is, I can do without tomato sauce. There are plenty of substitutes for red sauce on pizza. For instance, there's pesto sauce, white pizza, thai peanut pizza (a family favorite, inspired by the one at this restaurant), and on and on. I obviously won't be too limited in the pizza department.

And while classic spaghetti is certainly a no-go in the dawn of this tomato-less era, there are many pasta recipes that depart from the classic tomato-drenched pile of noodles. We can afford to get creative in that department as well.

I guess what I am most sad about is the umami factor, that strange new term everybody in the culinary world has been talking about. Tomatoes have umami, a certain savoriness that, when added to dishes, enhances flavors giving them a meatier taste. I like umami. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I often add a little bit of raw tomato, tomato sauce, or paste to dishes to boost flavors. But umami no more, at least not from tomatoes.

I'm a cynic by nature so irony doesn't easily escape me. Just hours before the fateful doctor's visit, I watered our upside down tomato planter. I looked at the clusters of grape tomatoes ripening on the vine, plump and practically perfect. I was elated that these tomatoes were growing so well. This was by far my best attempt at growing tomatoes to date, and I couldn't wait to harvest them. In just two short hours I would get the bad news.

Of course we'll still harvest them, and then we'll hide them. Hide and eat in quiet moments as Karis sleeps or plays in the other room. Who knows, the sneaking around may even be exciting.

So to commemorate this beloved fruit which has now been banished to a late night dish, I want to share with you my new and newly retired marinara recipe. Just because I can't savor the umami, doesn't mean you can't.


Off Limits Marinara Sauce

2 large tomatoes, cored and chopped
8 basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. tomato paste
Small pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Puree all of the ingredients together in a food processor until your desired consistency. In a small sauce pan, bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat then reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Salt and pepper to taste.

Yields: Approximately 2 cups of sauce