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1
Have a couple of mixing bowls handy, and place a sturdy wire sieve (with small but not tiny holes) in one of them.
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2
Rinse the tomatoes if necessary; cut out the cores and any other hard parts.
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3
Following the instructions for preparing tomatoes on page 261, peel the tomatoes, slice them in half, and squeeze out the seeds.
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4
You should collect all the skins and seeds in the sieve, all the juices in the bowl underneath it, and all the crushed tomato pulp in the second bowl.
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5
After you have pressed the seeds and skins to extract their juice, dump out the residue and rinse the sieve.
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6
Now put the crushed pulp in the sieve and push and scrape it all vigorously, forming a puree that drops into the juice.
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7
(Heres a quicker procedure, if you prefer: Core and trim the tomatoes but dont peel them.
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8
Cut them into quarters, or smaller pieces, and drop into the sieve.
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9
Press and rub the tomatoesskins, seeds, and alluntil the scrapings are as dry as you can get them.
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10
Its faster, but you wont get quite as much puree this way.)
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11
With a wire whisk, blend the pureed pulp and juice, adding the 1/4 teaspoon salt.
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12
Now drizzle in your best olive oil, a tablespoon at a time, whisking steadily, as the oil emulsifies.
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13
Taste and add more salt if you like.
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14
Smash the peeled garlic cloves under the big blade of a chefs knife; drop them into the emulsion.
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15
Crumple up each basil leaf in your fingers to release the oils and drop them in as well.
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16
If you like a bit of heat, add a pinch of peperoncino.
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17
Cover the bowl, give the garlic and basil 2 to 3 hours to infuse the tomato, at room temperature, then scoop out the cloves and leaves and discard.
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18
Whisk up the elixir, add salt or drops of lemon juice to taste, and enjoy.
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19
Serve at room temperature as a vegetable sauce, then keep it in the refrigerator.
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20
Braised endive
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21
Pan-sauteed peppers and/or eggplant
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22
Sauteed or boiled zucchini
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23
The intensity of other raw vegetables at the peak of flavor can be captured in a small sauce, similar to my method for tomato elixir.
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24
Try sweet red and yellow peppers: puree them in the food processor and pass through a strainer.
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25
Then whisk in salt and your best olive oil to create an emulsion sauce with body and texture.
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26
Cucumbers are another good base: seed, skin, puree the flesh of small cukes, then emulsify with oil.
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27
Serve chilled with hot vegetables, for an unusual treat.
