Flavors of summer by Rolf Straubinger

Flavors of summer by Rolf Straubinger

Italy – always a place of longing. A country where the sun is at home and the food tastes great. Now we have Italy’s variety of flavors for you. Our friend and star chef Rolf Straubinger has created a very special appetizer for us. What looks like a colorful tomato salad is a true firework of flavors. It is accompanied by burrata, focaccia, arugula and – in a completely un-Italian way – a little gin. Admittedly, the preparation is not without its difficulties, but the result is on a world class level. The main ingredient is our sun-ripened little Tomato Kisses and our Caprese Tomatoes. It’s sliced, cooked, pureed, mixed and varnished. Rolf Straubinger: “This dish shows what tomatoes can do – if they are good. A tomato dream.” Or as we say: a plate of sunshine.

Appetizer for 4 people

4 tomatoes, varnished
16 SanLucar Cherry Tomatoes, red
8 SanLucar Cherry Tomatoes, yellow
160 g arugula sorbet
16 zucchini loops, cut with a peeler
8 dried focaccia chips
120 g plucked burrata cheese
40 g virgin olive oil
Sea salt

White Tomato Juice (basic recipe)

3 kg of fully ripe SanLucar tomatoes, cut into pieces
20 g sea salt
50 g still mineral water
30 g sugar
40 g gin

Finely puree all ingredients with water and drain overnight in a straining cloth.

White Tomato Stock (basic recipe)

550 g fresh tomatoes, quartered
100ml water
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of sugar

Blend tomato quarters with the water, sugar and sea salt, place in a straining cloth or clean dish towel and drain overnight. The resulting juice is clear and white.

Tomato Varnish

1 l white tomato stock (cold)
Gold and bronze powder
Dried tomato powder
70 g vegetable gelatin
Sea salt and sugar

Mix all ingredients, boil once and allow to cool to about 75° C.

Varnished Tomatoes

1 l white tomato juice
12 leaves gelatin (soaked)
17.5 g protein powder
Sea salt
Chili powder

Heat the tomato juice, add soaked gelatin, season vigorously and allow to cool overnight. In a whipping kettle, whip with egg white powder until fluffy and creamy. With the help of plastic wrap, shape the mixture into fake tomatoes and freeze. Remove foil, skewer tomatoes and pour 75° C hot tomato varnish over them. Make a cut on the Cherry Tomatoes and blanch in boiling water, rinse in ice water and remove the skin (the stem of Cherry Tomatoes should remain intact).

Tomato Vinaigrette

2 fully ripe SanLucar Caprese Tomatoes
30 g olive oil
30 g tomato vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 bunch of arugula tips
Sea salt, sugar, chili, ground pepper

Blend and strain two Caprese tomatoes. Make a vinaigrette with tomato fruit water and some of the olive oil, tomato vinegar, sea salt, sugar and ground pepper. Marinate the tomatoes and arugula tops with it. Also marinate the plucked burrata cheese with olive oil and some sea salt.

Arrange all the components on the grilled zucchini loops and garnish with the focaccia chips and the arugula sorbet.

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