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Hello everyone! Let's talk about how you can quickly and beautifully cut tomatoes. Let me make a reservation right away that there are many different dishes that use tomatoes, which means that the technology for preparing tomatoes will be different.
For example, some recipes call for diced tomatoes, while other recipes use rings, ovals, or just tomato pulp. Hence the question of how to cut tomatoes so that everything turns out beautifully, does not splatter to the sides, and the intended dish turns out attractive.
Of course, I won’t describe every step now. Only general recommendations, and the rest is experience, practice, an inquisitive mind and the desire to cook and experiment.
Note: the main thing in slicing is the knives and the pressure on the vegetable.
How to choose and prepare vegetables
In order for the cutting to turn out beautiful and the result pleasing to the eye, we must take into account two main points:
- tomatoes need to be ripe, but fairly firm;
- the knife should be sharp, thin and not very long.
Before slicing, thoroughly wash the vegetables under running water and wipe dry with a paper or regular towel.
As a rule, we serve tomatoes along with other vegetables - cucumbers, peppers, radishes, and fresh herbs. Let's prepare them too. I recommend washing the cucumbers thoroughly with a soft brush or sponge, especially if there are pimples.
It is better to prepare greens for decoration in advance. After the “shower” you need to shake it and wrap it in a paper towel or thin cloth. When the excess moisture is absorbed, spread our greens in a thin layer on a napkin and let them dry naturally. This will keep it fresh and not lose its shape.
The most popular cutting methods
So, we have prepared the tomatoes and other vegetables, now we will try to cut them beautifully. There are several popular methods.
Slices
This is the most common and simplest cutting method. It is suitable if our tomatoes are ripe, juicy and not too hard. In order for the pulp to be preserved and the juice to flow out onto the plate as little as possible, the slices should not be cut very thin. First, cut the tomato into two halves and remove the attachment point of the stalk, and at the same time evaluate the juiciness of the pulp.
Next, cut each half in half again, and the resulting quarters into two equal parts. Thus, our fruit turns out to be divided into 8 equal slices. Before placing them on a plate, let's see if the core holds tightly enough. If it separates easily, it is better not to place the slices on their sides.
This cutting option is widely used not only for decoration, but also when we cut tomatoes into salad.
By the way, for the winter, tomato preparations work well not only with whole fruits, but also with slices, which we can take out of the jar and immediately decorate any dish or add to a salad. For a simple step-by-step recipe for such a preparation, watch the video:
Circles
The next popular method is cutting into thin slices. Be sure to do this across the fruit, and not along it, otherwise the pulp will leak out. If the tomato is sufficiently fleshy and dense, in cross section it will have a beautiful pattern, which can be demonstrated by placing the circles on green salad leaves or on a plate of contrasting color.
When the diameter of the fruit is large enough, you can first cut it lengthwise into two halves, and only then crosswise into thin semicircles.
Flower
This is a very effective, but not at all complicated method. Cut the tomato in half, place one half cut side down, then cut a small wedge in the middle. Having retreated 4–5 mm from the edges of the resulting slice, we cut out a second, deeper wedge under it, and so on. Let's see how it's done.
cloves
We take a whole tomato and along the “equator” line we make zigzag cuts with the tip of a knife towards the center until the upper and lower halves are separated. You can see what I mean in this short video. By the way, pay attention to how original the cucumber is cut!
How to beautifully cut cucumbers: photo with step-by-step description
Of course, there should be flowers on the holiday table. But is it necessary to run for a bouquet? Or should you give free rein to your imagination and make beautiful flowers in the form of cut vegetables?
Flower
At first glance it seems difficult, but this is not entirely true. Let's look at the creation of such a cut step by step with photos and descriptions:
Step 1. Take the outermost part of the cucumber and cut off the tip - 0.5 cm.
Step 2. Now we will make several petals - these are 2 rows of cuts in the skin along the bottom edge. We make the cuts deep enough, but not all the way - the base should remain on the fruit.
Step 3. Now we peel off a small part of the skin along the top edge - literally 1 centimeter.
Step 4. And we make the third row of petals, which are directly adjacent to this top edge.
Step 5. Actually, these are not petals - in our case they will play the role of pockets. We insert pre-cut circles into each of them: they should be as thin as possible, then the figure will turn out especially beautiful.
Step 6. The lower ones are lower, the upper ones are higher: everything is in accordance with the classical rules of design.
Step 7. Actually, we have already created a flower. However, it is better to also work with the core to make it look even more beautiful. You also need to make several slits on it - say, 4 along the edges and 2-3 in the very center.
Step 8. We insert the smallest circles into them. And those that go to the center also need to be tucked - then you get a real rose.
Here she is. But that is not all.
Step 9. Now we make leaves from a semicircle with two cuts, one of which is tucked inward.
Step 10. And arrange them in a circle around the flower. We also decorate with tomato slices or other bright vegetables.
The visual instructions in the video will help you figure out how to beautifully cut cucumbers and tomatoes in the shape of a flower.
Cucumber rose
But this is a real masterpiece - the cucumber queen of flowers! It will decorate the most exquisite holiday table and will be wonderful on any dish - Greek salad, your favorite Olivier, aspic. You will need a little patience, inspiration and attention - after all, this cucumber slicing is done with a very sharp knife.
Cucumber spiral
Now let’s figure out how to make such a beautiful spiral from a cucumber.
We proceed like this:
Step 1. Take a fairly long cucumber and cut off the bottom tip. And insert a wooden stick into the top one (directly in the center).
Step 2. Gently push it through the entire fruit and leave it inside.
Step 3. Now we cut circles, moving in a spiral. The stick will serve as a stopper for the knife - there is no need to cut further.
Step 4. We move further and further - the cut goes in a single line, going down in a spiral.
Step 5. Then we remove the stick - it has already served its purpose.
Step 6. And stretch the cucumber in a spiral. Simple, fast and beautiful.
Let's lay it out in the form of a circle.
Or in the form of 2 flowers.
Or it can be in the form of a zigzag.
Tomato rosette: two simple ways
A composition of tomato roses, which we can cut in two ways, is very suitable for a festive table.
From the peel
Let's take a whole tomato and start cutting off the skin in a spiral as if we were peeling a potato. The cut should not be too thin so that the ribbon coming out from under our knife does not break. Carefully and not too tightly roll the resulting ribbon, straighten the “petals” evenly and place it on a plate for further decoration.
From thin semicircles
Place half of the tomato cut side down on a plate or cutting board and cut into thin semicircles. Carefully move them relative to each other to form a long vertical ribbon. We roll the tape into a roll, as shown in this story:
These roses can be used to decorate any salad, serve as an independent dish or as an addition to a side dish.
Step-by-step crown formation
Properly trimming tomatoes in a greenhouse is not just some single simple action, but a whole set of measures, which includes the following steps:
- primary stepsoning;
- necessary pinching of overgrown tops on tomatoes;
- cutting off excess leaves.
It is important to carry out timely care for tomatoes so that the bush does not have time to grow too thick. The gardener’s main manipulations are aimed at timely getting rid of unnecessary leaves on growing tomatoes. This makes it possible to direct all the vital substances to the fruiting clusters with small tomatoes. Leaves should be picked promptly.
“Tulips” from tomatoes
I can’t help but tell you about another elegant way of serving dishes with tomatoes. For this we need:
- large cherry tomatoes or small “cream” tomatoes 7–9 pieces;
- green onions with feathers;
- salad with cheese or crab mayonnaise.
We cut the tomatoes crosswise so that we get four petals. The petals should not fall apart, so we do not make the cuts all the way through. Carefully remove the pulp with a spoon from all the tomatoes. Stuff the prepared fruits with the salad mixture and combine with onion feathers. The result is such original tulip buds as in the photo.
“Straw” salad with smoked sausage, eggs, corn
Salad with a smoked aroma, fresh cucumber is crunchy. The dish is simple to prepare and turns out very tasty.
Ingredients:
- Sausage Cervelat – 400 g
- Corn (corn) – 1 can
- Eggs – 4 pcs.
- Cucumbers – 2 pcs.
Preparation:
Cut the sausage into slices, then into thin strips. First cut the whites of boiled eggs lengthwise and then crosswise into strips. Grind the egg yolks and add to mayonnaise. Cut the cucumbers into strips. Transfer the prepared ingredients into a salad bowl. Add corn, drain the liquid, mayonnaise with egg yolks and mix the salad.
You can replace fresh cucumbers with a green apple, peeling it.
Instead of mayonnaise, you can prepare an original salad dressing.
Mix mayonnaise and sour cream - 1 tbsp each. l., 1 tsp. mustard and crushed yolks from boiled eggs. Mix all ingredients.
What dishes can be decorated with tomatoes?
So, we have learned how to beautifully cut tomatoes in different ways, now let's look at what dishes can be decorated with them.
Sliced with vegetables
Vegetables of contrasting color look beautiful with tomatoes - yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, radishes, herbs. We can easily create any composition with a little imagination.
It should be noted that tomatoes go well with cucumbers on a plate, but it’s much worse in our stomach. Research shows that consuming these vegetables at the same time is not recommended, since cucumbers create an alkaline environment in the digestive tract, and tomatoes create an acidic environment. And as we know from a school chemistry course, combining an acid with an alkali leads to the formation of salts, the excess of which will not benefit our body.
Cheese plate and salads with cheese
Tomatoes combine beautifully and safely with cheeses, especially hard varieties. A cheese plate looks very impressive if you decorate it with tomato rosettes, slices or whole cherry tomatoes.
The Italian Caprese salad with mozzarella, basil and olive oil looks very elegant. Italian cuisine is generally rich in a wide variety of tomato recipes and offers a lot of interesting ideas.
Sliced with cold cuts
A plate of cold cuts, decorated with tomatoes, looks very appetizing and impressive on the table. Sausages and meat products are successfully combined in taste with tomatoes and other vegetables.
Side dishes and baking dough
If we have sun-dried tomatoes, we can decorate pasta or pizza with them, cutting them into thin strips. They will give dishes a spicy flavor. Despite heat treatment, sun-dried tomatoes retain their beneficial properties well and are widely used in cooking.
Sun-dried tomatoes can be used to spice up baking dough. It is enough to chop them finely, add them while kneading and bake the dough product as usual.
The recipe for making sun-dried tomatoes is quite simple, so you don’t have to buy them in the store - you can make this savory delicacy with your own hands.
Light aromatic salad “Straw” with chicken
The salad is piquant, light without mayonnaise, with tender chicken meat, fresh cucumbers, cheese and original dressing.
Ingredients:
- Chicken fillet – 600 g
- The cucumber is fresh. - 1 PC.
- Cheese – 200 g
- Grows. oil – 3 tbsp. l.
- Lemon - 1 pc.
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Soy sauce – 3 tbsp. l.
- Lettuce/spinach leaves
Preparation:
Boil the fillet and cut into strips. Also cut the cucumbers and cheese into strips. Transfer these ingredients to a salad bowl.
Prepare a salad dressing using vegetable oil, squeezed lemon juice and garlic. Add some soy sauce to it. Add dressing to salad and stir. Place lettuce or spinach leaves on a plate and garnish the dish with lemon slices.
