sweet and sour

I have been reading about molecular gastronomy and it got me thinking about what I could do at home that did not conform to convention... so here's an experiment I tried. Take a look at the picture below and try to guess what it is. Or just read on...

If you did guess tomato, you are absolutely right. It is sheer coincidence that the tomato should be the protagonist yet again. This is a steamed tomato that's been skinned and dressed in a marinade of orange juice, balsamic vinegar and orange zest. I was trying a play on sweet and sour since no one expects this to be a tomato. Truth be told, it looks better than it tasted but it was a very interesting combination. The sharp orange zest gives way to the soft touch of the tomato flesh which squirts tangy juice as soon as you bite into it... quite a medley of flavors.

Next time, I think I'll go light on the orange zest but not on the zest for experimenting with food.

Till later!

ps: I just bought the Microplane zester - super cool.