Use: Really firm Roma (aka plum) tomatoes
Blackening isn't just a technique that works well with chicken or fish. Dipping anything—in this case, sliced tomatoes that you've patted dry—in a mixture of Cajun spices, then cooking it in a hot cast-iron skillet is an amazing way to add heat and crunch. In this recipe from
Roberto's New Vegan Cooking, by Roberto Martin, the blackened tomatoes are matched with light, bright cucumber, mint and fennel.
Get the recipe: Blackened Plum Tomatoes Over Cucumber and Fennel Salad
