By most measures, tomato paste is an everyday ingredient. But when it hails from magical Santorini it is transformed into something regal. Produced from the island’s renowned tomato (a small native variety), and dry farmed on volcanic soils in the arid windy clime, it is rich and luscious, with an intense, almost caramelized, tomato flavor that lingers on the palate.
We source our Santorini double concentrate tomato paste from Santo, a collective of local farmers. The tomatoes are cultivated on a small 125 acre plot on the south side of the island. It is expensive to produce because the crop yields are extremely low (about 5% of typical commercial production), and it takes about 7 pounds of ripe tomatoes to make 1 pound of triple concentrate paste. It was inspired by an old island recipe. Its flavor is so intense and lingering and it will take your favorite dishes to another level.
Serving: Use it to flavor and thicken tomato sauces, or as the base for dips and spreads. Add capers, olives, raisins, prunes, ginger, orange zest, and/or any number of fresh or dried herbs. It’s excellent mixed into Greek yogurt with some garlic and herbs and spread on ancient grain rusks.