Coulis: The Succulent Tomato Society Game Created by Ruth Paget
A silky, tomato coulis sauce enhances the flavor of slices of fish terrine, salmon and spinach terrine, and vegetable terrine. A coulis is just one of the many preparations for tasty and nutritious tomatoes. Tomatoes contain significant amounts of Vitamin C and beta carotene that the body converts to Vitamin A. Tomatoes also contain the antioxidant lycopene that helps remove free radicals that may cause cancer from the body.
Game Objectives: In this game about tomatoes, you will learn about tomato varieties, tomato characteristics, professional vocabulary associated with tomatoes, and how to hold tomato tastings for fresh and canned varieties.
Number of Players: 1 or teams of 2 to 4
Tools Needed to Play the Game:
-Access to Google to obtain images and a color printer to print out tomato variety images
-pens
-notebook paper
-index cards
-large notebook-paper sized envelope to store game materials
-fresh tomatoes for tastings
-canned tomatoes for tastings
-The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes by Michele Anna Jordan: A New World Discovery and its Old World Impact with more than 150 recipes
Game 1: Tomato Varieties
Download photos of the following tomato varieties. For each one, paste the image on notebook paper and note the name on top of the page with a pen.
Tomato Varieties to Look Up:
1-Ruby Pearl
2-Broad Ripple Yellow
3-Sweet 100
4-Sun Gold
5-Green Grape
6-Pink Teardrop
7-Camp Joy
8-Yellow Peas
9-Snow White
10-Tiger Tom
11-Roma
12-San Marzano
13-Orange Roma
14-Yellow Plum
15-Rocky
16-Enchantment
17-Banana Legs
18-Early Girl
19-Stupice
20-Dona
21-San Francisco Fog
22-Valencia
23-Peach
24-Taxi
25-Great White
26-White Wonder
27-Green Zebra
28-Red Rose
29-Evergreen
30-Caro Rich
31-Brandywine
32-Marvel Stripe
33-Black Krim
34-Yellow Ruffle
Once you have photos pasted on sheets of notebook paper and the names written above the tomato, begin memorizing the names with the images. Memorize 5 tomato varieties with names at a time to break down memorization into manageable pieces. Cover up the names with a piece of paper and quiz yourself on the names that go with all the images.
Game 2: Tomato Characteristics
Refer to Michele Anna Jordan’s Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes to write down the characteristics of each tomato variety on the back of the image that goes with the tomato variety. Memorize the characteristics for 5 tomato varieties at a time to break down memorization into memorable pieces. Quiz yourself until you have all the characteristics noted.
Once you have noted characteristics for each tomato variety, you are ready to move on to best uses for each tomato variety.
Game 3: Tomato Best Uses
Refer to Michele Anna Jordan’s Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes to write down the best uses for each tomato type on the back of each tomato variety image. Memorize the best uses 5 at a time to break down memorization into manageable pieces. Quiz yourself on tomato variety uses until you know all of them.
Game 4: Tomato Vocabulary
Knowing what you are buying can help you recognize bargains and get the best value for your money. To find definitions for the following words, refer to Michele Anna Jordan’s The Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes.
The terms to look up include:
-ground (or crushed) tomatoes
-tomato sauce
-double-concentrated tomato paste in a tube
-canned tomatoes
-dried tomatoes
-all’amatriciana
-andalouse
-arrabiata
-aurorea
-bolognese
-choron
-concassé
-coulis
-double concentrated
-tomato paste
-dried-tomato bits
-dried-tomato purée
-dried tomatoes
-fondue
-ketchup
-marinara
-nantua
-portugaise
-puttanesca
-ragù
-salsa
-stewed tomatoes
-sun-dried tomatoes
-tomato paste
-tomato purée
-tomato sauce
Write the terms on the front of an index card with the definition on the back. Memorize 5 terms at a time to break down memorization into manageable pieces. Quiz yourself until you know all the terms.
Game 5: Tomato Tastings
Go through the 150+ recipes in Michele Anna Jordan’s Good Cook’s Book of Tomatoes and pick out 1 or 2 to try making and serve after a tomato tasting.
Refer to Jordan's book for tips on summer and year-round tasting set up.
Happy Gaming!
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
