TURKEY-TOMATO STIR-FRY (FUSION)

According to my food books, tomatoes aren't unknown in China, although they're certainly not the first item we think of when we consider Chinese cuisine.

But when the garden's producing more of the juicy red globes than two people can reasonably consume, you've gotta find SOME way to use 'em in every meal. So it occurred to me last night to create a Chinese-style dish using fresh tomatoes as one of the vegetable components AND the primary sauce of liquid for a stir-fry.

It worked out great, and if it's not truly authentic, call it nouvelle Pacific Rim cuisine instead of Chinese.

Stir-fry items: Cut 8 ounces of boneless turkey-breast filets into chopsticks- size bites. Cut two medium green peppers and one medium sweet onion into similar-size squares. Peel, seed and chop two large, fresh tomatoes. Set aside in separate bowls.

Sauce ingredients: In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar (adjust if necessary to taste to get the right sweet-sour balance), 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic, and your choice and intensity of heat. I used 1/2 tablespoon of my current fave, Datil Do It sauce from Florida, but Tabasco, dried red pepper flakes, cayenne, etc., would all be suitable substitutes, as would the more traditional procedure of stir-frying whole dried chile peppers.

Additional items: Two slices of fresh ginger root, one chopped scallion, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in a little water.

Procedure: Heat peanut oil to sizzling in a wok and toss in the ginger root, stir-frying until it starts to brown and give off aroma. Stir-fry the onions and green peppers until they start to cook, then add the turkey pieces and continue stir-frying just until they lose their raw color. Add the sauce mix, stirring rapidly so it coats all items; then add the tomatoes, turn down heat to low, and cover, simmering for two or three minutes until the tomatoes are heated through but don't start to fall apart. Remove lid, increase heat to medium, and stir in the cornstarch, stirring until the sauce thickens. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with chopped scallion. Serve with mounds of steaming white rice.

This one made an exceptional match with the Napa Ridge 1992 Gewurztraminer, a slightly sweet and modestly priced California white. Sometimes the Gewurz/Chinese cliche DOES work!