Tomato fina'denne' is amazing over coconut milk-based soups and stews.

TOMATO FINA'DENNE' or FINA'DENNEN TUMÅTES

My nina had this fina'denne' the same night she served Tan Candelaria soup. It was the perfect fina'denne' for the dish. I asked my dad about this tomato fina'denne' and he said, “…yeah, and if you put green beans in it oh my God!”

I did not recall ever seeing tomato fina'denne' at parties on Guam, that is, until I added the green beans. And yes, OMG! Even better, this is THE ULTIMATE fina'denne' to put on kȧdo (soups) with a coconut milk base: kȧddon uhang (shrimp kȧdo), tinaktak, corn soup, and the antigun (old time) beef with suni (taro) in coconut milk. Because prepping the beans is an extra step, sometimes I leave it out and the fina'dennen tumȧtes is still the bomb.

Pacific Daily News article: Spice up your life

INGREDIENTS

Set 1

12 to 15 pieces of green beans, about 5 inches long each piece

Water

Set 2

1 pint of grape tomatoes (about 1 ½ c. halved/quartered grape tomatoes)

2 average-sized plum tomatoes (about 1 ½ c. sliced plum tomatoes)

¼ c. thinly sliced yellow onions

1 ½ tsp. salt

Set 3

Hot pepper

Tools: small pot, medium glass bowl, medium plastic bowl, slotted spoon, colander, napkins or paper towels

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill the small pot halfway with water, set on the stove, and bring the water to a boil on high heat.

2. Reduce the heat to medium, add the beans to the water, and continue to boil the beans for 5 minutes.

3. In the mean time, fill the plastic bowl halfway with ice then cover the ice with water.

4. Once the beans have boiled for 5 minutes, remove them with the slotted spoon and place the beans in the bowl of ice water. Cool for 5 minutes.

5. Drain the beans in a colander, and remove all the ice. Gently squeeze the beans between layers of paper towels or napkins to remove some of the water. Set aside.

6. Remove the stem part of each plum tomato. Cut the plum tomatoes lengthwise into quarters. Cut each quarter crosswise into about ¼-inch slices. Gently squeeze the tomatoes with your hand over the glass bowl (as you put them into the bowl), releasing some of the juices.

7. Cut each grape tomato in half lengthwise. If the grape tomatoes are large, cut in half again, crosswise. Gently squeeze the tomatoes with your hand over the glass bowl (as you put them into the bowl), releasing some of the juices.

8. Add the onions and the salt to the bowl. Stir to mix well. Tilt the bowl to taste the juice. It should taste salty, like ocean water. Add the pepper and green beans. Stir to combine. Scoop the fina’dennen tumates into a mason jar and cover. Keep in fridge for at least 4 hours, but over 2 nights is best. Flip the jar upside down after one day to soak the veggies evenly.

Return to More Recipes

Next Recipe

SATISFYING YOUR GUAM RECIPE CRAVINGS SINCE 2006.

Effective March 2021, PaulaQ will begin replacing Canola and vegetable/seed oils in recipes with pure lard from Reverence Farm, coconut oil, and avocado oil.

GUAM FOODOPEDIA

LOOKING for something on Paulaq.com? Enter your keyword in the search box below:

PURCHASE YOUR BOOKS TODAY

© Copyright Paula Quinene. Check out Guam cookbooks and Chamorro cookbooks, A Taste of Guam and Remember Guam, for more Guamanian recipes and Chamorro recipes that are tested, tried and true. Get Macarons Math, Science, and Art, for foolproof macaron recipes and techniques. Enjoy a Guam romance novel in Conquered. Most photos courtesy Paula and Edward Quinene.