I have decided it is officially my favorite time of the year. Why? Because the tomatoes are ripening in my neighbor's garden! Tomatoes are my FAVORITE food and they are truly the best when picked right off the plant... warmed by the sun, the skin breaks under your teeth and a flood of sweet, slightly tangy juice gushes out, revealing the soft insides... Ah, the taste of summer...
Another reason tomatoes are so perfect is that they are so darn good for us! The little labels you find on ketchup bottles saying "cancer-fighting antioxidants" aren't lying; the carotenoid called lycopene as well as the levels of vitamins A, C, K (and a whole schlew of other good stuff) in tomatoes have been found to reduce one's risk of colon, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. Tomatoes also help to prevent cardiovascular disease, improve cholesterol levels, reduce inflammatory and blood-clotting tendencies, and make people happy! (I'm not even kidding-- eating a diet full of vegetables and fruits has been proven to lower stress).
Tomatoes are extremely versatile, which is another reason I love them! They come in many sizes and colors, so they are beautiful as well. Tomatoes are my culinary dream, and these are some things I love to do with them:
1. Tomato sauce: Easy, delicious, and good on anything. Try making your own marinara by sauteing onion and garlic in olive oil, adding a whole bunch of chopped tomatoes (leave the skins on for the best taste and nutritional burst) and your favorite herbs such as oregano, basil, rosemary, or whatever inspires you. Feel free to add more to the saute, such as olives or mushrooms.
2. Caprese salad: This is Italian for big, fat tomato slices topped with mozzarella cheese (fresh- not that pasteurized stuff), drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with fresh basil and other herbs. Mmmmm.
3. Fattoush: A Mediterranean salad which is a mix of pita bread, lemon juice, olive oil, and largely chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and an assortment of other delicious, fresh produce.
**By the way, the lycopene in tomatoes is absorbed even better by your body when it is eaten with some sort of healthy fat, as in olive oil or avocados. Cooking tomatoes has also been shown to draw out more nutrients, and for some reason, the combination of broccoli and tomatoes is a hearthealth boosting super star team!
4. Gazpacho: A Spanish soup, served cold, which has a base of tomatoes mixed with stale bread, green peppers, cucumber, olive oil, garlic, wine vinegar and salt. Try making your own for an exotic culinary adventure!
5. Salsa: You know what this is, but have you ever made it yourself? The best salsa I have ever had was a home-made (plus the sodium levels weren't through the roof).
6. Tomato bread pudding; My mom has this awesome dessert recipe. It is such a surprise to have a tomato tang in a dessert!
Along with these dandy delights, there are some tomato treasures I still want to try making myself:
1. Bruschetta: A tomato spread on crusty baguettes. This just screams "fancy"
2. A tomato tart of some sort: Perhaps one with cheese and fennel (another thing I've been meaning to try my hand at).
3. Roasted red pepper soup: Doesn't that just sound delicious?
Curry: An Indian dish I have yet to try. About time, I think.
This summer, please, please, please, pick and eat a tomato for me!
For all the good stuff about the good stuff in tomatoes, check out the WHFoods website at http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44
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