Fridays, Fixins and Facts: The Tomato Monologue

This Friday is all about tomatos thanks to some of my favorite FB friends. There are few greater pleasures than a just-picked ripe, red tomato still warm from the summer sun. We have a nice thick vine of them growing just off the deck that we water daily. Tomatoes are amazing; not only for eating but for living. Tomatoes combat a number of health issues and even posess super secret cosmetic benefits. There has been quite a bit of debate over the tomato status as a "fruit" or "vegetable." You can pick your team; but by definition, them seem like a fruit to this casual diner. In the last couple of days, I have had some eyebrow-raising enlightenments concerning tomatoes; some of which I share with you.

Tomato Lore and Legend

Up until the end of the eighteenth century, physicians warned against eating tomatoes, fearing they caused not only appendicitis but also stomach cancer from tomato skins adhering to the lining of the stomach. Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson of Salem, New Jersey had brought the tomato home from abroad in 1808. He had been offering a prize yearly for the largest fruit grown, but the general public considered the tomato an ornamental plant rather than one for food.

As the story is told, it was Colonel Johnson who on September 26, 1820 once and for all proved tomatoes non-poisonous and safe for consumption. He stood on the steps of the Salem courthouse and bravely consumed an entire basket of tomatoes without keeling over or suffering any ill effects whatsoever. His grandstanding attracted a crowd over over 2,000 people who were certain he was committing public suicide. The local firemen's band even played a mournful dirge to add to the perceived morbid display of courage.

Johnson's public stunt garnered a lot of attention, and North America's love affair with the tomato was off and running. By 1842, farm journals of the time were touting the tomato as the latest craze and those who eschewed it as "objects of pity."

Tomato, the fruit, Health Facts:

Nutrition of Tomatoes

Tomatoes will give you the following nutritional benefits:

* Vitamin C (40% of recommended daily value in one tomato)
* Vitamin A (20% RDA)
* Vitamin K (over 15% RDA)
* Decent source (7% RDA) of fiber
* Potassium, niacin, vitamin B6, folate
* Lycopene (antioxidant)

All those nutrients can improve your health:

* Lots of cancer protection
* Protects against heart disease, stroke
* Colon and prostate health
* Improves LDL cholesterol
* Natural anti-inflammatory (helps with above diseases plus Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis)
* Bone health
* Reduces stress
* Can reduce frequency of migraines
* Helps regulate blood sugar in diabetics

Lycopene is the Tomato’s Secret Weapon

Lycopene is an antioxidant, which means it helps cells protect themselves from oxygen damage. You’ve heard the phrase “free radicals” thrown around, I’m guessing. They’re bad for you, inside and out, and lycopene is a great weapon against them. It has been shown in studies to protect against colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers, quite significantly in many cases. It also protects against heart disease.

In one study, 10 healthy women ate a diet containing two ounces of tomato puree each day for three weeks, either preceded by or followed by a tomato-free diet for three weeks. The researchers measured blood levels of lycopene and evaluated oxidative damage to cells before and after each phase. They found that cell damage dropped by 33% to 42% after consuming the tomato diet.

Wow! Is that all the tomato you can handle in one meal? Ok...one last thing. On to the Friday Fixings!
Tomato, Feta and Basil Soup
Here’s is what you will need

Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 x 400g/14 oz. tins whole peeled tomatoes
1 Tbsp sugar to taste
2 litres /4 pints vegetable stock
100ml /4 oz. cream
4 Tbsp feta, crumbled
Handful Basil
Salt and pepper

1. Add some olive oil to a pan and add the garlic
2. When the garlic is toasted add the tomatoes and crush them up a bit, then add the sugar
3. Take the pot off the heat and liquidize until smooth
4. At this point you can reserve it for a sauce or carry on with the rest of the recipe for the soup
5. Add the vegetable stock
6. Add the cream
7. Then add the feta and basil. It’s easy just to tear up the basil in the soup just like the Italians! You can also chop it fine and then throw it in if you prefer. Sometimes I make a little pesto with pestle and mortar and drizzle that over, which is quite nice.
8. Don’t forget to add the salt and pepper.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Blue Cheese or Pesto:
Cherry tomatoes are best for this.
Wash the tomato, trim off the top and scoop out the seeds.
Stuff with a pinch of blue cheese or a dollop of fresh pesto. Serve.

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
The classic caprese salad will never be boring to me.
Layer thin slices of fresh tomato with fresh mozzarella, a few chopped basil leaves and a drizzle of good quality balsamic vinegar. Want more flavor? Add slivers of red onion. CLICK HERE for more recipes.

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Its Friday and that means haiku! Here's a few zingers just for tomato lovers!

Tomato Prisioner
Ruby skin, moist fruit,
Thick odor, salivation;
Feed me, prisioner.

Broken Treasure
Subtle, ruby flesh
Drenched treasures, salty good
Tomato pleasures.

Full Tomato Juice Mouth
Streaming red nectar
Lick my tongue gently slow,
Defenseless desire.

Tomato Devoured
Taught skin
Rupturing salty rivers
Suspended limbs.