National Fresh Tomato Day

The Heirloom Tomato Cookbook

April 6th, 2010 was "National Fresh Tomato Day", so I thought I would talk about some of their health benefits and give out some fantstic recipes as well.  Sacramento is known as "The Big Tomato" since it is almost always knee deep in tomatoes, but not usually until late June, July, and August.  Now with organic hot houses cropping up, we can have excellent, organic tomatoes year round.  The organic hot house tomatoes can be a bit pricier, but the flavor, texture and health benefits far outweigh the cost.  Another thing to keep in mind is that when you purchase local tomatoes, they can be vine ripened instead of picked green and tend to be friendlier to the earth since they are not shipped from half way around the world.

Tomatoes are low in calories and are packed with nutrition, especially when they are fully ripe. For example, red tomatoes contain up to four times the amount of beta-carotene as green tomatoes. Tomatoes provide an excellent source of vitamins C and K, carotenes (especially lycopene), and biotin. They are also a very good source of vitamin B6, niacin, folic acid, fiber, and pantothenic acid. Studies have shown that the red carotene (lycopene) is extremely protective against breast, lung, colon, prostate, and skin cancers. Studies also found that tomatoes lower the risk of heart disease, cataracts, and macular degeneration. The way lycopene works, is it helps to prevent those diseases and others by neutralizing harmful oxygen free radicals before they can do any damage to cellular structures.  The vitamins A, C, and E in tomatoes also act as antioxidants, neutralizing the damage of free radicals and providing anti-aging benefits.


The research findings on the health benefits of eating tomatoes have greatly increased and they are receiving a lot of attention as a health food. Tomatoes are not only low in calories, but they are low in sugar, sodium, and fat and are an excellent source of many essential vitamins and minerals.  Among those vitamins and minerals are:

• vitamins A, C, E, K, and B complex

• potassium
• manganese
• copper
• iron
• chromium
• beta-carotene
• fiber
• tryptophan

The lycopene in tomatoes acts as a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect the body from free radical damage.
 
Tomatoes are rich in vitamin K, a vitamin important to bone health. The fiber in tomatoes aids healthy digestion, helps to improve constipation, lower cholesterol, and aids in weight loss. Tomatoes also contain lutein which is needed for healthy eyes and may help prevent macular degeneration and to improve vision. Research suggests the liquid around the seeds of the tomato has anti-clotting properties much like aspirin, thereby reducing the risk of blood clots and stroke.



Tomatoes are very low in calories, with one medium-sized tomato containing only 22 calories. Since the tomato is low in glycemic load and low on the glycemic Index, tomatoes do not cause spikes in insulin in the body and help to keep blood sugar balanced.

So as you can see there are a ton of reasons to eat fresh, organic tomatoes.  here are a few ways to add them into your repetoire.  Happy Tomato Day!


Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil



INGREDIENTS


• 2 cartons ripe grape tomatoes, quartered
• 8 oz. Perlini, fresh mozzerella

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/8 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 oz. 3 Cheese Blend, shredded (Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan)

• 1 gluten-free baguette French bread  (Iused the Natural Food Works baguette)
• 1/4 cup olive oil


METHOD
Chop the tomatoes in quarters. Put tomatoes, Perlini fresh mozzerella, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil and Italian flat leaf parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on panini grill and grill until golden and crispy. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

Align the bread on a serving platter. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.  You can also place all of the topped bread slices in an oven to broil for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt (does make gluten-free bread much soggier, but pleassant to eat with a fork and knife).

Makes 24 small slices. Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Or 3-4 for lunch

Breadless Bruschetta

4 medium organic vine ripened tomatoes, sliced

2 to 3 fresh Mozzerella balls, medium or large sized, sliced

sweet basil leaves, large, 1 for each slice of tomato

balsamic vinegar, lightly drizzled 

extra virgin olive oil, lightly drizzled

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes, and fresh mozzerella into 1/4 inch slices.  Salt and pepper each side, and then stack with sweet basil leaf in the middle.  Place all stacks on a platter and them lightly drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil.

This breadless bruschetta was made with Whole foods Fresh Mozzerella Vegetarian Farmstead Cheese - Ovoline.  It was absolutely delicious and you could not tell the difference with it being vegeatrian cheese.  it was smooth and melted in your mouth.

Sources:

Murray , Michael N.D.. The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods.

New York: Atria Books, 2005.

Centers For Disease Control And Prevention-5 A Day.

National Agricultural Library-USDA. usda.gov.

Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia