All about tomatoes!
To-MAY-toh, To-MAH-to! No matter how you pronounce it, this delicious little fruit (commonly referred to as a vegetable) is our feature of the month. Tomatoes are available in a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes. The type most typically purchased is the round Globe tomato. Plum tomatoes are egg shaped and are red or yellow. Baby plum tomatoes are grape sized. Cherry tomatoes are small, round and the size of, well, cherries! Heirloom tomatoes, in red, yellow, green and purple shades are now becoming more prevalent in the market.
Select a tomato that is firm, heavy for its size, richly coloured and not bruised or cracked. Ripe tomatoes should be stored at room temperature and used within a few days. Cold temperatures will kill the flavour and alter the texture of the tomato. Do not store tomatoes in the fridge. One medium tomato contains 22 calories. Tomatoes are a source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and folate. They are high in the antioxidant Lycopene.
Check out some of our favourite tomato recipes:
Quick Roast Pepper and Tomato Hand Pies: Eating vegetables is easy and enjoyable. Now imagine roasting them and eating them in a pie right out of your hand! These hand pies are perfect to pack in a lunch and take on the run. Using prepared pie pastry speeds up the prep time.
Swiss Chard and Tomato Pasta: Adding greens to a fresh tomato sauce is a surefire way to enjoy more flavour and lots of colour in your pasta dishes. For a bigger bite try substituting rapini for the Swiss chard.
Tomato and Corn Pizza: These easy summer pizzas are crunchy and colourful showcasing summer tomatoes and corn. Use leftover grilled corn to speed up this already quick recipe.
You could also roast your excess tomatoes with onions and garlic like our Half Your Plate Ambassador Chef Michael Smith!
What are your favourite tomato recipes?
