In all parts of the world, nothing says "summer" like ripe tomatoes. Originating in Central and South America, tomatoes are grown and consumed throughout the world. Their popularity dominates seed catalogs, and home gardeners who grow no other vegetables make space for tomatoes. Hybrids now make growing tomatoes possible in climates with even relatively short summers, and word spreads quickly about varieties that grow well in other than their native countries. Whether red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, or brown, tomatoes are one of the world's most universally-enjoyed vegetables.
What to Look For:
Tomato Storage and Preparation Tips:
Cooking with Tomatoes:
During the height of tomato season, few use the words "tomato" and "cooking" in the same sentence. Fresh recipes for ripe tomatoes abound: Latin American salsa and guacamole, Italian basil-tomato-mozzarella salad, African tomato-avocado-buttermilk soup, Moroccan tomato-eggplant salad, and Russian tomato-dill-cucumber salad are a small sample. Cooked tomatoes dominate sauces and soups in all cultures. The ability of tomatoes to blend well with herbs and other vegetables make it easy to incorporate tomatoes in almost any dish.
Tomato Nutrition Highlights:
Tomatoes contain good levels of vitamin A and vitamin C, lutein and antioxidant caroteneids. Very high levels of antioxidant lycopene have prompted studies of its role in cancer-prevention, especially prostate cancer. By 2006, however, definite results for lycopene had not been established. Tomatoes provide a low-calorie addition to any diet; perhaps one of their nutritional benefits is the flavoring and enjoyment they bring to a wide variety of nutritious foods.
