August Veggie of the Month: Tomatoes

Facts:

• People used to be afraid to eat tomatoes due to the fact that they are related to the deadly nightshade plant
• Every year there is a tomato festival in Spain, in which people throw about 150,000 tomatoes at one another.
• Cooked tomatoes are actually better for you than raw ones, as more antioxidants are released during the cooking process
•  93% of gardeners in the US include tomato plants in their gardens

Recipe:

Gazpacho: This classic Spanish, summer dish is a perfect way to end a hot summer day. Bonus: not only does this soup incorporate tomatoes, it also uses cucumber, onion, and peppers which should also be available from local farms this month.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/gazpacho-recipe

INGREDIENTS:

•    1cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled

•    2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded

•    4 plum tomatoes

•    1 red onion

•    3 garlic cloves, minced

•    23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)

•    1/4 cup white wine vinegar

•    1/4 cup good olive oil

•    1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

•    1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop

Sources:

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/food/tomatoes.html

http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science/Tomatoes-cooked-better-than-raw

https://www.quickcrop.ie/blog/2014/02/top-10-facts-about-tomatoes/

http://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/vegetables/fun-facts-about-tomatoes