Tomatoes and String Quartets

“A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins.”
-Laurie Colwin, ‘Home Cooking’

My latest article in OKRA Magazine, celebrating one of the most delicious and popular Southern staples, can be found here. 

I wrote "Cut and Paste: A Tomato A Day Keeps the Doctor Away" for obvious reasons, such as elaborating upon the benefits of the Creole tomato and its brethren upon health. Being that I just returned from New Orleans a few hours ago, my reasons are also personal, and I am pleased to report that tomato season in NOLA is in full swing. The sampling of so many options on the local menus left my head spinning as much as my stomach full.  

 

It can be challenging to be a Registered Dietitian (tourist or resident) in a city like New Orleans, known for its decadent food and other excesses of lifestyle. However, it is rarely dull and I have no issue in appeasing such culinary temptations within moderation. 

It's summer in the Big Easy, and the heat and humidity were felt in full force during my visit this past week. Given the recent weather advisory about hurricanes, I'll happily accept the former. All the more reason to take a break at Cafe Beignet, Royal Blend, and Cafe du Monde for an iced cafe au lait. The hefty portions of beignets are easier to manage when you bring a friend to split them (or perhaps the resident cats outside certain French Quarter establishments will assist).

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

For a full archive of my nutrition articles for OKRA Magazine, click here.

Cut and Paste (Part III): This RD's Tomato Recommendations

Recommendations from this Registered Dietitian (RD): 

1)    An apple a day? Pick a tomato instead. Tomatoes have more health benefits due to phyto-chemical properties (naturally occurring chemical compounds in plants) than the often-referenced apple. In both cases, the fruit’s antioxidant power lies within its skin, so make use of the whole food as much as possible. 

2)    Mix it up. With so many varieties of tomato available, there is no excuse to be boring. Creole, cherry, and heirloom tomatoes are wonderful raw. Toss sun dried tomatoes in with salads and sandwiches. Add Cayenne-Tomato Relish to hot or cold sandwiches. Crave pizza? Double the sauce, cut the fatty meat toppings in half, or substitute them with vegetables. Bring Emeril’s recipe for Stuffed Tomatoes  to your next summer gathering.

3)      Seeing red. When it comes to lycopene content, red pigment is the key, so orange and yellow varieties don’t count. Also, organic tomatoes may contain up to three times the lycopene as non-organic varieties. To maximize your lycopene intake, try this Tomato and Watermelon Salad recipe : red watermelon is another excellent lycopene source. 

4)    Pick your poison. Tomatoes are members of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, along with potatoes, eggplant, chili peppers, and tobacco. Along with arthritis symptoms, potentially toxic substances in nightshades (glycoalkaloids) can produce symptoms ranging from a burning mouth or tingling tongue to extreme allergic reactions in some individuals. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include itching of the skin and/or eyes, runny nose, chest constriction, and gastrointestinal distress (abdominal pain, vomiting diarrhea).  

5)    KISS up. When choosing a tomato sauce, keep it simple and opt for brands with the few ingredients: tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil. Avoid excess ingredients such as soybean oil or sugar, which can substantially increase calories and saturated fat. 

6)    Down some liquid courage. Sometimes it’s easier to drink your fruits and vegetables (note: one glass of some vegetable juices contains four times the lycopene found in one medium-sized tomato), but always check labels for sodium levels when selecting tomato juices, sauces, and soups. There are nearly as many recipes for tomato soup as there are varieties of tomato. Tennessee’s Patrick and Gina Neely offer a truly decadent Down-Home Tomato Soup using plum tomatoes and heavy cream. For a version with less saturated fat and calories, see Southern Living’s recipe for Basil Tomato Soup.  

Though the heat and humidity of a summer in the South can be unrelenting, grab a napkin and head toward your local farmer’s market to find those Creole tomatoes (or fried green tomatoes, tomato gelato, tomato basil crepes, and so on) and alleviate some of that misery. Your body (and spirit) will thank you for it.

Cut and Paste (Part I): A Tomato A Day Keeps the Doctor Away

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins."
-Laurie Colwin, ‘Home Cooking’

June is the month of the Creole Tomato in New Orleans, which means dishes featuring this southern Louisiana crop emerge to celebrate in local restaurants, recipes, farmer’s markets, and at festivals (such as the annual French Market Creole Tomato Festival ). What is it about the South that creates such a remarkable tomato? The Creole is an heirloom tomato originally developed to grow especially well in the heat, humidity, and soil of Southern Louisiana. A principal ingredient in Creole cooking, this tomato adds distinct and robust flavor and juiciness whether eaten raw, sliced, or diced for use in salads and sandwiches. 

Attack of the Creole Tomatoes (Photo courtesy of www.louisiana-tastebuds.com)

In addition to the Creole variety, there is another legendary Southern tomato, and this Yankee learned that first-hand. Many years ago at the annual Destrehan Plantation Festival  (Destrehan, LA) and far from being a Registered Dietitian at the time, I remember being surprised that anyone would consider frying a green tomato…until I tasted one. Find out the big deal for yourself with this recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes and Cashew Relish from The Flying Biscuit in Atlanta, GA.

Aside from these Southern legends, dozens of other tomato varieties are available across the country today, throughout the year, presenting diversity of size, shape and color. Two of the most popular are the extremely flavorful heirloom, and the small, round cherry tomato, used frequently in salads, side dishes, and as garnish. Adding to your options, tomatoes are available to the consumer as sun-dried (chewy, sweet, dark and intensely flavored), canned, paste (cans or tubes), and purée. Tomatoes are commonly processed as sauce (spaghetti, pizza, and BBQ), ketchup, and tomato juice. You are unlikely to find many Registered Dietitians (RDs) that encourage consumption of processed foods, but in the case of tomatoes, I will make an exception! Raw, cooked, or processed, you’re good to go.

Many Southerners enjoy a good scandal, and the tomato obliges with a bit of a checkered past. As with the avocado profiled in last month’s To Your Health column, the tomato’s history can be traced back to the Aztecs in Mexico, and was cultivated centuries before Spanish explorers and missionaries introduced it to the rest of the world. Due to an initial unsavory reputation as sinister and poisonous as a member of the nightshade family of plants, the tomato was once considered dangerous and not readily accepted for consumption (except by Spanish and Italian culinary risk-takers), earning it the nickname of “wolf peach.” The tomato was deemed edible circa 1838, and has gained popularity in the United States ever since.

You say tomato, I say…fruit or vegetable? Though the tomato fits the botanical definition of a fruit (it has seeds), it was legally classified as a vegetable by the United States Supreme Court in 1893 in an effort to protect American farmers. Imported vegetables were subjected to tariffs, but imported fruits were not. With its primary function established for use in soups, salads, and entrees, the tomato’s classification changed from fruit to vegetable with a smack of the gavel.  While this debate continues, there is no argument that tomato consumption considerably benefits your health.

Cut and dried: A tomato is technically and botanically a fruit, but legally a vegetable

Cut and Paste: A Tomato a Day Keeps the Doctor Away (Part II) can be found here...