We Say Tomato

Tomatoes continue to surprise us.

Just when we think we’ve seen every variety out there, another wild heirloom pops up on a table at our local farmer’s market. This year alone we’ve gone ga-ga for striped Green Zebras, supersweet Yellow Sun Golds and elegant Black Cherry tomatoes.

One simple, humble cup of ripe, raw tomatoes is a great source of Vitamins A, C, K, folate and potassium. And because they are low in calories, high in fiber and have a relatively high water content they are a filling food, i.e. they can aid in weight loss or maintenance.

What really has us excited though are the recent studies showing that Lycopene—an antioxidant 10 times more potent than vitamin E that is present in red tomatoes and a key ingredient in the Mediterranean Diet—has been shown to help reduce cardiovascular disease risk by improving the function of blood vessels. Lycopene has also been linked to helping with some cancers.

Turning up the heat significantly boosts the absorption of Lycopene and wonderfully, if you pair it with olive oil, it becomes even more absorbable by the body.

To take advantage of the tomatoes’ total nutritional largess, we are making a tomato pasta that gently cooks tomatoes in the heat of the pasta. The technique is so simple that it barely needs a recipe. Make it once and you won’t ever need to consult a tomato pasta recipe again.

Learn more about heirloom tomatoes.