Always it happens - You plant a few tomato seedlings and just when you get to enjoy a few salads and then BAM! too many tomatoes. I love this seasonal bounty when it happens because it allows me to draw out all the stoppers of creativity to make the most of the season.
The tomato is native to central South America and
was cultivated by the Aztecs centuries before the Spanish explorers
introduced it to all over the world. There are many hundreds of cultivar varieties of different
type and size. Most cultivars produce red fruits, however, a number of
cultivars have yellow, orange, pink, purple, green, or white coloured fruits.
The Tomato Festival is a tradition in Spain since 1945 and there are
several theories about how it began, but no one knows for sure. One of
the most popular theories is that during a town celebration the city
councilman were attacked by some discontented people. The people enjoyed
this so much, that they repeated the event the next year, and in a
couple of years a tradition was established.
In Magickal tradition the tomato is a fruit associated with heart health, money, love and love's protection. Not surprising that it is also associated with the planetary energies of Venus.
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| Tomatoes! |
Health
benefits of Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the low-calorie fruits and have just
18 calories per 100 g. They have zero fat and zero dietary cholesterol. Nonetheless, they are
an excellent sources of antioxidants, dietary fibre, minerals and
vitamins.
The antioxidants present in tomatoes are
scientifically found to be protective of cancers, including colon,
prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic tumours. The total -ORAC
(Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) in this vegetable is 367
µmol TE/100 g.
Lycopene,
a flavonoid antioxidant, is an unique phytochemical present in the
tomatoes. Red varieties are especially concentrated in this
antioxidant. Together with carotenoids, lycopene may help protect cells
and other
structures in the human body from harmful oxygen-free radicals. Studies
have
shown that lycopene
protects the skin from ultra-violet (UV) rays and thus offers
some defence against skin cancer.
Zea-xanthin
is
another flavonoid compound present abundantly in this vegetable.
Zea-xanthin helps protect eyes from "age-related macular disease" (ARMD) in the elderly by filtering harmful
ultra-violet rays.
This fruit contains very good levels of
vitamin A, and flavonoid anti-oxidants such as α and ß-carotenes,
xanthins and lutein. Altogether, these pigment compounds are found to
have antioxidant properties and take part in good vision, maintain healthy
mucus membranes and skin, and bone health. Consumption of natural
vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids is known to help protect from
lung and oral cavity cancers.
Additionally, they are also good source of
antioxidant vitamin-C
(provide 21% of recommended daily levels per 100 g); consumption of
foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against
infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
Fresh
tomato is very rich
in potassium.
100 g contain 237 mg of potassium and just 5 mg of sodium. Potassium is
an important component of cell and body fluids that helps
controlling heart rate and blood pressure caused by sodium.
Further, they carry average levels of vital
B-complex vitamins such as folates, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin as well
some essential minerals like iron, calcium,
manganese and other trace elements.
Semi Dried Tomatoes
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preserved in sunflower oil
with bay and peppercorn |
2 kg ripe Roma tomatoes
3 tbsp sea salt
3 tlsp caster sugar
Halve tomatoes lengthwise,
Leaving attached along one side. Remove cores and seeds with a
grapefruit knife. Stand tomato “shells” upright on a wire rack. Scatter
with one third of the salt and sugar and leave to drain for 4 – 6
hours. Scatter with another third of salt and sugar and leave
another 30 minutes. Turn over and allow to drain. Leave a further 4 – 6
hours. Stand upright again and scatter with remaining salt and sugar.
Leave for a further 4 – 6 hours.
Arrange the tomatoes on a rack in a fan-forced oven. Set temperature
at 50 - 75°C and dry for about 4 – 5 hours. Adjust oven temperature as
required. Tomatoes must not darken. Turn over when tops are dry and
continue for a further 2 – 3 hours until bottoms are also dry. Cool on
rack, store in an air tight jar with a bag of silica gel.
(If you wish to dry the whole tomato out, seed and all rather than
wasting it, just allow for an extra hour or so in the oven to dry)
Tomato Soup
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| Tomato soup |
3kg beef bones
2kg tomatoes very ripe, diced
3 cloves garlic
2 onions diced
2 sprigs sage
2 bunch basil
salt and pepper to taste (a fair bit may be needed)
Roast the beef bones with a sprinkle of salt and pepper until a fair
amount of caramalisation has occurred and they are nicely browned. Place
in a large stock pot and just cover with water and add tomatoes, onions
and garlic. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes collapse and then for 40
minutes more.
Remove the bones and allow to cool while the stock and veg simmers and reduces.
Skim any excess fat and scum from the top of the soup.
When the bones are cool enough to handle pick off any meat you can find, chop and return to the soup.
Taste and adjust the seasoning and blend with a stick blender until smooth.
Taste and adjust again for seasoning if required.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a fine shred of fresh herb
A crust roll or some toasted sour dough would not go astray.
Spicy Tomato Relish
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| Spicy Tomato Relish |
2.5 kg ripe tomatoes cut into small dice
500 g red onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
2 tspn cumin seeds
3 long dried chilli peppers
475 ml white wine vinegar (we used 1/2 apple cider 1/2 white balsamic)
220 g raw sugar
Place the diced tomato and the onion slices in a shallow dish and
sprinkle with the salt. Leave overnight. Use a mortar and pestle to
crush the mustard, cumin and chilli peppers. Drain the tomatoes and
onions and place the pulp in a saucepan with the spices, vinegar and
sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 45 min. stirring
frequently. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 15-min. Spoon the
hot relish into sterilised jars, filling completely. Cover.
Tomato Relish
3 kg tomatoes
1 kg onions
2 cups vinegar
1.5 tbsp dry mustard
1.5 tblspn curry powder
750 g sugar
3 tbsp salt
dash cayenne pepper
4 tbsp cornflour, slaked with water
Scald and skin tomatoes, sprinkle with half the salt and leave overnight.
Peel and chop onions, sprinkle with half the salt and leave overnight.
Next day combine the two mixes with the sugar in a large pan. Mix the
other ingredients in well and bring to the boil and simmer for at least
an hour. Thicken with the cornflour, stirring well to avoid lumps, then
boil a while longer, usually around 2 hours in all.
Tomato Pasta Sauce
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spaghetti and meatballs
with tomato pasta sauce |
1.5 kg ripe tomato
1 large brown onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
125 ml olive oil
salt
1/2 tspn sugar
4 tbsp verjuice or white wine
freshly ground black pepper
2 large basil leaves
Wash the tomatoes and cut into quarters and place in a pan. Peel and
chop the onion, carrot and celery and add to the pan with the oil,
tossing to coat well. Add the salt and sugar and place the pan over a
high heat. Stir constantly to prevent burning until it starts to
caramelise and the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan
with the verjuice, check for seasoning and add the basil, torn. Fill
jars with the sauce and seal.
Tomato Kasundi
225 g ginger, peeled
100 g garlic, peeled
50 g green chillies, sliced in half and seeds removed
600 ml malt vinegar
300 ml canola oil
2 tbsp turmeric
5 tbsp ground cumin
3 tbsp chilli powder
5 tbsp mustard seeds, ground to a powder
2 kg tomatoes, washed and chopped
450 g salt
3 tbsp sugar
Puree ginger, garlic and chilli to a paste with a little of the
vinegar. Heat the oil in a preserving pan and add all the ground spices
and heat gently. Add the paste, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and half the
salt, stir and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the oil is all
floating on the surface. Taste and add more salt as needed. Bottle into
sterilised jars while hot. Pour a slick of hot oil over the surface to
prevent the preserve from drying and cover with screw tops. Leave for a
couple of weeks for the flavours to develop.
This is great with lamb, chicken, rice or lentils. It can be used as a marinade, and is great with cheese.
Green tomato chutney
8 cups green tomatoes , peeled and sliced
¼ cup pickling salt
1 ½ onions , peeled
8 cups apples , chopped
1 ½ green peppers , chopped
1 ½ fresh long hot red peppers (optional)
2 cups vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons pickling spices
3 cups brown sugar
½ teaspoon chilli powder
Put layers of tomatoes with pickling salt.
Add enough cold water to cover tomatoes.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Drain& rinse the Tomatoes
Put them a large pot place and add Onions, apples, green pepper and vinegar.
Bring to a boil and boil 30 minutes.
Tie the pickling spice in gauze and add to the pot.
Stir in the brown sugar.
Simmer over low heat for about 2 hours
Watch that it doesn't burn! Pour into sterilised jars, seal and water bath for 10 minutes.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
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| Roasted Tomato Sauce |
2 kg tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 onions sliced thickly
1 capsicum deseeded
1/2 cup olive oil
Few sprigs sage
bunch basil
Fresh pepper, a little salt & sugar to taste
Place everything into a baking dish and toss to spread & oil.
Cook at about 180°C for 35 – 40 mins until all softened. Remove from
the oven and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic soft centres
from the skin and return to the tomatoes, discarding the papery skins.
Blend together, including the oily juices, tasting and correcting
seasoning. Pour into sterilised jars, seal and water bath for 10
minutes.
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| cockle butter ravioli with roasted tomato sauce |
