You Say Tomato…Cityview Asks: What Type?

By Oana Harrison

Smaller than a grape or larger than a grapefruit, these fruits (not vegetables) are yellow, red, purple, or green – and anywhere in between!  Slice them, dice them, eat them fresh — can or pickle them!  Solanum lycopersicum might be their scientific name — but variety is their middle name.

Mind

There are hundreds of varieties of tomatoes.  Known as “love apples,” tomatoes were once feared to be poisonous – and later thought to have aphrodisiac powers. Today, we love tomatoes because of their cancer-fighting antioxidants, power-punch of vitamin C – and because they taste so good.

We’ve all heard about Heirloom tomatoes but what exactly are they?  Heirlooms are “old-fashioned” tomato varieties that are not suited for “big box” commercial growth, either because they have a short shelf life, or because they are thin-skinned and thus prone to damage in transport, or because their taste is not “main stream.”  Heirloom tomatoes come in all colors of the color wheel (well, maybe not in blue) — and can also be striped!  They can be as small as a blueberry or as large as 2 pounds.  The main categories are currant, cherry, plum, globe, oxheart, and beefsteak.  Textures vary from very soft and juicy to meaty and firm; taste can be sweet or sour.

The best resources of Heirloom tomatoes are local farms or farmers’ markets. Local farms are usually family-owned and their love and dedication shows in their crops.  “Local is more important than organic,” says Kristina McLean, a former producer and self-declared tomato addict.  “Produce doesn’t have to be certified in order to be healthy.  Getting certified may be too expensive for small family-owned farms and it’s understandable that they would rather spend their money otherwise.  As long as I know who the farmer is, I can find out how they grow their crops.”

McLean should know: She used to raise about 60 types of tomatoes. “How could I not want to grow them when I see names like Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Moonglow, Cherokee Chocolate, Hillbilly, White Queen, Furry Yellow Hog, Depp’s Pink Firefly, Bloody Butcher, and Thai Red Turtle Egg?”

For Shannon Meadows, of Mountain Meadows Farm, growing tomatoes is a family tradition.  She grows about 12 varieties each year and she chooses the types of tomatoes based on what her dad used to grow when she was young.  Cherokee Purple is one of her favorites because of its history, beauty, and resilience.  Color is another great factor influencing her choice. “The striped tomatoes are such fun and every year I must have at least one green tomato – it always throws everyone for a loop when I tell them that’s a ripe tomato,” says Meadows.

Body

Summer provides a quilt of flavors and colors and you can easily find fresh fruits and vegetables — many times grown locally.  Summer is always a good time to choose foods that are light and brightly colored. Chances are you will eat right because the elements that give the fruits and vegetables their bright colors are likely to be antioxidants.

Tomatoes are powerful fruits, containing all the major types of carotenoids, which are powerful antioxidants. These include:

• Alpha-carotene: converts into vitamin A and is a powerful antioxidant; provides orange and red colors
• Beta-carotene: converts into vitamin A and is an anti-aging agent; it also benefits skin and bones; it contains flavonoids, which are antioxidant substances providing orange and red colors
• Gamma-carotene: an antioxidant, also found in apricots
• Lutein: helps protect eyes and skin from ultraviolet rays damage; its yellow color blocks blue UV light from absorption; lutein can be found in the macula in the retina, which not only provides the eyes with protection from UV rays, but also seems to lower the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of blindness in the elderly
• Lycopene: gives tomatoes their red color is believed to reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer.  Lycopene is believed to have the highest amount of antioxidants of all carotenoids.

Adding to the tomato’s disease-fighting power is its high content of potassium and vitamin C.  Also called ascorbic acid, vitamin C helps to maintain healthy collagen in the skin, repair damaged tissue, promote healthy teeth and bones, and boost the immune system.

Rich in vitamins and antioxidants, tomatoes maintain and even increase their health powers through any type of cooking.  Grilling tomatoes (cut side down) will not only intensify the flavor, but will also boost antioxidant power by converting lycopene into a form more easily used in the body.  The same is true for flavonoids, antioxidants found in the fruit’s skin.  Studies suggest that even processed tomato products such as juice, paste, or sauce can increase the body’s cancer-fighting potential.  So, if you are looking for a summer-friendly and tomato-intensive diet, go with a Mediterranean diet.  It is balanced and contains many delicious recipes that include tomatoes, in addition to many other healthy fruits, grains, and vegetables.

Soul

Summer time: Why not kick back, relax, and enjoy being a kid again? Dining “al fresco” with family and friends or relaxing by the pool are all summer favorites.  After a day in the sun, there’s nothing better than a fresh salad or something off the grill and an iced drink (umbrella optional).  So what can you get into this summer?  Here are some healthy options:

Pool Side Story

Create unique memories by hosting a summer poolside party. Ask your guests to create a tomato-based dish and use the color variety of tomatoes to create beautiful center pieces and table displays.

Summer Fresh, Farm Fresh

Take your family to visit a local farm.  You can usually call ahead and schedule a visit: Do you want to pick your own produce, volunteer, or simply look around?  If you are ready to commit to buying fresh local produce regularly, one good choice is to buy into a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) option.  CSAs provide fresh produce for you weekly or monthly, based on what’s in-season.  Many farms will have your  “basket” of goodies available for pick up at a farmers’ market.  Not only will you be eating well but you will be supporting a social model that connects you to your food, the land, and with those that tend the soil.  It is an opportunity to place your food dollars directly in the hands of a family farm you know, a farm that adopts sustainable practices and caters to the health and nutritional value of your food.

Self-Sufficient Joy

There is pride and joy in growing your own garden.  You feel self-sufficient and can create beautiful landscapes using the different colors and textures tomatoes.  Throw in some herbs and you’re guaranteed a fresh salad! Ask the local farms if you can purchase either seeds or plants to jump start your back yard garden — and start playing in the dirt!

Anyone Can Cook

As Chef Gusteau said in Ratatouille, “Anyone can cook.”  So put on your (imaginary) toque (chef’s hat) and start cooking with tomatoes.  If you don’t know how, try a cooking class, such as the ones offered by the University of Tennessee on baking, canning, and international cuisine: http://noncredit.utk.edu/culinary/cooking.asp .  Or, find some quick advice and recipes on line, on one of Knoxville’s top food blogs: http://www.urbanspoon.com/bgs/68/knoxville-restaurant-blogs.

Yes, You Can

There are only so many tomatoes you can eat during one summer.  Save some goodness for later by canning.  Read up on easy ways of how to do so on expert blogs such as cookbook writer and food blogger Marisa McClellan’s: www.foodinjars.com

When looking at tomatoes and other fresh fruits and veggies, take Kristina McLean’s advice: “Learn how to free-style cook: it’s difficult but possible.  It’s summer – be creative and have fun with it!”

Find organic grocery stores in Knoxville:

–          Three Rivers Market: http://www.threeriversmarket.coop/

–          Three Rivers Market lists several local, independent grocery stores that carry farm fresh or organic foods:  http://www.threeriversmarket.coop/resources/local-food-guide/grocery-stores/

Find a Farmers’ Market in the Knoxville area:

–          Market Square Farmers’ Market: 865-405-3135; marketsquarefarmersmarket.org

–          Knoxville FARM Market: 3457 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, 865-992-0223; easttnfarmmarkets.org

–          Farm Fresh Produce: 3617 Sutherland Avenue, Knoxville, 37919; 865- 588-4017

–          Vintage Quest Acres CSA Farm: North Campbell Station Road, Knoxville, 423-442-7291; poweredbynature.net‎

–          Deep Well Farm: 9567 U.S. 11, Lenoir City, 37772; 865-803-4425; deepwellfarm.com‎

–          Oak Ridge FARM Market: East Tennessee Avenue, Oak Ridge, 865-406-0366; easttnfarmmarket.org‎

–          Find more: http://easttnfarmmarkets.wordpress.com/

–          Listing of Knoxville-area farms by county: http://www.agriculture.state.tn.us/Marketing.asp?qstring=VEG_HERBS

Find Family-Owned Farms around Knoxville:

–          Fruits & Vegetables:

–          Mountain Meadows Farm: 248 Bridges Road, Heiskell, Tennessee 37754; 865-494-9709; www.mountainmeadowsfarmtn.com; mountainmeadowsfarm@gmail.com

–          Colvin Family Farm: 1045 JB Swafford RD, Spring City, Tennessee 37381; 866-865-8329; colvinfamilyfarm.com; CustomerSupport@ColvinFamilyFarm.com

–          Herbs:

–  DiEva’s Herb Farm: ajdieva@gmail.com

–  Erin’s Meadow Herb Farm: 132 England Lane, Clinton. Tennessee 37716; 865-435-1452, http://www.erinsmeadowherbfarm.com

– Dixie Lee Greenhouse: 921 Fretz Road, 865-675-5812; dixieleegh@gmail.com

Dairy:

–          Cruze Farm: 3200 Frazier Road, Knoxville, 865-659-0137; Cruzeccruze@aol.com

Recipes

Basil, Feta, and Tomato Sandwiches

Toast some sandwich bread.

Measure out the following ingredients:

— 2 Tablespoons crumbled feta
— 2 tablespoons mayo
— 1 tablespoon lightly packed chopped basil

Mix together and spread on toasted bread while toast is still hot so that the cheese will melt.

Slice a tomato and add to the sandwich.

Eat with plenty of paper towels close by.

Marinated Sun-dried Tomatoes

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
Dried pepper flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
3 to 5 cloves of garlic
Tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces (recommended: five pounds at a time)

Mix everything together (except the tomatoes) in a large bowl.  Add tomatoes and marinate for at least several hours in the refrigerator (best: marinate overnight). Remove tomatoes from marinade and spread out on dehydrator trays and dry until desired doneness.  (Recommended: Remove half while they’re still fairly pliable and let the rest dry until they’re completely dry.) These can take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours to dry.  Since there’s so much oil in the marinade, store the dried tomatoes in the freezer to keep all winter long.

Note: Save the marinade and use it to marinate vegetables or chicken before grilling or use as a salad dressing.

Courtesy of Kristina McLean (find more of Kristina’s recipes at www.mouthfromthesouth.com)

Momma Sue’s Red Sauce

2 medium carrots, grated

1 large sweet onion, chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped

3 to 4 fresh tomatoes, chopped (heirloom are preferable)

1 to 2 small zucchini, coarsely chopped

1/2 sweet bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh basil and/or oregano, chopped

Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated

Heat olive oil in pan and add carrots and onions. Turn heat down and cover pan to sweat a few minutes. Add garlic to saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Saute a few minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta. Top with fresh basil/oregano and grated cheese.

Courtesy of Shannon and Sue Meadows, Mountain Meadows Farm (find more recipes at www.moutainmeadowfarmtn.com/recipes)