TEMPTING WAYS TO SERVE TOMATOES
By Dana Jacobi for the
American Institute for Cancer Research

Tomatoes are rich in so many good things, including vitamin C, lycopene and assorted carotenes, that eating them every day is a good idea – especially now, while local, ripe tomatoes are at their peak. Here are ideas for serving tomatoes in a variety of ways. Delicious now, they will be even more welcome when out-of-season tomatoes need a flavor boost.

With their thick, sweet flesh, round cherry and oval grape tomatoes can be a better choice than the regular kind because even if bought at the supermarket, they taste good year round. They’re great for adding color to a green salad, but they also do well on their own. Halve these miniatures, then toss them with a light dressing of lemon juice, rice wine vinegar and a few drops of olive oil. This dressing makes it possible to serve them as a salad, heaped on a bed of lettuce that gets bathed with their tangy juices and the dressing.

Fresh salsa is another treat. Think of adding diced mango, jicama, cucumber, or other produce when making a salsa. A freshly made salsa richly textured with many ingredients can be so irresistible that your family members will each eat a whole cup, providing a healthy two servings of the minimum recommended “five-a-day” for fruits and vegetables.

Remember that juice counts, too, toward those recommended servings. Try this refreshing savory, salsa-flavored smoothie.

Gazpacho Smoothie

1 small tomato, quartered
3/4 cup tomato juice cocktail, chilled
2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/4 jalapeño pepper (or to taste), chopped
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime (about 1 Tbsp.)
Small wedge of fresh lime and a cherry tomato for garnish (optional)

Freeze tomato in a plastic bag until hard, about 3 to 4 hours. (They will keep up to one week. Several tomatoes may be frozen at a time.)

Place frozen tomato, juice, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and lime juice in a blender. Puree until well blended and almost smooth.

Pour into a tall tumbler filled with ice cubes. Garnish, if desired, with a small wedge of lime and a cherry tomato, speared on a short skewer and added to the glass like a swizzle stick.

Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving. (Recipe can be multiplied to make more servings, but you may want to cut down on garlic and jalpeno if you do.)
By Dana Jacobi for the
American Institute for Cancer Research