Hello! And welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook! I’m glad you’ve joined me as I put the spotlight on tomatoes this week–what a great fruit, tomatoes are! Wait…fruit? That’s right! Tomatoes are technically a fruit, not a vegetable. Does it matter? Not to me–call them whatever you want–just give me more, please!
So, yes–tomatoes are technically a fruit, and they’re also really good for you. They’re high in lycopene which is a carotenoid that gives some fruits and vegetables–like watermelon, carrots and bell peppers–their characteristic orange and red color. Lycopene is an antioxidant that may aid in heart health, lowering blood pressure and may also guard against some types of cancer. Additionally, tomatoes are high in vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K and folate. And I just thought they tasted good!
In yesterday’s post, I shared a couple of great tomato sauce recipes with you. Today, I’m going to share a couple of luscious salad recipes that prominently feature tomatoes.
So let’s get cooking!
First up, is this gorgeous tomato and watermelon salad:
Until I tasted this salad, I had no idea that watermelon and tomatoes played so well together–but trust me–the crisp sweet of the watermelon juxtaposed against the silky, tangy tartness of the tomato…well–it…just…works..! In this salad, I paired it with some sliced red onions, arugula and a drizzle of basic vinaigrette. This salad is gorgeous–impressive enough to serve at a dinner party, and simple enough to put together for dinner at home on a Wednesday.
The next salad is similar, but savory: tomato, arugula, mozzarella and red onion. Also a beautiful presentation, and also simple enough for a Tuesday night dinner.
Come back tomorrow when I’ll share a couple of baked good recipes featuring tomatoes.
Until then,
Peace, love and good food,
Keri
