Tomato Talk

The cover of this month's AARP Magazine includes a blurb that says, "The Food That Cures (Almost) Everything." I flip to page 24, eager to see what it could be, and it's...tomatoes. Well, darn, I thought, that's too bad because...

I will never, not ever, eat a tomato. Okay, maybe that's a little extreme. My attempt to eat one raw was an utter failure, but I am willing to give it another shot. I'm hoping to be a little more successful with cooked tomatoes, because it sounds like cooking them tempers the acidity, but I'm afraid I'll never develop a taste for them. And so, due to my utter ignorance, I am turning the tomato discussion over to Gerry.

First of all, the AARP magazine. The DAY I turned 50, I joined AARP--for the discounts! As a bit of cruel fun, I had them send me a card in Susan's name along with mine. I am 10 years older than Susan, so when you do the math, clearly the AARP card in her name was both unecessary and vicious. But I digress...

At this time I think I am supposed to wax poetic about the tomato. I will, I will, but let me tell you a little story first. When I was but a small boy, I developed a "food allergy." Keep in mind that this was LONG before food allergies in children were as common as they are today. It turned out I was allergic to--gulp--tomatoes! If I TOUCHED a tomato, I would break out in a rash. Luck being what it is, my rash always manifested itself most intensely on my face! Yeah, a red-headed, freckle-faced kid, kinda chubby, with a lovely red, itchy rash on his face. Adorable, huh? And then one day it just went away--poof--gone, no more rashes from tomatoes!

So move ahead to today, a new century, 45 years on from my rashy days, and you'll find that I LOVE tomatoes. They are so versatile. I love them in salad, on a hamburger, as a sauce, broiled with some parmesan cheese on top, fried Irish-style, marinated in Italian dressing, or just plain, with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. They are delicious, especially when they're local and in season.

Okay, Gerry, okay. We get it. You like tomatoes. So what about nutrition? That AARP article I mentioned explains that tomatoes may help prevent certain types of cancer, heart disease, and even diabetes. They are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, a good source of potassium, and are packed with lycopene, the antioxidant compound which gives tomatoes their color.

One interesting thing I found out while reading about tomato nutrition is that cooking your tomatoes raises their nutritional benefits. Never knew that!