Fresh From the Vine: Tomatoes Two Ways
Our bodies love the boost we get from every tomato, so we spoke to two of our Zooming: The Zoomer Travel Club partners to get recipes for tomatoes two ways. Photo: Catherine Falls Commercial / Moment via Getty Images
You say tomato, and I say tomahto. Or pomme d’amour, as the French might say. Or pomme d’oro, as the Italians might say. But don’t call the whole thing off. The love apples are on the vine, the golden apples ready to be plucked and relished.
Our bodies love these glossy red orbs, as it’s an almost perfect fruit. Raw, an average sized tomato clocks in at about 32 calories, and is a source of potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A and C, as well as calcium. It’s also loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, such as folic acid, choline, alpha-lipoic acid and beta-carotene.
Here, we asked two of our Zooming: The Zoomer Travel Club partners, to help us enjoy the lovely – and healthy – fruit two ways.
Horiatiki (Classic Greek Village Salad)
From Our Global Family Cookbook: Recipes from our Travelers, Tour Directors, and Experts Around the World, edited by EF/Go Ahead Tours.
If you want to whip up a truly authentic salad, don’t crumble the feta. Eat like the Greeks and use it to top the salad in larger blocks or slices.
Serves 4
4 tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 green bell pepper
1 red onion
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
Salt, to taste
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
8 oz feta cheese, left in larger blocks
½ tbsp dried oregano
Cut the tomatoes into wedges, slice the cucumber into circles, and core the bell pepper and slice. Cut the onion in half and thinly slice. Place everything on a large salad dish and add the olives. Season with a pinch of salt.
Drizzle oil and vinegar over the top and give everything a very gentle toss (be careful not to over-mix). Top with feta blocks and a sprinkle of dried oregano.
Pasta Alla Norma
Did you know that the first course, or “il primo,” in Italy is usually pasta? Check out these steps for the tasty Pasta Alla Norma from Italy Tour Manager, Luigi Arveda of Collette Tours.
Serves 6
⅝ lb penne pasta
½ lb eggplant
5 oz salted ricotta
¾ lb canned tomatoes
1 ¾ oz chopped onion
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 basil leaves
1 small clove of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the eggplant into small cubes. Lightly salt them and let them rest so that they lose excess water.
Place olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the chopped onion and the garlic clove.
Add the diced eggplant, tomato pulp, salt, and pepper and cook for 20–30 minutes. Remove the garlic clove.
When the sauce is almost ready, cook the penne in salted boiling water and when cooked al dente, toss the penne with the sauce in a nice serving bowl.
Add the basil and grated salted ricotta or diced mozzarella.