Tomatoes + EVOO = Nutritional Win!

Posted by Alayne Gardner-Carimi on August 14, 2024

Come and Get ‘Em

Tomatoes are the summer jewel of the garden. They thrive in warm weather and burst with flavor and color when fully ripe. Whether grown in containers on a sunny balcony or sprawling across a garden bed, tomatoes embody the essence of summer. Their vibrant red, yellow, or even purple hues make them a visual highlight in any garden. (Check ToMAYto, ToMAHto for info on tomato color vs. flavor.)

TOMATO TRIVIA

Whether you consider them a fruit or vegetable, enjoy them bite-size or as big as your head, there’s no denying the lovable tomato’s place in our late-summer hearts. They’re not just beautiful but also nutritious. Abundant research shows that along with more flavor, summer garden tomatoes have more...vitamins A, C, and E than their winter counterparts. They are also chock-full of minerals such as magnesium and antioxidants such as lycopene, which is linked to improved heart health, sunburn prevention, and protection against certain cancers.

The love affair between Mediterranean cuisine and the tomato is well known. What is less known is that it is a relatively recent romance…the tomato did not enter the Mediterranean world (or kitchens) until… Spanish explorers brought them back from the Americas in the late 1400’s.

Is it a fruit, a veg? The US Supreme Court ruled…in 1893 that the tomato was a vegetable and therefore subject to the in 1887 U.S. tariff laws which imposed a 10 percent duty on vegetables, but none on fruit. (A tomato importer named John Nix sued the tax collector for the port of New York arguing that tomatoes, since they were “really” fruits, should be exempt from the tax.) Botanically, Nix was and is correct. However, in his decision, Justice Gray wrote: “Botanically speaking, tomatoes are fruits of a vine, just as are cucumbers, squashes, beans, and peas. But in the common language of the people…all these are vegetables…which, whether eaten cooked or raw, are … usually served at dinner in, with or after the soup, fish or meats which constitute the principal part of the repast, and not, like fruits generally, as dessert.” 🤔

Tomatoes + Extra Virgin Olive Oil = BAM!

Want to get even more nutrition out of your already delicious nutrition? The amount of tomatoey nutrition your body absorbs depends not only on how ripe they are when you eat them, but also, what you eat them with and how they are prepared. Cooking tomatoes with high quality extra virgin olive oil has been shown to increase the level of lycopene in the blood stream (82% increase vs 15%) and increase the antioxidant activity (19%) within the blood plasma, as compared to cooking them without extra virgin olive oil or other oils. The results highlight the importance of cuisine (i.e how a food is prepared and consumed) in determining the bioavailability of dietary carotenoids such as lycopene.

Quality Tastes Louder than Words?

High quality extra virgin olive oils contain more polyphenols, giving them better flavor and nutrition. You can always count on the quality of vomFASS Extra Virgin Olive Oil. VomFASS contracts with small olive oil producers all over the world. These growers must harvest the olives that make up the vomFASS Traditional Olives by hand, and the olives must be pressed within a maximum of 24 hours after picking. The resulting extra virgin olive oil is packaged directly into vomFASS proprietary packaging and does not see light or oxygen until we dispense it for you at the store level!

You can taste the difference every day at vomFASS Madison! Come in and select premium olive oils to enjoy with this summer's tomato harvest! Whether you choose the smooth Spanish Don Carlos, our Greek Agora with its grassy freshness, the Tuscan San Gimignano with its herbaceous, peppery finish or the San Domenico from Sicily with its fruity and peppery bite, we’re sure you’ll find at least one you’ll enjoy! We also have delightfully infused Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oils from fruity, savory, and a little spicy.

Sharing is Caring

We’re always looking for new ways to enjoy nature's bounties with vomFASS products. There’s a couple of new-to-us recipes below. We’d love it if you shared some from your kitchens too! Tag us (@vomfassmadison) on your social media recipe posts. 👇👇👇

Tomatoes + EVOO = Nutritional Win!

Heirloom Gallette

Roasted Caprese Beans with Balsamic Tomatoes

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Tags: #608, #artisnaloil, #delectablemadison, #dinner, #EVOO, #extravirginoliveoil, #madisonwi, #oliveoil, #sidedish, #Summer, #tomato, #vomfassmadison, #wi, #Wisconsin

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