| Tomato lovers unite. It's time we stood up and | | | | 5) Good Stuff for the Body |
| demanded that tomatoes be crowned as king of | | | | Red foods are known to supply the body with |
| vegetables or should it be fruits? | | | | lycopene — a heart-healthy, powerful antioxidant |
| Tomatoes just plain taste good and they make a | | | | proven to fight against cancer and other ailments. |
| culinary delight out of any dish they grace with there | | | | When you want to provide the body with the |
| presence. | | | | healthiest boost, seek out crushed-, tomato sauce- or |
| With a fascinating history, you'd never figure that the | | | | paste products. |
| tomato is actually part of the nightshade family, where | | | | 6) Fried Green Tomatoes |
| a few poisonous cousins exist. Interestingly, the lineage | | | | Fannie Flagg brought attention to this tasty treat when |
| of the tomato is also connected to that of tobacco, | | | | she published "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle |
| eggplants, chili peppers, and the potato. Without | | | | Stop Café." The novel was later turned into a |
| tomatoes, some of the favorite edibles around the | | | | comical drama starring Kathy Bates and Jessica |
| world would cease to survive. Overall, I find tomatoes | | | | Tandy, prompting curious thoughts regarding the actual |
| a versatile vegetable, which shapes the many reasons | | | | taste of fried green tomatoes. FYI: They're delicious! |
| why I celebrate their existence. | | | | 7) Easy to Grow |
| 1) A Happy-Looking Vegetable | | | | Sometimes the price of tomatoes is ridiculous, but with |
| Tomatoes are colorful and not only come in the bright | | | | a little patience — you can generate your very |
| red variety, but also decorate dishes with orange, | | | | own supply in a homemade garden. While the rabbits |
| green, pink, purple, yellow, and even white selections. | | | | nibble at strawberries and corn becomes riddled with |
| They come multi-colored while others bear some | | | | bird pecks — you'll always have a healthy crop |
| outlandish stripes. Tomatoes when added to a dish | | | | of tomatoes to enjoy. This easy-to-grow vegetable |
| cause flavors to burst forth as well as helping change | | | | becomes so plentiful; you'll have enough to share with |
| a sad countenance. | | | | family and friends. |
| 2) Important Salad Ingredient | | | | 8) Pizza, Pizza! |
| A salad isn't complete without tomatoes, as there are | | | | Without tomatoes, the magical blend of most of the |
| many different selections to consider. A big plate piled | | | | four food groups wouldn't come together in a neat pie |
| high with sliced tomatoes is a welcome addition to any | | | | slathered with tomato sauce. The added spices of |
| meal. It's also a snap to get ready. Add cubed cheese | | | | rosemary, oregano, and other Italian selections bring |
| to this side dish and you have a filling, speedy lunch for | | | | the flavor of tomatoes to life in this rather vital |
| on the go. | | | | component of pizza making. |
| 3) Hamburger Helper | | | | 9) A Taste of Italy |
| Sprinkle a little salt on sliced tomatoes and you have a | | | | Joining pizza, the thousands of ways to prepare pasta, |
| refreshing treat. A juicy hamburger with all the fixings | | | | including heaping mounds of lasagna and the childhood |
| isn't the same without a couple of slices, adding zip and | | | | favorite of spaghetti and meatballs isn't the same if |
| matching perfectly with lettuce. | | | | tomato sauce and tomatoes aren't available. |
| 4) Please Pass the Ketchup! | | | | 10) Mexican Delight |
| Thanks to the tomato, the popular burger condiment of | | | | Nothing tempts the palate at a Mexican restaurant like |
| ketchup heightens the taste of freshly grilled items on | | | | the taste of fresh salsa with sturdy tomatoes that |
| a hot summer day. Will you please pass the ketchup | | | | burst inside your mouth. Whether they are used to |
| for my hot dogs, French fries, Thousand Island | | | | decorate a plate or used in the recipe tomatoes are a |
| dressing, sandwiches, and other fried foods? | | | | big part of Mexican cooking. |