“Let food be your medicine.” Hippocrates
This is the fourth year that we planted heirloom tomatoes in our garden in PA. Our two favorite ones are Mr. Stripey (the red and yellow colored ones in photos) and Purple Cherokee (the darker ones). One of the amazing experiences in having a garden, whether vegetable, flower, herb and even fruit trees is the fact that every year you are surprised on so many levels. One level is because of the quality and fertility of the seeds in your seed bank, another is the interaction between the seed and the soil and the quality of soil. There are the seasonal variables like temperature, humidity and rainfall levels. And then there is the battle with “critters” – the intense interest of animals in your produce such as groundhog, rabbit, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, birds, and so on. Another level is the attack of insects and diseases that you can’t predict untill you get them. All together these make gardening an adventure worthy of its challenges. After all, it is your food that is organic, nutritious, fresh, delicious, and accessible when you need it.
Tomatoes are categorized under fruits. They are juicy and full of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. They have lots of fiber and antioxidant. They reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Tomatoes are very good for pregnant women and benficial for skin health, preventing sunburn. The allergy to tomatoes are rare, but those who have allergy to pollen can show allergy to tomatoes as well which is called oral-allergy syndrome.
Tomatoes taste the best when they rippen on the vine. However, the unripe, green tomatoes are beneficial in building muscles. So, you can fry them or add them to your pickle mix (torshi in Persian).
One of my favorite ways of eating fresh tomatoes from our garden is tomato sandwich composed of homemade sourdough bread, mayonnaise, cucumber pickle, kale, a slice of tomatoes, and sometimes bacon (making it a “BLT”) or a slice of wood smoked Lebanon bologna.
“Let’s always eat and drink healthful food and beverages and do it in moderation.” Dr. Sii
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