It’s time to face the cold hard truth: tomato season won’t be here for much longer. That is, unless my freezer has anything to say about it! Out of all the summer vegetables (or is it fruit?), I think tomatoes are the ones I mourn the most when the season is over. There’s nothing worse than a flavourless winter tomato with it’s pale flesh and icy, dry appearance.
In the meantime, I’m trying to convince Eric it’s a good idea to buy the fifty-some-odd-pound bushel of tomatoes I saw at the market last week. He just can’t see the vision yet. I have visions of pasta sauces, pesto, salsa, and tomato jam dancing in my head…
To celebrate the tomato, I’ve compiled a list of my 10 favourite recipes to date.
Get ‘em while you can!
1. Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto
This pesto is bursting with seasonal flavours and nutrients. It’s also quite low in oil thanks to the roasted tomatoes adding body and flavour. I left the almonds chopped and it adds a nice texture that is great mixed into pasta or spread on a toasted sandwich.
2. Easy Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Creamy, flavourful, and downright irresistible…no one will be able to tell there isn’t any cream in this pasta!
3. Vegan Tortilla Soup
A wonderful soup to transition from end of summer into Fall. It packs a bounty of summer flavours, with a warming comfort for those cooler summer evenings. We added a handful of vegan cheese, chopped avocado, tortilla strips, and green onion on top to really round out this hearty and filling dish.
4. Gazpacho
Still too hot for soup? Try my favourite Gazpacho. After testing a few versions, this one is hands down my favourite.
5. Basil Scalloped Tomatoes and Croutons
One of my favourite casseroles. Fresh basil and in season tomatoes are key here. One thing I love about this recipe is the short ingredient list…it was so easy!
6. Tomato Walnut Basil Pasta
This hearty pasta sauce is so healthy it hurts. Walnuts, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, basil, oh my!
7. Sundried Tomato Cheezy Kale Chips
Like nachos, only better. Satisfy your every chip craving with these cheezy and crispy kale chips!
8. Creamy Roasted Tomato Garlic Coconut Soup
This tomato soup is anything but traditional, boring, or bland and it’s definitely one of the best homemade soups I’ve made to date. The light coconut milk is a great way to add a luxurious creaminess, pairing well with the heat from the garam masala and adding a nice contrast to the rustic quality of the roasted vegetables. See why it’s received so many rave reviews.
9. Easy Roasted Tomato Pizza with Cashew Cheeze
Easy as tortilla pie! This pizza features irresistible roasted tomatoes and a creamy basil cashew cheeze sauce.
10. Lightened Up Sundried Tomato Basil Pasta
This lightened up pesto has just a few tablespoons of olive oil, but I promise you won’t know the difference . The sundried tomatoes, walnuts, and basil create an extremely flavourful pesto that goes wonderfully with pasta, sandwiches or wraps, or mixed into some grilled vegetables. Can’t have nuts? Just leave them out. The addition was more of an afterthought than a main ingredient.
September Challenge
I’m doing another challenge for the month of September – Operation Hydrate! I’m not always mindful of drinking enough water and so far this challenge is keeping me on track.
– Drink 2 glasses of water upon rising before any other fluids or food.
– Drink 6 glasses of water throughout the rest of the day.
These amounts are not set in stone – it really depends on how much exercise I do and what my needs are on that day. Really, I’m just being mindful of my water intake and making sure I start the day off with lots of water. I never thought I’d say this, but it’s actually energizing! Feel free to join me in this challenge, keeping in mind your water needs will vary. You can also do the lemon with warm water thing if you like too, but I’ve just been drinking filtered H2o.
And if you’d like to read about my August challenge results – see my page for the recap. It looks like September is also going to be a fear-conquering month with the promise of zip lining, suspension bridge dangling, and cliff walking.
FAQs
“Especially for men, lycopene is really beneficial to help reduce any prostate-related issues and can be really protective against getting cancer,” Houlie said. Lycopene and other plant pigments (carotenoids) are thought to protect against cancer growth due to their antioxidant properties.
What are the benefits of tomato paste? ›
What are some of the Nutritional Benefits of Tomato Paste? Other than being a game-changer for spaghetti, lasagna, and minestrone, tomato paste is a valuable source of lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin K, and a host of other minerals that seriously kick butt when it comes to fighting disease.
What are the benefits of eating tomatoes? ›
Tomatoes offer several research-backed benefits, including protection for brain, heart, and gut health. The fruit, which some consider a vegetable, is also a source of nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants.
Are tomato skins good for you? ›
Tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and much like this popular fruit, its peels also contain nutrients that are worth reusing. Here are some brilliant ways to use tomato peels for day-to-day cooking, skin care or even as a taste and flavour enhancer for food and drinks.
How many tomatoes a day for prostate? ›
A study in Brazil found that people who regularly ate 50 grams of raw tomatoes per day for a period of 10 weeks had their risk of an enlarged prostate reduced by approximately 10%.
Can tomatoes shrink an enlarged prostate? ›
Tomato juice is an excellent source of vitamin C and antioxidants, making it another ideal drink for those suffering from an enlarged prostate. Not only this, researchers believe that a nutrient in tomatoes known as lycopene could slow down prostate enlargement, thus easing symptoms such as frequent urination.
Can I rub tomato on face daily? ›
Can You Rub Tomato On Your Face Everyday? Yes. Rubbing tomato on the face every day helps to tighten the pores. Tomato also acts as a natural astringent that helps to keep away dirt and oil.
What does tomato paste do to your face? ›
Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C, which has anti-ageing properties, and they can also fight sun damage, which is one of the causes of those large, ugly pores. It contains cooling properties which soothe sunburn and also contains astringent properties which tighten large pores.
Are canned tomatoes healthy? ›
Both canned and fresh tomatoes are equally nutritious. Both also count toward your daily recommended amount of vegetables; the CDC says only one in 10 adults meets the recommended daily amount.
What happens when you eat tomatoes every day? ›
Getting more tomatoes into your diet may make you less likely to have a stroke, which is when blood flow gets cut off to a part of your brain. Studies suggest that they may ease inflammation, boost your immune system, lower your cholesterol levels, and keep your blood from clotting.
To enhance absorption from fresh tomatoes, purée or crush them, which also breaks down cell walls (think salsa, gazpacho, or fresh sauce). Another tip: Break out the olive oil, avocado, or cheese. Carotenoids like lycopene are fat-soluble, so they're better absorbed when you eat them with some fat.
Which type of tomato is the healthiest? ›
That said, some varieties are naturally higher in this healthy antioxidant compound than others. Here are a few lycopene-rich tomato varieties to try: 'Crimson Cherry': Of all the tomatoes, cherry and roma varieties are the highest in lycopene, and, for us, Crimson Cherry comes top of the heap.
What does tomatoes do for your face? ›
They are mild in nature and are completely safe to use. The benefits of rubbing tomato on face are many such as making you get rid of dead skin, preventing acne, tightening skin, giving a beautiful glow, treating sunburn, reducing oiliness, and delaying ageing signs.
Is tomato anti-aging? ›
Tomatoes are antioxidant-rich, meaning they protect our skin from UV rays and slow down signs of ageing. They also contain vitamins A, B and C, alongside sodium, potassium and magnesium, making them a powerful weapon against ageing skin.
Does tomato make your skin glow? ›
Dull and uneven complexion is a common obstacle when you are searching for an answer on how to get glowing skin. But lo and behold, tomatoes can help you achieve the skin of your dreams. Tomatoes contain vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene — all of which lighten, brighten, and reveal the skin's natural colour.
How do tomatoes affect testosterone? ›
Some evidence suggests that tomato or lycopene intake may modulate testosterone production, serum concentrations, and metabolism, and may impact gene expression in human prostate cancer cells, normal rat prostate, and established prostate cancer xenografts (7-10).
Are tomatoes good for sperm production? ›
Lycopene - a nutrient found in tomatoes - may boost sperm quality, a study has suggested. Healthy men who took the equivalent of two tablespoons of (concentrated) tomato puree a day as a supplement were found to have better quality sperm. Male infertility affects up to half of couples who cannot conceive.
What are the secret benefits of tomatoes? ›
The vitamin B and potassium in tomatoes can help reduce cholesterol levels and thus, lower blood pressure. Tomatoes can help improve your hair and eyes. Vitamin A helps maintain shiny, strong hair, as well as prevent blindness.
Is tomato good for men face? ›
With its properties to shrink pores, tomatoes help treat skin problems like oily skin, pimples, acne, blackheads, and whiteheads. Tomato in its different forms like a face pack, pulp, juice or squeeze can be used to heal various skin ailments.
