Most produce offers greater nutrition when raw. Tomatoes are an exception to that rule. Health studies continue to demonstrate the myriad benefits of lycopene, a phytochemical abundant in tomatoes. And you get more lycopene from a processed or cooked tomato than you do from a freshly picked one.

　　

Ingredients

　　

HEALTH BENEFITS

Step 1

Lycopene, responsible for the fruit’s bright red and orange colors, is associated with lower risk of both macular degeneration and several types of cancers, including prostate, cervical, skin, breast, and lung. Lycopene may also help lower the risk of coronary artery disease and, along with tomatoes’ vitamin C content, stimulate the immune system. Cooked tomatoes contain two to eight times more lycopene than raw because the carotenoid is tightly bound within a tomato’s cell walls; heat breaks down those walls, releasing more lycopene for absorption and use by the body. Canned tomatoes, jarred salsa, spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, tomato soup, and even ketchup are all good sources of lycopene, as are sautéed fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes also provide iron, potassium, fiber, a host of B vitamins, and quercetin, a phytochemical that may help protect against cancer as well as heart and degenerative eye diseases.

　　

HOW TO BUY

Step 2

Look for plump tomatoes with taut skin, dark color, and an earthy scent. Avoid tomatoes with bruises or decay. Heirloom tomatoes are more susceptible to cracking, but as long as the cracks are healed (meaning you can’t see the flesh), the blemishes shouldn’t affect taste.

　　

HOW TO STORE

Step 3

Keep fresh tomatoes at room temperature—not in the refrigerator—for a day or two. Unripe tomatoes can be placed in a paper bag to accelerate ripening.

　　

PREPARATION TIP

Step 4

Since lycopene is fat-soluble, make sure you eat raw or cooked tomatoes with some fat. Olive oil is a traditional choice; also try fresh mozzarella or another favorite cheese.

　　

DID YOU KNOW?

Step 5

For most of culinary history, the tomato’s health benefits were lost on humans. That’s because the tomato is part of the nightshade family, some of whose members are deadly, so many people assumed it was poisonous also. (They were on to something: A tomato’s leaves and stems are toxic.) Only in the last 200 years have people believed tomatoes are safe to eat. Legend has it that Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson of Salem, New Jersey, shocked his hometown in 1820 by safely consuming a basketful of tomatoes in front of a crowd of spectators.

　　

Recipes

Step 6

Frittata Ranchera with Black Beans p.85

　　

Step 7

Black Bean Salsa with Baked Chips p.104

　　

Step 8

Open-Faced Tomato Sandwiches with Herbs and Creamy Tofu Spread p.122

　　

Step 9

Pita Sandwiches with Spinach-Chickpea Spread p.133

　　

Step 10

Chilled Tomato-Dill Soup p.155

　　

Step 11

Chili with Chicken and Beans p.164

　　

Step 12

Sablefish in Tomato-Saffron Stew p.167

　　

Step 13

Fattoush p. 177

　　

Step 14

Cannellini Bean Niçoise Salad p.178

　　

Step 15

Green Bean, Corn, and Tomato Salad p.181

　　

Step 16

Quick Tomato Sauce p.252

　　

Step 17

Lemon Chicken with Avocado-Corn Salsa p.264

　　

Step 18

Turkey Cutlets with Tomatoes and Capers p.267

　　

Step 19

Baked Plum Tomatoes with Herbed Rice Stuffing p.293

　　

Step 20

Whole-Wheat Pasta Salad p.306

　　

Step 21

Wheat Berries with Mixed Vegetables p.309

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