Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:

15ml sugar

15ml extra virgin olive oil

2.5ml salt

2.5ml dried basil

2.5ml dried oregano

1.25ml freshly ground black pepper

2kg plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise (about 16 medium)

Cooking spray

Method:

Preheat oven to 95°C.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Roast at 95°C for 7 ½ hours.

Tomato, Savory and French Bean Salad

Savory and French beans must have been made for each other. 

This salad mixes them with ripe tomatoes, 

making a splendid accompaniment for cold meats.

Ingredients:

450g French beans

1 kg ripe tomatoes

3 spring onions, roughly sliced

15ml pine nuts

4 sprigs fresh savory

For the Dressing:

30ml extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

75g Dolcelatte cheese

1 garlic clove, crushed

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Prepare the dressing first to allow it to stand for a while before use. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, season to taste and blend until the cheese is finely chopped and the dressing is smooth. Pour it into a jug.

Top and tail the beans and boil them in salted water until they are just cooked. Drain the beans and run cold water over them until they are completely cooled.

Slice or quarter the tomatoes, depending on their size. Toss the beans, tomatoes and spring onions in a large salad bowl. Pour on the dressing, sprinkle the pine nuts and savory over the top and serve.

Tomato Egg Salad

Ingredients:

4 hard boiled eggs

60ml mayonnaise

5ml Dijon mustard

15ml white wine vinegar

30ml sour cream

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 red pepper, cut into bite size pieces

1 potato, boiled and chopped

15ml fresh chopped parsley

Method:

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.

Boil eggs for 7-8 minutes.

Remove the eggs and let cool.

Peel the eggs and cut in half and remove the yolks and chop the whites and set aside.

Place egg yolks in a bowl and mash with mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar and sour cream and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix the dressing with the tomatoes, red peppers, potato, egg white and chopped fresh parsley.

Pasta, Avocado and Corn Salad

Gorgeous creamy avocados are readily available at present here in Natal. 

They lend themselves exquisitely to this blend with sweetcorn and tomato; 

adding a little chilli gives it a marvellous zing. 

Give it a try!

Ingredients:

375g snail pasta

15ml olive oil

1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and cubed

30ml lemon juice

410g can whole kernel sweetcorn, drained

3 firm, ripe tomatoes cut into small cubes

1 green pepper, deseeded and cubed

5ml chilli powder

125ml vinaigrette

Method:

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and toss with the oil.

Mix together the pasta, corn, tomato and green pepper. 

Mix the chilli powder into the vinaigrette and toss in the pasta. 

Toss the avocado with lemon juice and gently mix into the salad.

Herby Chicken with Asparagus and Tomatoes

Herby Chicken with Asparagus and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, halved horizontally

1 bunch of fresh herbs (parsley, chives, basil) chopped

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

20 asparagus spears, trimmed

12 cherry tomatoes

Olive oil

New potatoes to serve

Chives to garnish

Method:

Toss the chicken with the mixed herbs, lemon juice and zest. Season to taste. Cover and set aside.

Preheat a griddle pan to hot and cook the asparagus and tomatoes for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. You may need to do this in batches. Set aside and keep warm.

Cook the chicken pieces on a hot griddle for 4-5 minutes each side or until cooked through. Slice the chicken diagonally and layer with the cooked vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with boiled new potatoes, garnished with chives.

Chicken Salad Niçoise

This is a family favourite; 

I get asked for it over and over again,

especially when it's so hot that a hot meal does not go down very well.

Serve it for a family meal during the week, a lunch or even a starter for a dinner with friends.

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken breasts

200ml natural yoghurt

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Bunch of herbs (parsley, mint and chives) finely chopped

200g green beans, trimmed

3 eggs

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 little gem lettuces

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cucumber, sliced

1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced

75g pitted olives

Method:

To make the dressing, combine the yoghurt, chopped garlic and herbs together in a bowl. Chill until ready to serve.

Boil the beans for 3-5 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water. Hard boil the eggs for 8 minutes. Leave to cool, shell and quarter.

Meanwhile, drizzle the chicken with a little olive oil and season. Place in a preheated griddle pan and grill for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through.

Place the lettuce leaves in a large bowl with the beans, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, eggs, chicken and olives. Add the dressing.

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Caprese Salad with Roasted Mango Dressing

Ingredients:1 green (unripe) mango
2 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaf, plus extra picked leaves for garnish
2 quarter-size coins peeled fresh ginger
1/2 Fresno chilli (or 1 jalapeno pepper), seeded if desired, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
4 assorted heirloom or vine-ripened red tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 ball fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (or 1 package mozzarella medallions)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:Preheat the oven to 220 C.
Wrap the mango in aluminium foil, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast it for 1 hour, rotating halfway through. The mango should be soft. Remove the foil and let it cool.
When the mango is cool enough to handle with your hands, slice off the cheeks and scoop the flesh into a small food processor or blender. Repeat with the remaining mango, scooping as much flesh off as possible. Add the minced coriander, ginger, chilli, cumin, vinegar, olive oil and honey or maple syrup. Blend until smooth and add a little water if the dressing is too thick.
Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella on a platter and season them with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the mango dressing and a little extra olive oil. Top with some picked fresh coriander leaves and it's ready to serve.

Meso-Med Salad with Coriander Dressing

I call this salad ‘Meso-Med’ because of the blend of ingredients: 

the mealies, avocado and tomatoes all originate in Mesoamerica, 

while the red onion, feta and cucumber are very Mediterranean. 

The dressing is very Mediterranean until you add the coriander herb, again reminiscent of Mesoamerica, except there it’s known as cilantro. 

In the dressing I use a small amount of chilli flakes, but if you can get Jalapeno peppers, you could use about half a pepper chopped fine. 

All in all this salad is deliciously satisfying, a perfect accompaniment to a braai.

Salad Ingredients

2 mealies, husks removed, brushed with olive oil and grilled on the side of the braai.

1 large avocado, or 2 small ones, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent oxidation

5-6 Roma tomatoes, diced

½ a medium red onion halved and thinly sliced

60-70g Feta, crumbled

6 inches of English cucumber, quartered and sliced with the skin on

Method

Cut the kernels off the cobs. Assemble the salad in a large bowl, and top with the mealie kernels. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.

Coriander Dressing Ingredients

50-60ml olive oil

30ml apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar

2.5ml chopped or mashed garlic

30-50ml fresh chopped coriander herb

2.5ml sea salt

2.5ml chilli flakes

3-5ml lemon pepper

Method

Put all the dressing ingredients in a glass jam jar with a lid and shake really well. Check for seasoning and add more oil or vinegar for your taste. When you are ready to serve the salad, add the dressing and toss the salad gently. Top with a little extra copped coriander to garnish and tuck in.

Roast Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

3 red butter or Italian sweet peppers, halved and deseeded

1 white onion, peeled and halved

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 sticks of celery, sliced and chopped

500g plum tomatoes cut in half lengthwise

500ml vegetable stock

30ml olive oil

45ml tomato purée

15ml chilli flakes

25g butter

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200˚C.

Place the place the Italian sweet peppers, onion halves, tomatoes and garlic on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at the top of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are roasted and tender.

Meanwhile, melt down the butter in a large pan over medium heat and sauté the chopped celery for 4-5 minutes, being careful not to burn the butter. Adding a pinch of salt can help to stop the butter from burning.

Make up the vegetable stock, adding the tomato purée and the chilli flakes. Mix well and then add to the sautéed celery. Remove from the heat.

When the baked vegetables are ready, add them to the pan and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Place back on the hob over a low heat and allow to come to a simmer. Season to taste. Do not allow the soup to boil, but gently simmer for 4-5 minutes until the soup is at a comfortable temperature for consumption. 

Serve with toast, Italian ciabatta rolls or croutons.

 

Breakfast Bites

Preparing the muffin cups.

Ingredients:

12 eggs

6 strips of bacon cut lengthways to make 12 strips

12 bits of proscuitto to fill bottom of muffin tins

12 cherry tomatoes halved

12 slices of mushroom

12 large pieces of flat leaf parsley

salt and pepper

Breakfast Bites cooked and ready to devour.

Method:

Pre heat oven to 180 ˚C.

Spray olive oil in the muffin tin and place proscuitto on the bottom , and bacon around the sides of each muffin spot.

Place mushroom slice, two halves of cherry tomato and a piece of parsley in each muffin tin. Crack open an egg on each muffin and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

September Fruit and Vegetables

September this year has been a fickle month of misty mornings, an inordinate amount of rain that has come late in the season, which can’t be making the farmers very happy, cool breezes that have turned into gales and the leaves have seemed to turn to the russet tones of autumn earlier than normal.

We spent the first part of this month on the Isle of Mann with friends, which has made me a bit late in posting my normal suggestions for the month, but better late than not at all.

Where fruit and vegetables are concerned, September is the end of summer rather than the beginning of autumn. It’s still quite hot in southern Europe, even if the weather here in the UK is beginning to get a bit nippy.

This month is the best for tomatoes, with UK farms producing their best long-ripened varieties, often selling them at a premium low price because of the end of summer glut. If you like to make tomato preserves and sauces for storage, this is the time to buy. Local farmers’ markets may have plenty to offer, perhaps not as perfect as the EU would expect, but still perfectly good for cooking. Perhaps the best to use for sauces, and even for chutneys too, are the small cherry tomatoes because the skins give such a good colour to the resultant product. Tomatoes are also great roasted, sun-dried or dried overnight in a very low-heat oven, or in salads and soups. Consider making ketchup too.

The same end of summer abundance makes this the time to eat and cook all the soft fruits you can: peaches, nectarines, plums, damsons, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. For UK fruit there is nothing better than Scottish raspberries, considered by many to be the finest in the world.

The first UK pears should also be coming on to the market now, and the first Cox apples as well. Until they arrive, the fruit to look for are the melons from France, and figs and grapes from the Mediterranean. However, if you are impatient for the British Cox’s season to start, there are other varieties available. The best places to look for them are at farmers’ markets as these apples will come from small growers who don’t usually sell through the big supermarkets.

The end of summer theme follows through with vegetables: courgettes and marrows, peppers, beetroot, aubergines, fennel, garlic, carrots and the last of the sweetcorn for the year. There is certainly no shortage of good things to cook and serve at your table.

You’ll also start to see the first arrivals of squash in all sorts of varieties. Experiment with them in soups, stews and curries, roast them in olive oil or try stuffing them with rice or forcemeat. Don’t forget the last of the summer beans and the new season leeks, which will be coming into the shops this month.

Most of all, remember to look for a group of edibles that are not only world-class, but free: wild mushrooms, that is if you are a seasoned forager; if not, find someone who is to teach you or buy a reliable guide book for proper identification. But beware: some mushrooms can cause illness and occasionally death!

The season for wild mushrooms is dependent on weather conditions, but the message is clear: you should eat these delectable morsels every chance you get. Even though they are not for me, as I am allergic to mushrooms, I hate to spoil the fun for others who love them, so here’s the deal...

Some supermarkets keep them, but the prices are astronomical and quality that varies greatly. The much better option is to collect them yourself; they may be closer to your home than you realise. There are so many varieties, so I won’t go into much detail about habitat, but generally speaking woodlands is where you will find them. One exception: common field mushrooms, which can grow in open grassland.

The best know varieties found in the UK are ceps, or penny buns, chanterelles, which usually begin earlier than others, and oyster mushrooms, but you may find dozens of other varieties. Once you get the fungi-foraging bug and the taste for these delicacies, it bites hard and tends to last a lifetime. For now, even if you don't get to search for them yourself, buy wild mushrooms from a reputable supplier and enjoy preparing these seasonal splendours.

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July Fruit and Vegetables

Summer is now well entrenched and, as far as fruit and vegetables are concerned, we are in our seventh heaven; Nature truly spoils us this month with a luscious array of colourful produce. Whole ranges of tomatoes, courgettes, sweetcorn and other quintessential summer vegetables are available in copious quantities.

July sees a glut of tomatoes, which although they are not one of the UK's great crops as we don't get enough sun for them under normal conditions, those grown under' plastic' give the Mediterranean tomatoes a run for their money while the weather is good. All sorts of tomatoes are available: the beef tomato, which is great for salads and cooking, cherry tomatoes, wonderful in salads and pastas, and plum tomatoes, too tough for eating raw, but with solid flesh and good flavour that make them perfect for curries and sauces are the best to look for.

Summer is also salad season, and July is one of the peak months for salad ingredients: lettuces, cucumbers and spring onions as well as the ubiquitous tomato. To complete any salad, a dressing made with the new season garlic, which should now be available from France and Italy, puts the finishing touch.

The two other vegetable stars of July are sweetcorn and peas, a couple of vegetables that are not worth buying fresh any time other than now. I can't think of any vegetable more delicious than peas straight out of the pod or a mealie cob picked from the maize field, boiled and served with butter soon after picking! Both of these vegetables, when picked, are packed full of sugar that can make them additively sweet. But that sugar doesn't last very long. These vegetables continue to act as if they were still 'alive' after picking, using their sugar as food or converting it into starch. Sugar loss can be as high as 40% in 6 hours, which leads to a drastic drop in sweetness. The solution is to buy directly from a farm where they are picked daily, or even more frequently, or to pick them yourself and cook them immediately, where possible. If you can't cook them on the same day as picking, refrigeration storage will slow the rate of sugar loss.

Summer fruits are at their best in July, with mountains of berries and stone fruits just begging to be used. With the wonderful weather to begin the month, the English strawberries are ripening under the warm sunshine and the first raspberries are appearing with their succulent combination of acidity and sweetness. This is the time to use these berry fruits, for jam-making, baking, fruit salads or just enjoying them one berry at a time straight from the bush if you should be so lucky. July is probably the best month for making jams and preserves. The cheapest way to buy, which is important for jam makers, is by going to a 'Pick Your Own Farm', or if you don't have one in your area, is to find a farmer's market, where the quality will be good and the prices reasonable.

Cherries, peaches and nectarines should also be making a good showing this month, but choose these fruit carefully as they are picked while under-ripe to help them withstand the long journey they make to grace the shelves of our stores. sometimes they don't ripen; a trick to get them to ripen is to store them in the fridge in a paper bag. Some supermarkets sell ripe-picked stone fruit at a premium price; they may deserve the premium, but sometimes not. Less than perfect fruit can be used for puddings and preserves.

Of the fruit that is available in July, apart from our own previously mentioned berries and stone-fruit, much of the best fruit comes from more southerly climes. Melons are in good supply, succulent and sweet, making them suitable for fruit salads and for serving with cold meats, hams and spicy sausages.

A fruit that is available most of the year, but at it's best in summer is the mango, which come from Pakistan and India. If you are lucky enough to live near an Asian food store, they may have boxes of this delicious fruit from a source of their own at a more reasonable price than you may find in your local supermarket.

Slow Roast Lamb with Tomato and Red Wine

This is a lamb roast with a Mediterranean flavour. With sun-dried tomatoes, borlotti and flageolet beans, you can almost feel the sunshine. Served with creamy garlic mashed potato, it's almost a meal in one pot.

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Ingredients:

1.25kg lean boned lamb shoulder joint, rolled

15ml olive oil

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 leek, sliced

400g can chopped tomatoes

150ml red wine

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

6 sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

400g can borlotti beans

400g can flageolet beans

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Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Calculate the cooking time for the joint: 30 minutes per 450g, plus 30 minutes.

In a large ovenproof casserole dish, heat the oil and brown the joint on all sides over a high heat on the hob. Once browned, remove from the heat and add the garlic, leek, chopped tomatoes, red wine, rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes.

Cover and place in the oven for the calculated time, less 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add the canned beans, stir well and return to the oven to roast for the further 30 minutes of the cooking time.

Serve thickly sliced with creamy garlic mash.

Braised Scrag End of Lamb

This is a traditional Greek lamb dish, which is full of flavour and tastes even better the next day. Scrag end is an inexpensive cut of meat taken from the top of the neck, above the shoulder of the lamb. Scrag end is often used for mince but is best used for soups, curries and stews.

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

4 tbsp olive oil

1 kg scrag end of neck of lamb, cut across the bone into chops

1large onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

4 tsp tomato purée

1 x 400g can plum tomatoes, chopped

1 litres chicken stock

400 g medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 fresh bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

2 tbsp chopped dill

300 g runner beans or flat beans, sliced

4 tbsp chopped parsley

Method:

Crush the garlic with 2 teaspoons of sea salt to form a paste. Mix in the lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and rub all over the lamb. Put into a non-reactive dish and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.

Heat the remaining olive in a heavy-based pan large enough to hold the lamb and potatoes. Once hot, brown the lamb in batches and set aside.

Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook until softened before adding the tomato puree. Cook for another minute, then add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Return the lamb to the pan and add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, before adding the dill, the beans and half the parsley. Simmer for a further 15 minutes, until the beans and potatoes are tender.

To serve, spoon the stew into deep bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. This dish tastes even better the day after.

Chakalaka

Born in the townships of South Africa, chakalaka is a simple dish of spicy onions, tomatoes and beans. The original dish was probably a simple one of onion and tomatoes with a dash of curry powder, but with the increase in prosperity the dish became more elaborate with the addition of chillies, beans and other vegetables. Baked beans are not a necessary ingredient, but are commonly used as they make a good meal with mealie pap. Chakalaka has been a staple for generations of black, and white, South Africans and is one of the favourite condiment dishes of a braai, or barbecue. It can be served hot or cold, over mealie pap, sadza, bread, or as a sauce over braaied meat.

Ingredients:

50ml vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

2 green or red peppers, chopped

2 carrots, grated

2-3 hot chillies

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

10ml curry powder

3 tomatoes, chopped or a tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tin of baked beans, cannellini beans or butter beans

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium flame. Add the onions, red or green peppers, carrots, chillies, garlic and curry powder. Sauté, stirring frequently, for about 4 to 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and colouring and the peppers and carrots are softened.

Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes to soften the tomatoes and blend them to a thick sauce.

Stir in the beans (if you use cannellini or butter beans, drain them), salt and pepper and heat through, stirring until done.

Serve hot or cold.

Cook’s Note:

Other possible additions include minced fresh ginger (added with the onions), chopped green beans, shredded cabbage or chopped cauliflower (added after the tomatoes and simmered until cooked) and chopped dhania (coriander) stirred in at the end.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried green tomatoes are a side dish usually found in the southern states of the US, traditionally prepared using slices of unripe tomato coated in cornmeal and fired in bacon fat. Shallow frying is preferred as tomatoes don’t float in the oil. Other coatings, such as breadcrumbs or flour can be used and vegetable oil can be used for the frying medium, but won’t give quite the same flavour.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 large firm green tomatoes

Sea salt to season

250ml buttermilk

250ml cornmeal

Freshly ground black pepper

Bacon fat for frying

Method:

Slice the tomatoes 1/4-inch thick. Lay them out in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle with salt. Place the tomato slices in a colander and allow time for salt to pull the water out of the tomatoes, approximately 30 minutes.

In a skillet, heat the oil for deep-frying over medium-high heat.

Dip the tomatoes into buttermilk, then dredge them into cornmeal with a dash of pepper. Shallow-fry in bacon fat until golden brown.

Serve with apple or onion chutney, honey glazed gammon steaks and a green leaf salad.

Mom's Tomato Chutney

This recipe brings back fond memories of my mother.

When I was a young teenager my dad had a smallholding where he grew tomatoes, among other things. He'd bring them home and store them in the freezer for use in soups and stews, and of course, for my mom's tomato chutney. Keeping them in the freezer made it easy to remove the skins; you only had to scour them on four sides and drop them in boiling water for the skins to lift off like the petals of a flower opening. Give this a try.

Ingredients:
1 kg tomatoes, skins removed
250g muscovado sugar
1 cup malt vinegar
250g sultanas
15ml English mustard
15ml ground ginger
15ml sea salt
2 large white onions, finely sliced
2ml cayenne pepper

Method:
Slice the tomatoes and place them in a heavy based saucepan.
Mix all the rest of the ingredients into the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently until the mixture is reduced and of a required consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Bottle in sterilised jars while still hot.

Cook's Tip

Do not allow any metal to come in contact with the chutney during cooking or while storing. If your pickle jars have metal tops, cover the contents with greaseproof paper or with wax.

My Favourite Tomato Soup

My favourite soup has always been cream of tomato.

On a cold winter's day it is great to warm the cockles of your heart.

This is a quick and delicious way to use up an excess of the fruit.

This can be made in bulk if you leave out the cream.

It can be reduced for storing in the freezer, stored in blocks,

and then defrosted and warmed up with a little water added and,

of course the cream added and warmed through before serving.

Ingredients:
30ml olive oil, plus extra to serve
2kg fresh ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 handful fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
15ml tomato puree
1 Litre of hot chicken stock 30ml caster sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
150ml double cream, plus extra to serve

Method:
In a large soup pan, heat the olive oil and add the tomatoes when it is hot. Fry them for 4-5 minutes, or until they have started to break down.
Add the garlic, basil and tomato puree and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Blend the soup to a puree with a hand blender, then season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper.
Pour in the cream, bring back to a simmer and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes.
To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls, drizzle with double cream, then olive oil and garnish with a few basil leaves, cut in fine strips.

Tomatoes - Oven Dried Tomatoes

Tomatoes don't just tantalise the taste buds and add bright colour to a dish, they add nutritional value by way of micro-nutrients that help to keep you healthy.

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Studies have shown that the more tomatoes and tomato products people eat, the lower their risk of many types of cancer, especially cancer of the prostate, lung and stomach. The cancer shielding properties of tomatoes can be attributed to lycopene, a polyunsaturated hydrocarbon with a tetraterpene structure made up of 8 isoprene units. Lycopene is a type of carotene, which has powerful anti-oxidant properties, protecting the cells from free radical damage. It is important as an intermediate of many carotenoids and gives tomatoes their red colour.

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Cooked tomatoes present more lycopene than do raw tomatoes as the cooking process breaks down cell walls, releasing and concentrating the carotenoids. Also, eating tomatoes with a small amount of oil enables the lycopene to be better absorbed.

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Tomatoes also provide an excellent source of vitamin C and a relatively good source of vitamin A. They contain a fair amount of potassium that helps the nerves and muscles function properly, assists in the maintenance of the body's acid balance and reduces the risk of high blood pressure. another vitamin tomatoes present is niacin, or vitamin B3, which helps to lower cholesterol, stabilise blood sugar and process fats and oils. Pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5, is also present in this wonder food. This vitamin helps to turn carbohydrates and fats into energy and plays a part in the health of the adrenal gland.

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So, next time you add tomato sauce to your fries, burger or scrambled eggs, know that you are adding value to your food.

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Here's a recipe for oven-dried tomatoes, a great substitute for sun-dried tomatoes if you aren't able to get them, or if you find them too expensive for your larder, as I do. It makes a great way to store your harvest of tomatoes if you are industrious enough to grow them. They make a wonderful addition to salads, pasta and pizzas, or any recipe that calls for sun-dried tomatoes.

Oven-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:
20 firm ripe tomatoes - the best to use are Roma or Italian plum tomatoes, Money Maker or Standard Vine Tomatoes.
60ml extra virgin olive oil
30ml balsamic vinegar
30ml flat leafed chopped parsley.
sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Method:
Place the tomatoes in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. Once they are well chilled, place them in boiling water. Now trim the stem ends, cut them in 4, lengthwise and remove the seeds and skins. You will find that the skins come off easily.

Place the tomatoes in a large glass bowl (ie. not a metal bowl), cover with the oil, vinegar and parsley and mix well. Cover the bowl and allow to marinade for 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 100C. That's the lowest my oven will register. If you can set yours just below that, that's fine; The slower they dry, the better, even if it does need a little longer than the time mine takes.

Place the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and bake for 12 - 15 hours. The best time to put them in the oven is after supper, allowing them to bake slowly all night. In the morning you will have plump, juicy and intense flavoured tomatoes. Cool completely before storing.

To Store:
Place the dried tomatoes in sterilised glass jars, cover fruit with olive oil and seal lids tightly. Refrigerate for 2-3 weeks.

Or: Place tomatoes in a zip-lock plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Green Tomato Chutney

This is great as an accompaniment to a braai or barbecue, or with curry, fish or chicken.

Ingredients:
175g light brown sugar
150ml white wine vinegar1 shallot, peeled, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped
2cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled, finely grated
1 red chilli, finely chopped
125g sultanas
600g 5oz green tomatoes, quartered

Method:
Heat the sugar in a frying pan until the sugar melts and caramelises.
Add the white wine vinegar, shallots, garlic, ginger, chilli, sultanas and green tomatoes and bring the mixture to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, or until the chutney has thickened.