FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Before the Tomato

Tomatoes are available throughout the year and in every corner of our vast country. Today -- and even in the dead of winter -- there is always a bountiful supply. And with new technologies they certainly look like good tomatoes, but they are often mere imposters of the real thing -- true summer tomatoes that are ripened on their vines and grown within the region they are consumed. I wonder, sometimes, what the world must have been like prior to these "technological advances" that enable a person to purchase foods with no regard to season. Certainly there were no grocery stores the size of airplane hangers with towering pyramids of out-of-season foods on display to tempt us; these foods are usually shipped in from distant climes and/or picked green and artificially ripened. It was a simpler world no doubt. During the winter months one did not expect to eat foods such as tomatoes unless they were dried or canned. Fresh tomatoes in the off months simply weren't an option. Such luxuries were highly desired and anticipated, and lucky for us that time is now.

While the tomato is actually a fruit by botanical standards, it is generally thought of and eaten as a vegetable. In fact, in 1893 the tomato was ruled a vegetable by the United States Supreme Courts, a ruling that was evidently created for trade purposes. The tomato is one of the world's most popular vegetables and has greatly changed some of the most influential cuisines. The U.S. is still the largest producer of tomatoes in the world, and on average we consume 18 pounds fresh and 70 pounds processed tomatoes per person each year. Tomatoes are also the most popular vegetable for backyard gardeners, more than 25 million people in our country plant tomatoes in their gardens each year. The popularity of tomatoes should come as no surprise; they are extremely easy to grow and are one of the most versatile vegetables. Besides the obvious options such as raw in salads, and cooked in soups and sauces, they can also be used in sweet confections, such as tomato ice or sorbet. Actually, in the first half of the twentieth century tomato soup cake was a common treat, not unlike carrot cake I suppose. The real paradox, though, is that while tomatoes have been consumed by the peoples of South and Central America for millennia, and are ubiquitous in cultures around the globe today, they were considered poisonous when first encountered by European explorers. This misconception, no doubt, was most likely caused by their relation to the deadly nightshade plant (a botanical category that includes potatoes and eggplant, which were also at one point considered poisonous). And also some early skeptics are said to have mistakenly consumed the leaves of the plant instead of the fruit. If this is true the tomato's early reputation would have been appropriate because the plant's leaves and stem are toxic.

Tomatoes played a major role in the "Columbus Exchange," a phrase used in historical and anthropological circles which makes reference to the foods exchanged between the new and old worlds during the first European explorations of what would later become the Americas. Thus, it wasn't until the fifteenth century that Mediterranean countries -- whose cuisines utilize tomatoes extensively -- ever saw their first tomato. It then took more than a century before they were actually eaten; because tomatoes were originally thought to be poisonous they were used as ornamental plants only. Before the arrival of the tomato in Europe the food there was drastically different. Gazpacho, for example, is said to have existed in Spain for more than a thousand years, but prior to the fifteenth century it didn't contain tomatoes and wasn't red, it was originally green with fresh herbs, or white with garlic and breadcrumbs. A version of this ancient white gazpacho still exists today and is referred to as ajo blanco (white garlic). Italy did have pasta but not with tomato sauce. It was generally tossed with spices, nuts, herbs and chicken -- methods and seasonings borrowed from the Greeks and Arabs. And the famous Mediterranean soups such as bouillabaisse, soupe de poissons, kakavia and zuppa di pesce also existed, but they were probably white and, more likely than not, thickened with egg and lemon as with the Greek avgolemono. Today, of course, it's almost impossible to imagine these cuisines without the tomato. Eventually brave souls began to eat and cook with tomatoes and discovered their culinary versatility. The Italians called it pomo d'oro, or golden apple because many of the early varieties were indeed yellow or golden in color; the Italian word for the tomato today is pomodoro. The romantic French, on the other hand, originally referred to tomatoes as pomme d'amoure, literally apple of love, because they considered it to have aphrodisiac properties. The name "love apple" stuck and was referred to as such by both the French and English well into the 19th century. The Spaniards, though, adopted the name tomate, which they still use today. Tomate is actually a derivative of it's original Aztec name, tomatl; the name was eventually adopted by the French, as was a variation in the English language, hence our current wording as tomato.

Interestingly, it took the tomato two trips across the Atlantic before European settlers accepted it into American culture. It wasn't until immigrants from the Mediterranean basin arrived in this country and brought the tomato back to its homeland that it was accepted into our cuisine. The British colonists initially rejected it because of the poisonous theory, and therefore refused to eat it. But in 1822 a brave Robert Gibbon Johnson, the president of the Salem County Horticultural Society in New Jersey, ate a raw tomato on the steps of city hall in front of a horrified and skeptical crowd of people, and he lived to tell about it. Imagine. Today, of course, Jersey tomatoes are a prized variety.

Besides tasting great, tomatoes are also very good for you. One medium tomato (about 1 cup chopped) is more than 90% water and contains a mere 35 calories. It also contains 35% of a person's recommended daily intake of vitamin C, and 15% recommended vitamin A. In addition, tomatoes are naturally sodium-free, cholesterol-free, and high in fiber (1 medium tomato has approximately the same amount of fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread).

Tomatoes are at their peak during the summer months, the rest of the year canned tomatoes are far superior for sauce making, and sundried tomatoes are a good alternative for salads. Look for tomatoes that are plump, somewhat uniform in shape, juicy, and seem heavy for their size. They should be free from blemishes and smell distinctly of the fruit. Fresh tomatoes should be stored at room temperature and never refrigerated; the cold temperature makes their flesh pulpy and robs them of flavor.

Tuna Steaks Braised with Tomatoes and Near East Spices Yield: 4 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tuna steaks, 6 ounces each
1/4 cup flour
1/2 medium onion, diced small
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Dust the tuna with the flour, patting off any excess. Sauté the tuna in the hot oil, briefly, on both sides; remove the tuna to a plate and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the same hot pan and sauté for a minute or two. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper; sauté for another minute. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and lemon juice, scrape the bottom of the pan for any particles that may have adhered there. Add the tuna back into the pan with the tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower it to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook the fish for 5 minutes, or until a desired state of doneness is achieved.

Plum Tomato Coulis (for Chicken, Seafood, or Pasta) Yield: 1 quart

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
6 large leaves fresh basil

Sauté the fine diced shallots and garlic in olive oil until translucent but not browned. Add diced tomatoes, white wine, salt, pepper and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower it to a simmer, and cook the tomatoes for 20-30 minutes. In batches, transfer the sauce to a blender and purée until smooth. Strain the tomato coulis through a fine sieve, and if needed, finish the sauce with a pat or two of butter.