Tomatoes – so many colours, shapes and sizes – what versatility! as published in the Greater Noosa Living Magazine December 2008.

Tomatoes are probably the most popular of all home grown vegetables.  When organically and home grown they provide us with the best, most intensely perfumed juice, flavour, taste and colour. 

Tomatoes come in all colours, shapes and sizes – red, round and sweet; pear-formed and mellow yellow; purple, heart-shaped and mild; green, oval and tangy.  Usually thought of as a vegetable, they are botanically a fruit – a berry to be precise, but as they are mostly used as a vegetable they are classed as a vegetable.

Tomatoes belong to the family Solanacecae, which also includes some of the more poisonous ‘nightshades’ - Tobacco and Angel's Trumpet, and for centuries, it was assumed the tomato was poisonous and so they were used only as decorative plants.  We now know this is not the case and that there are many nutritional benefits of eating tomatoes.  They are loaded with vitamins A, C and E, along with potassium and calcium.  They are also known for their disease fighting phytochemicals - most notably the potent antioxidant lycopene, which helps to lower cholesterol. Lycopene is a powerful carotenoid that gives the reddish colour to tomatoes, rosehip, watermelon, pink grapefruit and guava. Interestingly, its bioavailability increases when it is cooked - so tinned tomatoes, paste and sauce are all excellent ways to enjoy tomatoes and gain added health benefits.

The first known tomatoes grew wild in South America; around 700AD, the Aztecs and the Incas cultivated these tiny, cherry-sized fruits as food.   In the sixteenth century they arrived in Europe and were yellow and small like cherries; they were called ‘golden apples’ in France and Italy - ‘Pomi d’oro’ is now the modern ‘pomodoro’.  The Spanish and the Italians were the first Europeans to realise the potential for tomatoes in cooking, featuring them in recipes from the late seventeenth century.

Many commercial tomato growers produce fruit that looks good but tastes bland. They select varieties for factors other than taste – such as high yield, uniformity of fruit size, resistance to disease, and ability to withstand bruising during machine picking and transport.  Many conventional tomatoes are picked green and ripened with ethylene gas, for continuity of supply.   If you have only ever eaten tomatoes bought from the supermarket, seek out a local organic retailer or farmers' market or, better still, grow them yourself, and find out what a real tomato tastes like.

Tomatoes are now listed by international seed organisations as among the most genetically threatened of all the earth’s crops. A staggering 80.6% of tomato varieties were lost during the period from 1903 to 1983. One of the main causes, along with land clearing and pollution, is the replacement of traditional or heirloom varieties with commercial hybrids, and the subsequent disposal of traditional seed rendered   many varieties extinct.

Thanks to many wonderful farmers who saved seeds, heirloom varieties are returning and some are showing up at farmers’ markets all around Australia. There are many sources for good certified organic seed and they sell by mail order; such as Green Harvest at Maleny, our hinterland neighbour - www.greenharvest.com.au – who offer 16 or more tomato varieties; Select Organic at Lower Beechmont, Queensland - www.selectorganic.com.au – with about 70 tomato varieties in their catalogue!  And the Diggers Club in Victoria, who have a 10 colour tomato seed mix as well as another 35 or more varieties available.  Some of these tomato varieties have such exotic names as: Mr Stripy, Green Zebra, Black Zebra, Black Russian, Silvery Fur Tree, Mortgage Lifter, Money Maker and Ox Heart.

The Slow Food Movement and its Foundation for Biodiversity supports biodiversity by promoting artisanal producers of quality products.  At a recent Slow Food Noosa Convivia meeting, Richard and Russell from Noosa Red Tomatoes spoke about their operation at Doonan, where they employ sophisticated technological methods for growing their superb hydroponically nourished tomatoes in the environmentally controlled greenhouse.  Richard drives the software that operates the climate controlled irrigation system, which pulses nutrient rich water to the plants, based on the amount of light they have received. He keys in the required parameters, such as the optimum temperature of 20ºC over a 24 hour period, and the computer climatic control delivers according to his specifications.  Russell constantly checks the conditions by feeling, looking and observing the atmosphere in their greenhouse.  There are also many hygiene tasks keep the greenhouse environment clean; de-leafing the plants, removing the laterals, pollinating, removing the debris around the plants, keeping the paths clean and sterilising the equipment in the greenhouse.  The aim is to minimise the crop’s contact with pathogens that could cause harm.  There is a lot more to their tomato growing than you would imagine and of course we benefit from the delicious results. You will find these delicious Noosa Reds and other locally organically, grown tomatoes at the Farmers’ Markets at Noosa, Eumundi, Yandina, Nambour, Maleny, Fisherman’s Road, Maroochydore, Peregian and North Lakes.

With the many different varieties of tomatoes available we are able to buy them all year round, with the best coming towards the end of summer and into autumn. Often the smaller varieties are preferable for raw eating, and the larger for cooking. Good cooking truly does begin with the quality of the produce and this is especially true for tomatoes. Select some of our locally grown tomatoes, drizzle with a local olive, macadamia or avocado oil and top with some torn fresh basil leaves – a taste sensation!

Tomatoes form the backbone of many dishes, providing flavour, sharpness, liquidity and colour. It is important when using fresh tomatoes in a dish to allow them time to sweat out their juices to intensify the flavour.  It is tempting to add water to minestrone or stew in which you are using fresh tomatoes, as at first the dish will appear dry, but adding water will only dilute the flavour. Add the smallest amount of water or stock, then leave the lid on and cook the raw tomatoes for about 20 minutes over the slowest of heat - you will find they will release their abundant juices, the liquid ratios will be fine and you will be rewarded with an intensity of flavour.

Some dishes are best made with a tomato sauce made from scratch - lasagne, parmigiana  or pizza for example. Although it does take time, the taste and quality will be better than anything you can buy. Well ripened Black Russians are excellent for a great sauce. You can make a good sauce with tinned or cooked tomatoes, but one made with fresh, very ripe, organic tomatoes embodies the essence of the tomato.

The flavour of tomatoes will also be deepened and intensified by roasting; they are a beautiful addition to a salad, platter or hot dish. A salad or dish that has the addition of roasted tomatoes will be far rounder and brighter in flavour than if they were just added raw. Commercially dried, or even semi-dried tomatoes, do not compare with those that you dry or roast yourself using very ripe, organic tomatoes. You can use a conventional oven, a dehydrator or the sun.

You may also preserve tomatoes for the winter months, including bottling them as they are, or as a sauce, ketchup, chutney or relish. Chutney and relish in particular are an excellent way to use up the very last of the tomatoes - those that are still green and without enough sunlight left to ripen, and those that are bruised.

With their myriad of uses, tomatoes are invaluable in the kitchen and they are the essence of summer food.  We use tomatoes constantly in our classes at On the Ridge – fresh in salads, coulis, gazpacho and for entrée dishes and cooked in sauces, relishes, soups, with pastas and in tarts.  A special favourite in our Slice of the Hinterland – Cuisine of the Sun class is Tomatoes Stuffed with Prawns and Horseradish Chantilly - perfect for the Christmas table too.  You will find it, in the entree recipe section of this website.

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