Thursday, January 10, 2008

Joe's Delicious Tomatoes


My friend, Joe, surprised me with these homegrown, plump, fresh tomatoes. They're these gorgeous Heirloom tomatoes that are oversized and super juicy. I simply cut chunky wedges and seasoned them with Maldon Sea Salt. They're the perfect healthy treat and not just because they're tomatoes, but they're also organically grown. Tomatoes found at the grocery store will never taste as fresh as these because they're picked before they're ready and speed-ripened. Speed ripening is a process when under ripe tomatoes are unnaturally sped to "ripen" and the skin turns red. But the inside is still under ripe. By the time it reaches the supermarket, the tomatoes have finished ripening, but it initially needed assistance. It's infeasible to wait for tomatoes to ripen naturally and deliver them from the farm without it rotting by the time it gets to us. So, given the circumstance, I can understand why this method is exercised, but that's also why I prefer going to Farmer's Markets. These were the free versions of the good stuff. Some of my friends think I'm nuts for making such a huge deal over tomatoes, but you'd be surprised to learn that tomatoes are the second most consumed fruit. Yes, botanically speaking, tomatoes are fruits. Produce that contain seeds are actually fruits, not vegetables. And yet the government perpetuates the ignorance surrounding tomatoes by legalizing it as a vegetable. I'm not exactly sure why. Well, anyways, if you haven't tried Heirloom tomatoes, I urge you to. I also suggest trying the yellow varieties, which, contrary to popular belief, aren't under ripe tomatoes, but, in fact, sweeter tasting than the red varieties.

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