Plants on Your Plate Tomatoes temperate seasons allow. California, Florida, and Georgia lead tomato production in the US. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. They are also one of the richest sources of lycopene, a phytonutrient that shows great promise in cancer prevention. It is worth
noting that the amount of lycopene increases when tomatoes are cooked, as in a sauce. Regardless of that fact, salsa is still my favorite way to enjoy tomatoes. This Greek salsa recipe is a twist on the southwest favorite and gives a nod to the Mediterranean region who first accepted tomatoes.
Greek Salsa with Pita Chips INGREDIENTS
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merica’s most popular home garden plant happens to be my favorite (and most successful crop) as well. It doesn’t matter if it is fresh from the garden or prepared into a favorite sauce or salsa, the versatility of the tomato makes it easy to understand why it is America’s favorite. Tomatoes belong to the Solanaceae family, more commonly known as the nightshade family. Other members of the Solanaceae family include peppers, potatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, and even tobacco. For centuries, the association with the nightshade family coupled with the strong scent given off by the plant, led to the myth that tomatoes were truly poisonous. Long before it was considered fit to eat, it was grown only as an ornamental garden plant, sometimes called “love apple.” Tomatoes are native to the Andes of Peru, where they first grew in the wild as a bright red, marblesized, cherry-type tomato. Gradually, they would spread throughout South America and north into
Central America but then the trail goes cold until Christopher Columbus’ travels to and from the ‘new world’, which would eventually land the fruit in Spain in the mid16th century. Over the next several decades, different cultivars spread through Spain, France and Italy and became a widely accepted food in the Mediterranean region. As the tomato varieties spread north and east through Europe, they were not as widely accepted among the English and German and were thought to be poisonous. As the colonies established in the United States, the tomato became less feared. One of the earliest notable growers of tomatoes was none other than Thomas Jefferson, a remarkably progressive Virginia farmer as well as a statesman, who grew them in the late 1780s. By the early 1800s, tomatoes had become a common enhancement in the Creole gumbos and jambalayas of Southern cooking. By 1850, the tomato had made its way into most American urban markets and today is grown world-wide, where the
DENISE SULLIVAN Nutrition Ninja 6
July 2021 | kcgmag.com
2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. sugar 1/4 c. red wine vinegar 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil 2 c. tomato, diced 2 c. cucumber, diced 1/2 c. pitted Kalamata olives, chopped 1/2 c. red onion, diced 1/2 c. Feta cheese, crumbled 8 pita rounds 1. Wash hands and preparation surfaces. 2. To make dressing, combine garlic, oregano, sugar, red wine vinegar, and olive oil in a small jar and shake to combine. Set aside. 3. Wash tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion. Dice tomatoes, and onion and place in a large bowl. Add the olives and toss with dressing to coat. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Add feta cheese just before serving with pita chips. 4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut each pita round in half, then split to separate halves. Cut each pita section into four wedges. (Each pita round will make 16 wedges.) Place wedges on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 157, Total Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 262mg, Carbohydrates: 20g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 4g Recipe adapted from delish.com, analyzed by verywellfit.com.
Denise Sullivan is a Nutrition and Health Education Specialist for MU Extension in the Urban West Region, programming in Jackson and Platte Counties. For research-based nutrition and food safety information and programs, visit https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/jackson.
