As the weather heats up, there’s one summer certainty we should all embrace that’s delicious, nutritious and culturally versatile.
It’s time to celebrate the culinary wonders of nature’s very own love apple – the tomato – while it’s in season across Australia now.
Accredited practising dietitian from , Mattea Palombo is a huge summer tomato fan for two reasons. The first is that tomatoes are the catalyst for her family’s annual sauce day, which happens every February.
We buy the tomatoes from the shop and use them make enough passata to last us throughout the whole year.
As the tradition goes, members of her Italian family come together every summer to turn masses of fresh, in-season tomatoes into about 400 bottles of passata.
“We buy the tomatoes from the shop and use them make enough passata to last us throughout the whole year,” Palombo says.
The dietitian also holds tomatoes high in favour because of their “Tomatoes are 95 per cent water and five per cent carbohydrate, fibre and protein. They also contain vitamin C, calcium folate and vitamin K.”
Tomatoes growing on the vine at Goldenfield Growers. Source: Goldenfield Growers
Colourful matters
Tomato types are as diverse as the dishes they feature in. There’s the red tomatoes we all love but also yellow, pink, orange, white, green and almost black.
While each tomato’s colour confers a specific antioxidant benefit, Palombo touts the nutritional value of red tomatoes. That’s because red tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that makes red tomatoes red.
“It's this antioxidant that provides tomatoes with many of its nutritional benefits.”
A 2021 literature review, published in the journal shows that lycopene found in tomatoes was associated with a decrease risk of all cause mortality.
[Red] tomato intake was also linked with a lower risk of coronary heart disease mortality, cerebrovascular disease mortality, prostate cancer, gastric cancer, prostate cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and male infertility.
It's this antioxidant that provides tomatoes with many of its nutritional benefits.
Yellow tomatoes are also a natural wonder, offering nutritional specialities of their own. contain more iron, phosphorous, sodium, zinc, niacin, folate, and potassium than the red variety.
The downside is that don’t have as much vitamin C as their red cousin, although both colours of tomatoes still contain the vitamin.
The high degree of both lycopene and vitamin A found in the red tomato is not found in yellow tomatoes.
One fruit, so many cuisines
Leakkhena Ma, whose Cambodian family have owned , located in Sydney’s west since 1987, also has a soft spot for tomatoes.
While it's true that tomatoes are nutritionally dense, Ma is more attracted by the diversity of tomatoes. The farm produces cherry, grape, truss, Roma, gourmet rounds and several types of heirloom tomatoes.
She adds that tomatoes are a very versatile ingredient and can be used in so many cuisines, including Khmer cooking.
“Cambodian dishes – usually referred to as Khmer food – use a lot of tomatoes in many ways. We use half ripe tomatoes sliced thinly for pickling," Ma tells SBS. "This is great with grilled or pan fried fish. We also use them in stews.
“Ripe tomatoes are used at the end of cooking for sweet and sour soups and sometimes added to stir-fries too. I also like to put a few tomatoes into my papaya salad.”
READ MORE
Celebrate: Passata day
Ma acknowledges that even though the farm grows tomatoes all-year round, using greenhouses in winter for shelter from the harsh elements, tomatoes always taste best when picked and eaten in summer.
“Buying tomatoes grown locally and in season will ensure that you get the best flavour and nutritional value – tomatoes bought in season are usually cheaper too as that’s when they are plentiful."
Ma’s top tip for choosing the best tasting tomato this season is to forget about looks and remember that most tomatoes will be at their flavour peak in summer.
“Scratches and imperfections on tomatoes are so easily caused by wind rustling the tomato leaves and branches onto the fruit. Imperfections do not affect the flavour whatsoever.
“So try to not be too picky about slight marks or imperfections on the tomatoes. The ones with some marks on them will taste exactly the same as the perfect looking ones and [be just as delicious].”
