Tomatoes from the Farmer's Market

It will come as no surprise to those who know me that I am obsessed with tomatoes. They are one of the items in my kitchen that I horde compulsively so that I am sure to always have some on hand. We made our weekly pilgrimage to the Downtown Phoenix Public Market this morning and picked up some beautiful specimens: golden cherry, green and yellow zebra stripes, and something that looks like a Black Krim or Cherokee Purple.  

 

One of the most important things to know about tomatoes is how to store them. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, put tomatoes in the refrigerator! It is a travesty and equivalent to tomato murder to store your tomatoes in the fridge. They become mealy and wrinkled and watery and loose all of that yummy tomato flavor and texture. I like to store mine on the counter, out of direct sunlight. Cherry tomatoes go great in a bowl or basket. Larger ones should be stored flat so that they do not bruise each other due to the force of gravity. The upside to this strategy is that I always have an incredibly alluring tomato "bouquet" to look at .... and great inspiration for dinner.

 

My favorite easy tomato dish is one that we have at least twice a week at my house, if not more. Chopped ripe tomatoes (or halved cherry tomatoes), the tiniest drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Fold these gently together and let sit for 10 or 15 minutes. Right before dinner, dice up one fresh avocado and mix in very delicately. That's got to be one of the tastiest ways to enjoy tomatoes -- and avocados. They really don't need anything else.

 

An avocado is one of those fruits / veggies over which there is some controversy. Are they too high in fat? Good for you or bad for you? Here's the stats for a single avocado:

• 320 calories
• 4 g protein
• 13 g fiber
• 17 g carbohydrate
• 29 g fat
• 4 g saturated fat
• 20 g monunsaturated fat
• more than 20% recommended daily value of: B2, B3, B6, C, E, folate, potassium 

Avocados also contain oleic acid and may help to lower cholesterol and prevent some cancers, according to whfoods.org. And since monunsaturated fat is good for you .... might as well enjoy an avocado!