Paramhansa Yogananda said of tomatoes:
If you have a garden, include this plant in your next crop and use them in abundance…
The tomato is an excellent overall curative food and a specific curative for most liver conditions. As the largest organ in the body, the liver has a tremendous amount of work to do. When over-worked, it rebels and lies down on the job. To ensure liver health, avoid overeating and fast periodically on fruit or vegetable juices. Among these, very few help the liver as much as tomato juice.
We have been receiving fresh, flavorful tomatoes from Ananda Farm at Ananda Village in our kitchen, and our own garden is just starting to produce them too! This time of year many farmers markets and gardens offer an abundance of tomatoes. Here are some recipes to enjoy the goodness of this delicious food!
Chopped Caprese Salad
What came to mind for Durga, our retreat manager, is Caprese- a combination of tomato and fresh mozzarella drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and garnished with fresh basil. Here is a chopped salad version to try:
- 1 1/2 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped into generous bite-size chunks or wedges (or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered)
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed (be sure to use fresh mozzarella!)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- salt, to taste
In a medium bowl, toss together the cut-up tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves. Add olive oil to the bowl, and lightly toss together. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the top of the salad just before serving. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Variation: add 1 cup (or more) of lightly cooked green beans or chunks of cucumber. Adjust the quantity of oil, vinegar, and basil.
Fresh Tomato Salsa
Libby, shown here picking the first tomatoes from our garden, grew up enjoying fresh, homemade salsa. Enjoy this simple but delicious recipe with taco fixings- or with your favorite chips!
3 cups chopped tomatoes
4 teaspoons minced serrano peppers (mild) or jalapeños (spicy)
1 cup white diced onion
1/4 cup fresh minced cilantro
2-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Mix together in a bowl- and serve!
Fresh Tomato Soup
Lallah, one of our talented resident chefs, has blended several recipes to achieve just the right combination in creating this fresh tomato soup… Enjoy!
Serves 2-4
Ingredients :
2 pounds of garden-fresh tomatoes, halved
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 -2 cups of water
1 vegetable bouillon
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Directions :
1) Heat oven to 425 degrees
2) Slice tomatoes in half, toss in olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet pan. Sprinkle tomatoes with sea salt. Bake for 35 minutes
3) Drizzle olive oil into a pot, sauté onions until golden brown.
4) Add minced garlic and sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
5) Stir thyme into the onion-garlic mixture.
6) When tomatoes are roasted remove from oven and transfer to the pot.
7) Add water and vegetable bouillon, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes
8) Last, use a handheld blender or any other blender you may have to purée the soup. Add lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy with baked bread or grilled cheese for dipping ????
