You Say Tomato, I Say Tomatoe

Tomatoes are one of the first vegetables I can remember growing in our garden at home when I was little. As one of the most popular veggie plants to grow in Louisiana, it can be planted in pots or gardens, and produce 5 or more pounds of edible fruit per plant. Tomatoes are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, not to mention providing a beautiful color contrast to any dish. Low in calories, tomatoes are a good source of vitamin A and C, along with folate, potassium, dietary fiber, potassium, biotin, and much more. Tomatoes provide a great option to add a vegetable to any meal of the day. Add them to a breakfast sandwich, egg scramble or omelet. Toss into salads with dark leafy greens – the vitamin C from tomatoes will help to absorb the iron provided by spinach. They make a great addition to any side dish or can be the feature of a main entrée.  Being in season during summer there is an abundance of varieties to try at local Farmer’s Markets and produce stands.  Try this fun summertime recipe:
 

Tomato -Watermelon Gazpacho with Thai Basil and Jalapeno

Servers 6, 25-minute prep, 90-minute chill

Ingredients

·         1 ½ lb large tomatoes (3 or 4), seeded and juices

·         2 ½ cups chopped seedless watermelon

·         2 cups English cucumber, peeled and diced

·         1 shallot, diced

·         1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (leave some seeds if heat wanted)

·         1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

·         1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 Tbsp Spanish sherry vinegar

·         ½ tsp salt

·         15 basil leaves, roughly chopped (can sub some mint leaves for some basil)

·         2 Tbsp plain low-fat Greek yogurt

Directions

1.      Place tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, shallot, jalapeno, and garlic in a blender; add oil, vinegar, salt, basil. Blend until fairly smooth but still retaining a bit of texture (if soup is too thick, thin with ¼ cup tomato juice); chill 90 minutes or overnight 

2.      Serve garnished with yogurt and basil leaves

Nutrition (1 cup soup + 2 Tbsp garnish)

Calories: 81  Fat 4g  sodium: 201mg  Total Carb: 6g  Fiber 3g  Sugar 6g  Protein 3g

SmartPoints value: 1

Source: Weightwatchers July/August 2016 issue