Food For Thought and Our Health

     On 9/22/2014 at approximately 9:30 p.m.,  the fall season officially arrived in our part of the world.  Along with this change comes the harvest, where the fruits of our summer labors make their way to the dinner table.  Soups, salads, and side dishes are created by home and professional chefs alike.

     During late August and early September, I write a contributing column titled "What's Cooking?"  for the Green Earth Institute (GEI), a community supported agricultural (CSA) organization located in Naperville, Illinois.  The GEI is a farm that is operated and staffed by volunteers who plant and grow various vegetables and herbs from early April through about mid-November, when the harvest ends.

Community Supported Agriculture

     Members of a CSA, purchase shares (boxes) of these grown items which are released on a weekly basis for distribution.  The column I contribute to appears in a newsletter that is emailed to coincide with the share pick up.  Each week, one item (of my choosing) in the share box is featured in the column that provides the history, nutritional profile, and a recipe for members to try if they so which.  I am one of several people who contribute to this column on an annual basis.

     In this week's blog post, I am going to share with you, my readers, the entry that appeared in the GEI newsletter in early September of last year.  Even if you don't grow your own vegetables, my hope is that you will find something new to try, let me know how it went, and if you put your own spin to the recipe.  Enjoy.

Tomatoes: The Prostate's Best Friend

     September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Therefore, it is fitting that we talk about the tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, one of Mother Nature's gems found in your box this week.  According to The World'sHealthiest Foods website, tomato consumption can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer because it contains the phytonutrient alpha -tomatine (alters the metabolic activity in developing prostate cancer cells), as well as lycopene(antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties).  An interesting fact is that the lycopene (antioxidant) profile is actually increased when the tomato is cooked (i.e. ketchup or tomato paste).

     In a few weeks we will usher in the Fall season along with cooler weather.  When I was growing up, a staple on the autumn menu was tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.  Last night, my wife and I made a Food Network soup recipe using tomatoes grown in our own garden (I will leave the grilled cheese up to you) that is quick, easy to make, and delicious.  So raise your spoon to this lycopene-rich meal that offers plenty of ammunition for the prostate to fight cancer.

Fresh Tomato Soup

Serves 4

4 1/2 pounds tomatoes (4 LBS quartered, 1/2 LB chopped)

1 1/2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

4 scallions, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons of heavy cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup mini bow ties or other mini pasta

Puree the quartered tomatoes in a blender. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and scallions and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.  Increase the heat to medium high; strain the pureed tomatoes through a mesh sieve into the pot.  Stir in the chopped tomatoes, 1 cup water, the cream, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.  Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.    

Note: The mesh sieve is used to separate the seeds but we have found that this is not an easy task.  Therefore, we have included the seeds (unless you cannot eat them) in the soup and found the recipe to be just as delicious.   This soup was recently served on our dinner table and the next time oregano will be added in the cooking process to give it extra flavoring.  Home grown tomatoes work best.