Recipe: Authentic Tomato Bruschetta

If you grow your own tomatoes, you’ll be ready to enjoy this simple, delicious summer treat as your vines start bursting with sun-ripened crimson goodness!

Otherwise, head to your nearest farmers market to pick up some fresh, ripe tomatoes – leave them somewhere warm for a few days to get as flavoursome as possible. Try to find tomatoes that have been vine-ripened.

Always store tomatoes at room temperature, for example, in your fruit bowl. Refrigeration diminishes their rich flavour.

Enjoy raw tomatoes for their vitamin content and cooked tomatoes to enhance bio-availability of key nutrients such as health-promoting lycopene.

Here’s how Chinese Medicine Food Therapy views tomatoes:

• Very cooling thermal nature (have in moderation if you have cold hands & feet, sluggish, fluid retention, loose stools etc)
• Sweet and sour flavour
• Builds yin fluids, relieves dryness and thirst
• Strengthens the stomach and cleanses the liver
• Purifies the blood and is a good general detoxifier for the whole body
• Encourages digestion – good treatment for sluggish appetite, indigestion and constipation
• Cools “Liver-Heat” eg high blood pressure, red eyes, headache
• Alkalising effect in the body, good for rheumatism or gout
• Best to have vine-ripened, as shelf-ripened can draw on the “Kidney-adrenal” energy in order to assimilate it
• Enjoy in moderation! Moderate intake would be 1-2 tomatoes per day (when in season)

The Western view of tomato’s health benefits:

Tomatoes are a true super-food. They are considered a “functional food” – providing more than just basic nutrition as they have important healing properties:

• nutrient-dense, can be considered a super-food!
• very rich in lycopene, a carotenoid pigment that gives tomato its red colour – may prevent atherosclerosis as well as some cancers
• strong support in population studies suggests tomatoes protect against prostate cancer, probably due to lycopene and beta-carotene
• due to high fibre and beta-carotene, may help prevent colorectal cancer
• rich in fibre, potassium, vitamin C and choline – to support cardiovascular health, preventing heart disease and risk of stroke. Raw tomatoes have almost the same potassium content as bananas (potassium levels rise per volume of tomato product as it becomes more concentrated eg puree or paste)
• water and fibre content helps relieve constipation
• lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene are antioxidants that can protect the eyes against light-induced damage (cataracts and age-related macular degeneration)
• caution in arthritis as can upset calcium metabolism. Large amounts will cause imbalance in most people
• rich source of vitamins A and C and folic acid

Tomato’s chequered history

Tomato originates in South America, along with its nightshade cousins eggplant, potato and tobacco. Due to its association with deadly nightshade (belladonna) as well as the European aristocracy’s habit of eating acidic tomatoes on lead-based pewter plates and then getting seriously ill, the tomato was regarded with suspicion for several hundred years in Europe. The British were happy to grow it as an ornamental plant, but it wasn’t until the 1800s that the tomato began finding its place on European tables. Although originating in South America, culinary use of tomatoes in the United States only happened due to the imported habits of Europeans!

Authentic tomato bruschetta

Basic bruschetta is toasted, garlic-rubbed, oil-drizzed bread. Tomato and basil topping is a popular variation on this simple, timeless classic.

Of course, you can use gluten-free bread if needed, or simply enjoy the tomato and basil as a side dish.

Thick slices of rustic bread (pane casereccio if you can get it)
An unpeeled clove of garlic, cut in half
Good quality fruity olive oil
Good quality salt

Toast the bread under the griller or over a flame.

Rub the toast with a clove of garlic while it’s still hot. As the garlic softens, gently squeeze the juice into the bread.

Give each slice a generous drizzle of olive oil and then salt to taste.

4 very ripe medium tomatoes, seeds removed, cut into rough chunks
Fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces (a handful or two)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Mix tomato, basil and a generous drizzle of oil and then season to taste.

Place on the toast just prior to serving.