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sexta-feira, 13 de julho de 2012

Tomato: from South America to the rest of the world

The story of the tomato (from tomatl, a Nahuatl term like so many other food words-avocado, chocolate, chili) originated in South America. The Aztecs used it in their cooking. The Indians explained to the first colonists that tomato made good sauces.
After Christopher Columbus and the Spanish colonization, it was spread around the world. By way of Naples, a Spanish possession at the time, the tomato entered Italian cuisine in the XVI century. We wonder now how the people managed to do without it for so long!
 British colonists also found the tomato in North America but it was treated as a decorative curiosity. People distrusted the tomato because it was regarded as poisonous. Curiously  Thomas Jefferson, who ate tomatoes in Paris, sent some seeds back to America.
From being an ingredient in a sauce the tomato became a dish in itself: as a salad, soup, juice or even jam ( I love crepes filled with tomato jam). They are delicious in stews, complement pasta when raw or cooked and are a classic topping for pizza.

Tomato is a fruit although it is used as a vegetable for most culinary recipes.
 In the summer I always have a great craving for tomato juice, sometimes seasoned with a little salt and pepper (but I do not enjoy Bloody Mary, an alcoholic drink made by mixing vodka with tomato juice)

In Turkey I have eaten the best tomatoes ever, so sweet and juicy.
My suggestion:
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes
Peel, seed and dice the tomatoes (1 medium tomato for each egg). Scramble the eggs as usual, adding seasoning and fresh chives. Before they are set, stir in the tomatoes to heat through, but not for them to cook. Serve immediately.

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