A couple evenings ago I was invited to a healthy cooking class at Sur la Table for work. In one word, it was delicious! We made 3 types of bruschetta (one of my favorites), lemon chicken with a mushroom and zucchini napoleon, and a lemon ginger sabayon with berries. After dessert, the guests were surprised to learn that the whole meal was less than 700 calories. Not bad for 4 courses. Yes, I had a fantastic evening. However, what I really want to focus on now is what I learned...
A little over 4 years ago I had the wonderful experience of traveling to Italy to study the Mediterranean Diet and participating in Italian cooking courses. One of my most distinct memories was that of heirloom tomatoes. If you haven't experienced one (they are quite magnificent in Italy), you are missing out. They are the most flavorful tomato and nothing beats a really tasty, fresh tomato with a dash of salt! I have purchased just 2 this year at the farmer's market, so I was very excited to see one giant heirloom tomato on the counter at Sur la Table just waiting for me to cut open!!
By definition an heirloom tomato is an open-pollinated (non-hybrid) cultivator of tomato. Basically, many of the tomatoes we grow are hybrids. They are created (mostly genetically modified) using different types of tomatoes to achieve a "perfect" tomato. This makes it easier for corporations (McDonald's) to order tomatoes and know exactly what they will get. They know that when they cut into a tomato it will have exactly 4 chambers of seeds. That way, they can cut the same way every time. This makes mass production for McDonald's great, but the flavor not so great. This also explains why they almost always look identical. Each heirloom tomato is unique, not one will ever be the same as another. Additionally, there are over 5,000 different varieties! Quite interesting and a great example of the American food system.
So, if you are a tomato lover like I am - the next time you purchase a tomato (and the best time is now), pick out the funny looking one instead of the Roma or Beefsteak. You will be amazed!! You may also find it easy to trick the tomato haters in your family as they can be yellow, orange, green, or black!
Classic Tomato Bruschetta (brus-ket-a) *www.myregence.com
Serves 8
8 thin slices French Baguette
1 TBS EVOO (love that Rachel Ray)
1 clove of garlic
2 medium HEIRLOOM tomatoes
6 basil leaves, chiffonade
Salt and Pepper
Preheat broiler. Brush one side of baguette slices with EVOO. Place on rimmed cookie sheet and broil until browned, about 2 minutes. When cool, rub with garlic clove. Mix together tomatoes, basil, and remaining EVOO. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture over baguette slices.
Nutrition facts per serving: 67 calories, 2g fat, 10g carbohydrate, 2g protein.
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