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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 JULY 2015 Food 35 Fine food of the week AS tomatoes need an average of seven hours of sunlight to grow into the tasty produce we know so well, Malta makes ideal growing ground for this succulent fruit. Though technically a fruit, to- matoes have less sugar content than most fruit and are thus used, for culinary purposes, as a veg- etable. The only exception is that tomatoes are treated as a fruit for canning purposes as the high acidity allows them to be proc- essed in a water bath rather than a pressure cooker as is necessary for vegetables. Although tomatoes are associ- ated with Mediterranean cui- sine, their roots stem from South America. The tomato plant was first cultivated by the Aztecs in Mexico and is thought to have been brought over to Europe by Spanish explorer Cortes, where it was then distributed through- out the Spanish empire. There are around 7,500 varie- ties of tomatoes, grown for dif- ferent purposes. Though most tomatoes are red in colour they are also available in green, yel- low, orange, purple or brown depending on the variety. Rarer varieties produce fruits that are stripped or furry. In Malta, the most common is the heirloom tomato, avail- able throughout the summer and known for its wrinkly ap- pearance, juiciness and intense flavours. The thin skin gives it a relatively short shelf life, making it unsuitable for commercial use, though fantastic for use in salads and sandwiches. The plum tomato (zenguli tomato) has been bred with a higher solid content making it ideal for use in tomato sauces and pastes. Cherry tomatoes have been steadily gaining popularity as the small, round, often sweeter fruit are ideal to be eaten whole in salads. Tomatoes are very low in calo- ries and fats and rich in dietary fibre making indulgence guilt free. They are also rich in anti- oxidants and have been known to be protective against some forms of cancer including colon, prostate, breast, lung, endome- trial and pancreatic cancers. Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin A and C protecting the body against infectious agents and free radicals. During the summer peak sea- son, tomatoes are inexpensive. At 50c a kilo from the farmer's market in Ta' Qali, why not stock up and preserve what you can for those winter months when to- matoes are tasteless and boring? Sun dry your own tomatoes by slicing them in half, sprinkling with salt and optional herbs and leave in the sun until dehydrated. You might want to cover them with a fly screen to keep the bugs off your food. A couple of days usually do the trick but they can take longer, depending on the weather conditions. Take the tomatoes in at night to stop the night time dew from undoing the drying process. Make sure that the end product is completely dry but not crisp to avoid bacte- ria growth and store in oil in the fridge. Tomato sauces can easily be frozen and taken out in the mid- dle of winter when you need a spoonful of sunshine during those short, wet days. Use the sauce on homemade pizzas or pasta for a perfect summer meal in the mid- dle of winter. Homemade ketchup and toma- to chutneys are innovative, tasty ways to preserve the glut of toma- toes for winter eating. Homemade chutneys make ideal Christmas gifts if you're on a tight budget or for those members of the family who already have everything. Sun kissed Mediterranean tomatoes Ingredients For the paste 1.2 kg fresh tomatoes (50/50 • mix between plum tomatoes and cherry tomatoes) 1 cucumber, roughly chopped • 1 garlic, crushed • 2 tsp white onions, chopped • 275 ml olive oil • 2 tsp caster sugar • 1 tsp red wine vinegar • 1 tsp fresh red chilli, chopped • 2 tsp sea salt • 2 tsp black pepper • To serve: • ¼ cucumber, cubed • olive oil, drizzled Method 1. Place all the ingredients into a 1. blender/food processor and proc- ess until smooth. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your food proces- sor. 2. Place the contents into a bowl, 2. cover and chill for at least 1 hour. 3. To serve, ladle the soup into 3. bowls, with cubed cucumber and a drizzle of olive oil over each one. Recipe of the week The perfect gazpacho Abundantly available Maltese tomatoes