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	tomato togarashi tomalley tomatillo tomato Toulouse sausage Triple Sec Trockenbeerenauslese Definition: [tuh-MAY-toh; tuh-MAH-toh] Like the potato and eggplant, the tomato is a member of the nightshade family. It's the fruit of a vine native to South America. By the time Europeans arrived in the New World, the tomato had made its way to Central America and Mexico. The Spanish carried plants back from Mexico, but it took time for tomatoes to be accepted in Spain because it was thought that they were poisonous. Some advocates, however, claimed the fruit had aphrodisiac powers and, in fact, the French called them pommes d'amour, "love apples." It wasn't until the 1900s that the tomato gained popularity in the U.S. Today this fruit is one of America's favorite "vegetables," a classification the government gave the tomato in 1893. Among today's most commonly marketed varieties is the beefsteak tomato, delicious raw and cooked. It's large, bright red and slightly elliptical in shape. Globe tomatoes are medium-sized, firm and juicy. They're good both raw and cooked. The plum tomato (also called Italian plum) is flavorful and egg-shaped and comes in red and yellow versions. The medium-sized green tomato has a piquant flavor, which makes it excellent for frying, broiling and adding to relishes. The small cherry tomato is about 1 inch in diameter and can be red or yellow-gold in color. It's popular because of its bright color and excellent flavor. The yellow cherry tomato is slightly less acidic than the red and therefore somewhat blander in flavor. The yellow pear tomato is slightly smaller than the cherry tomato and resembles a tiny pear. Currant tomatoes measure only about 0.7 inches in diameter and weigh about 1/8 ounce. They come in red and yellow varieties and have a sweet, crisp flesh. There are several unique-looking and flavorful heirloom tomato varieties. Among the more interesting are the purple tomatoes (such as Pruden's Purpleand Cherokee Purple), the skins of which can range in color from a dusky pink with purple shoulders to a vivid dark pink. Striped tomatoes (such as striped German) have an orangey skin with faint red striations. Fresh tomatoes are available year-round, with the peak season from June - September. The most succulent tomatoes are "vine-ripened." Unfortunately, such tomatoes are very perishable, which is why supermarkets almost always carry tomatoes that were picked green and ripened with ethylene gas or in special warming rooms. Such tomatoes will never have the texture, aroma and taste of the vine-ripened fruit. Choose firm, well-shaped tomatoes that are fragrant and richly colored. They should be free from blemishes, heavy for their size and give slightly to palm pressure. Ripe tomatoes should be stored at room temperature and used within a few days. They should never be refrigerated--cold temperatures make the flesh pulpy and kills the flavor. Unripe fruit can be ripened by placing it in a pierced paper bag with an apple for several days at room temperature. Do not refrigerate or set in the sun. Tomato skins can be removed by blanching. Sun-dried tomatoes are chewy, intensely flavored, sweet, dark red tomatoes, usually packed in oil or dry-packed in cellophane. Canned tomatoes are available in various forms including peeled, whole, crushed, and those with herbs added. Tomato paste, available in cans and tubes, consists of tomatoes that have been cooked for several hours, strained and reduced to a deep red, richly flavored concentrate. Canned tomato puree consists of tomatoes that have been cooked briefly and strained, resulting in a thick liquid. Tomato sauce is a slightly thinner tomato puree, often with seasonings added. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and contain appreciable amounts of vitamins A and B, potassium, iron and phosphorus. A medium tomato has about as much fiber as a slice of whole-wheat bread and only about 35 calories. See also tomatillo. Substitution: TOMATO JUICE  1 cup = 1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water TOMATO SAUCE  1 cup = 3/8 cup tomato paste plus 1/2 cup water --Copyright (c) 1995 by Barron's Educational Series, from The New Food Lover's Companion, Second Edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst
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