32 AUGUST 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
Let’s Talk About
Tomatoes
BY MARYANN MIANO
TOMATO & BROCCOLI BAKE
INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups fresh or frozen chopped broccoli
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• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 5 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
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DIRECTIONS
Thaw broccoli, if frozen. In a large kettle or Dutch oven, cook
2. -
rine or butter. Add fresh broccoli (add frozen broccoli later),
tomatoes, parsley, bouillon granules, salt, oregano and basil.
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3.
remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes more.
The tomato, seen growing all over our Garden State, comes in many
varieties, shapes and sizes. Their bounty comes to fruition at the end
of August and early September, and there are many wonderful dishes
that can be prepared with the bright red fruit of the summer.
Tomatoes had their origin in the northern area of the Andes in South
America in Peru, Ecuador, Chile and beside the mountains and along the
coast. No one knows for certain how their seeds found their way into North
the tomato back to Spain and introduced the tomato to Florida and then
New Orleans, with the seeds making their way up the East Coast.
At the time, people were afraid of the tomato and thought it to be
poisonous due to its nightshade status. As a matter of fact, all parts of
Despite the trepidation toward eating tomatoes, the delectable taste of
the fruit helped convince the public to use it in various dishes.
Our Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, grew tomatoes in his Mon-
used in their cooking and causing others’ curiosity to persuade them to
Growing them is easy, even for those who do not have a garden!
Grow cascades of tiny tomatoes in hanging pots from a sunny window,
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rieties anywhere outdoors with lots of sunlight and a spot big enough to
stand the container in. You can grow tomatoes in all these locations, pro-
in containers with good drainage, and add a little fertilizer to the potting
The following recipe is a good way to use the tomatoes from an abundant
harvest into an interesting and tasty dish. Don’t forget a good tomato
salad on the side!
TOMATOES FLORENTINE
INGREDIENTS
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• 2 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
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drained
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
Cut tops off tomatoes, scoop out insides.
2. Combine remaining ingredients, spoon into tomatoes.
3.
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