DR: I really enjoyed that last treatment on grilling. Can you please share some information on the healing qualities of a food that is abundant in the late summer/ early Fall?

There are an abundance of tomatoes available in the summer ­ many exciting and delicious varieties! Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that has been linked with good heart health and offers protection against various other diseases. No other food has as much of this important nutrient as the tomato. Please make sure to use organic tomatoes whenever possible.

While you are enjoying your tomatoes, you can contemplate this bit of folklore. Centuries ago, the French believed that tomatoes had aphrodisiac qualities and named them pommes d’amour or ‘love apples’.

Please check out 7 Minute Chef to learn more about the healing qualities of foods as well as the simple tools you need to prepare your own delicious and healthful meals.

Fire Roasted Gazpacho
40 minutes / 4-5 servings

4 C Tomato juice, fresh
4 large Roma tomatoes, grilled (1.5 C chopped)
2/3 C Filtered water or vegetable stock
2/3 C Cucumber, peeled, seeded & diced
2/3 C Corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 C Green bell pepper, diced
1/3 C Red onion, diced
3 Tbl Lime juice, fresh squeezed
3 Tbl Cilantro, minced
1 Tbl Shoyu, or to taste
1 Tbl Basil, minced
1 and 1/4 tsp Cumin powder, toasted
1 tsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Jalapeño pepper, seeded & minced, 1/2 tsp Chili powder, 1/2 tsp Hot sauce (optional)
Pinch Cayenne pepper
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, ground to taste

Variations
Commercially-available Spicy Tomato Vegetable Juice may replace tomato juice, and canned fire roasted tomatoes may replace grilled tomatoes. For a Live Gazpacho, do not grill the tomatoes, roast the jalapeño pepper or toast the cumin powder and use freshly-juiced tomatoes.