Tomato Time...

I can't believe summer is already half way over. The back to school vibe is in the air which has both sweet and sad connotations attached with it.  Now as I'm heading off to Grad school things are going to be much different yet I'm still going to settle into the busy yet predictable life of a student. More than anything, I'm just excited to be constantly studying what I'm in love with: Food: )

Speaking of which... This week I think its time that we try out some tomato goodness. You can't miss them at the farmers market or grocery as their bright red skin will make anyone stop in their tracks. Now that they are in season, they are bursting with flavor and nutrition. I picked some up this weekend, waited a few days for them to ripen and then made the dish below which was quite tasty if I do say so myself.

Raw Cheese and Caper stuffed tomatoes:


Ingredients needed:
-a tomato for each person being served
-1/4 c bread crumbs
- 1 T coconut oil or butter melted ( I used some goats milk butter )
-1.5 T capers
- 1/4 c cheese (guyere would be yummy. I used raw sharp chedder that was great too)
-dijon mustard

Basically all I did was
1. Cut the tomatoes in half, and scoop out the insides
2. squirt a little dijon mustard and divide the cheese into the bottoms of the "tomato bowls"
3 top with the mixture of melted butter, bread crumbs and capers
4 pop in an oven preheated to 500 for 3-4 minutes

Could it be any more simple?

I served them on a bed of lettuce and while eating realized how yummy it would be with some tuna or even turkey. I have some stuffed tomatoes left over and will most definitely eat them later this week with some different accompaniments.

Tomatoes are a great thing to snack on as they boast a phytonutrient called lycopene that has been extensively studied for its cancer-preventing properties. Isn't it amazing how nature provides foods that protect us from what the season may bring to harm us? Cancer is such an issue in the summer months so giving your body some armor from the inside out is a great strategy. I'm always amazed at the timing of the tools that nature offers which is why I'm so adamant about eating food that is in season. It puts our bodies in harmony with the Earth. Sounds amazing.... feels even better!

Keep enjoying the warm rays of summer. And make sure to eat some tomatoes this week now that you know what they can do to prevent those warm rays from harming you.