Not all trans fat is created equally, but to the FDA and for labeling purposes, natural and artificial trans fats are all the same, forcing a lot of bakers to actually use artificial instead of natural ingredients to hit the “trans fat free” label that chains like Starbucks are demanding from their foods.

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Love apples. Pomi d’oro. These are other names for one of our favorite vegetables. Or should it be favorite fruits? (More about this later.) In either case, our subject is the tomato.

Sidney Carlisle’s article Tomatoes: Making the Most of the Summer Crop will fill you in on the basics. I’ll provide some tomato history, trivia, and recipes.

Tomato History
Most culinary historians believe that tomatoes are native to the Andes region of Peru and Northern Chile. In time, the plant migrated to Central America and on to Mexico. The word tomato is thought to have come from the Aztec word xitomatl, meaning large tomato.

Europe discovered tomatoes courtesy of Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortés, who conquered Mexico in 1519. Tomatoes then spread into Spain, Italy, the Philippines and Asia. The road to Britain and North America, however, would prove a bit bumpy.

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Ingredients:

3 tablespoons melted margarine
fine dry bread crumbs
1-1/2 tablespoons onion, minced
1 egg, well-beaten
1-1/2 cups cooked carrots, mashed
1-1/2 tablespoons pimiento, chopped
3 cups soft bread crumbs
salt to taste

Procedure:

Mix margarine, carrots, soft crumbs, egg, onion, pimiento and seasonings.Form in shape of drumsticks. Insert a wooden skewer or a short piece of macaroni in end of each. Cover with crumbs and bake at 350 °F for 25 minutes.Place a paper frill on each skewer. Serve with white sauce if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped celery
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup water
1 cup gluten, cut in pieces
soy sauce to taste
salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup toasted cashew or peanuts
2 cups hot water
6 cups Chinese fried noodles
2 cups bean sprouts

Procedure:

Sauté onion, celery. mushrooms and gluten in oil. Add next 6 ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup water; add soy sauce and stir into hot mixture to thicken; simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over chinese fried noodles. Garnish with cashew and parsley. Variation: You may substitute 1/2 cup carrots or 1/2 cup cauliflower for other vegetables. Makes 6 servings.