British Tomato Recipes

Celebrate British Tomato Season and Raise Money For Macmillan Cancer Support

The British Tomato Season runs from March to October, and the British Tomato Growers‘ Association and English Village Salads are giving you a great reason to love tomatoes; send in your favourite healthy tomato recipe and they will donate £1 per recipe received to Macmillan Cancer Support.

With so many varieties of British tomatoes, they are a key and flavoursome ingredient in thousands of recipes. So whether your favourite healthy recipe uses sweet, ripe plum tomatoes or classic vine ripened tomatoes, why not send it in to britishtomatoes@haygarth.co.uk before the end of August 2008 and help raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

It’s not only the succulent taste that tomatoes bring to your recipe - they’re also packed with vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy. According to recent research* lycopene, the antioxidant responsible for the natural red pigment in ripe tomatoes, may be particularly active in protecting the body against diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

In fact, British tomatoes have been found to have significantly higher levels of lycopene than long-life imported tomatoes - yet another reason to lower your food miles and buy British. Fresh tomatoes are also crammed with calcium, which keeps your bones and teeth strong.

To find out more visit www.britishtomatoes.co.uk. Here are some great recipes using British Tomatoes for you to try.

Tomato, Feta & Mint Salad
A light and refreshing salad that takes five minutes to prepare

Ingredients:
Extra Special Sweet Vine Tomatoes
Feta cheese
Fresh mint, chopped
Red wine vinegar
Olive Oil

Slice tomatoes and lay them out onto a plate, crumble over feta cheese and fresh mint.  Add a splash of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil.

Simple Salsa
This salsa is great served with grilled chicken or fish

Ingredients:
Extra Special Sweet Plum Tomatoes
Red onion
Fresh lime juice
Coriander
Chilli
Olive oil

Roughly chop the tomatoes and the red onion,then add some fresh lime juice, coriander and chilli to taste.  Finish off with a drizzle of olive oil to soften the mixture and serve.

Quick Tomato Tartlets
Can be eaten hot or cold so they’re great for lunchboxes too

Ingredients
Beef Tomatoes or Extra Special Vine Ripened Tomatoes
Ready-made puff pastry
1 egg
Cheese slices

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Cut out 8 discs of pastry to about 3cm larger than the size of the tomatoes and place on baking sheet. Cut out 8 circles of cheese to the same size as the tomatoes and place centrally on top of the pastry. Cut each tomato in half and place, cut side up, onto the cheese. Brush the pastry edge with beaten egg and bake in the oven for approx. 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Tomato Bruschetta
A tasty and easy dish, perfect anytime of the day

Ingredients
Extra Special Mini San Marzano Tomatoes
Fresh basil, chopped
Bread, thick sliced
Garlic clove, peeled
Olive oil
Black pepper

Place tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 1 minute then drain off the water and slip the skins off. De-seed and chop the tomatoes finely and add some chopped fresh basil. Toast thick slices of bread until golden, then rub with a peeled garlic clove and drizzle with olive oil. Place the tomato mixture on top and season with black pepper.

Advice For Parents Dealing With Fussy Eaters
In Search Of The Perfect Tomato
Food Waste Costs £8 Billion Per Year In The UK

My Daughter isn't Eating Properly
Q. My six year old daughter isn’t eating properly. I am very keen that she should eat a balanced, healthy diet and I try very hard to prepare nice, healthy meals but I can't help worrying when she refuses her food. We didn’t have this problem when she was younger, she would eat anything, so why won't she do so now?

Online Grocery Shopping
Most of the major supermarkets offer a delivery service now, but is it a gimmick or a genuinely helpful service for parents? I had thought it was a bit of a luxury, until, stuck at home with a very poorly child, I realised I had no food in the house and no way of getting out to a shop.

The Importance of Breakfast
Breakfast has often been described as the most important meal of the day; both children preparing for a hard day at school and busy parents going to work and looking after the kids need to start the day with the right ‘fuel’ to keep them going.