It's the too-many-tomatoes time of year. They're at the markets and in back yards. Coworkers leave bags of them on your desk. What should you do with all those tomatoes?
 
Fortunately, tomatoes are welcome in almost any dish. You'll find just as many ways to fix tomatoes as there are those wonderful, tasty vegetables packed with disease-fighting antioxidants.

Fragrant herbs, such as basil, oregano, dill, parsley and thyme are wonderful seasonings for tomatoes, but more pungent spices like curry powder, cumin, or chili powder also blend well into tomato-based sauces.

Tomatoes stuffed with rice, feta, pine nuts and vegetables are delicious, too.

Nobody can have too many tomatoes

Tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants that help protect against the kind of cell damage that gets cancer started. They are a rich source of vitamins A and C and the potent disease-fighter lycopene.

In fact, tomatoes are the few dietary sources of cancer-fighting lycopene, which, for example, researchers have linked to warding off prostate cancer.  Additionally, lycopene is found in red or pink fruits such as watermelon, papaya, pink guava and pink grapefruit as well as in tomatoes.

But what makes a good tomato? The best ones are vine-ripened and deeply colored. They should feel heavy for their size. Unripe tomatoes can be ripened in a paper bag at room temperature.

Do not refrigerate fresh tomatoes because their texture will become mealy and their taste watery.

Tomatoes come in so many varieties that they are always abundant but never boring. There are cherry tomatoes, even smaller grape tomatoes and oval-shaped Roma tomatoes. Yellow or green tomatoes have a slightly different taste.

And farmers' markets have begun to offer dozens of heirloom varieties such as green zebra and cherokee purple.

Any large, firm tomato will work in the following recipe from the American Institute for Cancer Research:

Stuffed Tomatoes with Feta and Pine Nuts

Nonstick cooking spray
1 Tbsp. pine nuts
4 large, ripe tomatoes
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
1 green bell pepper, seeded and minced1/2 cup yellow squash, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a shallow baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In small skillet, toast pine nuts over medium heat for 2 minutes until golden brown, shaking pan frequently. Set aside. Slice off stem end (top) of tomatoes.

Using a spoon, gently scoop out pulp. Finely chop pulp and place 1/3 cup of pulp in a large bowl (discard any remaining pulp).

Add rice to pulp along with toasted pine nuts, bell pepper, yellow squash, 2 tablespoons of feta, minced onion, oregano, basil, salt and black pepper. Mix well.

Stuff rice mixture into tomato shells. Transfer tomatoes to pan and top with remaining feta cheese. Bake 20 minutes, until top is golden. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: calories, 120; total fat, 4 g; saturated fat, 2 g; carbohydrate, 18 g; protein, 4 g; dietary fiber, 5 g; sodium, 119 mg.

Nubella News, a division of Marketing Technology Solutions, Inc., offers content intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We encourage our readers to seek prompt medical care for health issues and consult their physicians before starting a new diet, fitness regimen, or medical treatment.