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Tomatoes- delicious for agriculturists and cooks
 

Tomatoes could kill us, for they are members of the poisonous nightshade plant family, but instead they have become a favorite food for people around the world. If we eat enough tomatoes, I suppose they could harm us – but so would peppers and eggplants, which also belong to the nightshade family.

Authorities on tomatoes, which I’m not, say indigenous people in the Andes Mountains of South America first consumed them about 3,000 years ago. Their consumption gradually spread into Central and North America.

Spanish conquistadors brought this New World food to Europe in the 16th century, where tomatoes, along with their nightshade cousins potatoes and peppers, were greeted with skepticism at first, and later with great culinary appreciation.

Eventually, ocean-going traders brought tomatoes to Asia, Africa and most places around the world, where people discovered the delights of eating tomatoes and their edible nightshade relatives. What they didn’t know didn’t hurt them, even though tomatoes sometimes made their dogs and cats sick.

Illness reactions to tomatoes and other members of the nightshade family can occur, especially for animals, because they contain a toxic alkaloid, solanine, which is characteristic of the Solanaceae (nightshade) family.

Tomatoes reminded Europeans of belladonna, which reputedly was used to fatally poison the wives of two Roman Emperors – Augustus and Claudius – and to coat the tips of deadly arrows. Belladonna was obtained from European nightshade plants.

I know that the weed black nightshade can kill livestock. As a farm boy, I sometimes witnessed one of my father’s pastured calves die unexpectedly. When a veterinarian posted the calf, its inside skin and fat appeared a telltale yellow. An inspection of the pasture usually confirmed the presence of black nightshade.

Cattle sometimes consumed the plant leaves, not the berries, especially when the pasture grasses and legumes were sparse.

The earliest tomatoes of the Western Hemisphere were gooseberry-sized and yellow when ripe. Their close relatives, tomatillos, contained husks similar to the ground cherries my mother and grandmothers used to make delicious jam.

By applying careful observation and selection, Native Central and South Americans reduced tomato and tomatillo toxicity. Later tomato breeders selectively produced larger, firmer, prettier and more disease-resistant tomatoes; recent genetic modifications improved frost tolerance.

However, tastiness gradually declined. Heirloom varieties of tomatoes have gained favor with consumers because of their wonderful flavor.

China produces the most tomatoes. The United States ranks third in overall production and yield per square mile. Tomato farmers in The Netherlands produce six times more tomatoes per square mile than their nearest competitors, according to a September 2017 National Geographic article.

Dutch growers export the second-most vegetables, including tomatoes, despite the country’s small size, sea-level location and northern latitude that is 1,000 miles from the Arctic Circle.

I have been the main tomato producer in our family for 50 years; now our son, Jon, exceeds my cultivation of tomatoes and turns them into delectable salsa and marinara sauce. Marilyn and both of our children are great cooks, but for years no family member made better salsa than me.

My salsa used to be called Mike’s Salsa, until 20-some years ago this September. I was the director of the local behavioral health center and a busy psychologist as well as a farmer. Because of a schedule conflict, I asked a professional colleague to assume “on call” responsibilities in my stead for a night, which she did.

The next day I thanked her with a pint jar of salsa I had made. Unbeknownst to me, her husband entered my salsa into the annual salsa-making contest that accompanied the River City Roundup rodeo and livestock show in Omaha. Mike’s Salsa won!

Neither my colleague nor her husband gave me the cash prize, but that wasn’t necessary, for I have basked ever since in the glory of having my sauce called Mike’s Famous Salsa. Here is the recipe, which uses mostly ingredients produced in my garden:

•Fresh ripe tomatoes of several varieties, diced bite-size

•Peppers of all types, like green and red sweet bells, jalapenos, yellow banana peppers, hot cherry peppers, and other varieties available in the garden (every salsa batch is different)

•Sliced and diced red sweet onions

•Diced garlic

•Lots of chopped basil

•About 50 tiny leaves of fresh thyme

•A couple dashes of salt

Put all the ingredients into a large metal pot and add enough water to bring the waterline just below the veggies; heat it on a stove. Gradually bring the mixture to a boil for 1 minute, then set it aside to cool just a bit.

Taste it and, if necessary, add whatever you think it needs – usually a tad more peppers. If it needs thickening, stir in some cornstarch.

Reheat the salsa to boiling for another minute and take it off the stove. While still hot, ladle the salsa into sterilized jars and seal with lids. Store the salsa in the refrigerator until eaten.

 

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Dr. Mike Rosmann is a psychologist and farmer in western Iowa. Readers may contact him at mike@agbehavioralhealth.com

9/22/2017