Amid all the upscale restaurants, complicated cuisines and sophisticated ingredients out there, sometimes the simple things give you the most pleasure.
Growing up poor in North Jersey, I had to help my father sell produce out of the back of his truck. At lunchtime, he’d stop at some little store, buy a loaf of Italian bread, and we’d find a place where we could pull off to the side of the road. He’d put down a piece of cardboard for a cutting board, slice the bread, a tomato, and an onion, and make us tomato sandwiches.
At the time, I hated selling produce out of that truck with Pop; now I wish I could relive that experience with him and the fresh, flavorful taste of those sandwiches. There’s nothing better than ripe, red tomatoes and good bread.
Spring Tomatoes That Taste Great
Tomatoes are a fruit, but we treat them like a vegetable. Thomas Jefferson grew tomatoes at Monticello back in 1781, but they didn’t really start to become popular here until after the Civil War. Since then, the tomato has become the third most popular vegetable in America, after potatoes and lettuce.
Tomatoes on the stem continue to receive nutrients through the stem, which makes them sweeter. Photo courtesy of Pete Napolitano
In winter and early spring, it’s very hard to find a good-tasting tomato. But as tomato lovers know, they’re worth looking for. At this time of year, grape and cherry tomatoes with stems attached are your best bet. With stems attached, they will continue to receive nutrients from the stem that will make the tomato sweeter; they’re always about 50 percent sweeter than regular tomatoes.
In winter and early spring, cherry tomatoes from Israel are a great choice; picked ripe, they’re very small and very sweet. The Canadians also have produced a “baby tomato” that’s a little smaller than a golf ball and has excellent flavor.
Cherry tomatoes from Mexico are also a safe bet because, again, they’re picked a little later and are a little riper. I don’t necessarily recommend cherry tomatoes from California because they tend to be watery and mushy.
Five Fun Facts on Cherry and Grape Tomatoes
- Just 1-2 inches in diameter
- At only 1-2 calories each, they’re a dieter’s dream
- First grown in Taiwan, grape tomatoes were introduced to North American consumers in the 1990s
- Great sources of vitamin C as well as lycopene, a compound that gives tomatoes their red color; lycopene is also a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage that can lead to cancer
- Sweet, flavorful and easy to eat, but be careful not to overindulge because eating too many can give you acid reflux or other digestive issues
Selection and Storage
Look for good red color and stems that are still attached. While not always the case, tomatoes with stems missing may have been sitting around too long.
Don’t ever refrigerate any kind of tomatoes because they’ll lose their flavor and texture. Also, don’t wash them or remove their stems until you’re ready to use them. Finally, never ripen tomatoes on the windowsill or in the sun; just leave them on the counter, stem end up, and in a relatively cool place–not right next to the stove or the dishwasher.
Preparation
Tomatoes are outstanding as toppings on sandwiches and pizza, made into sauce, scrambled with eggs or in a frittata, or built into any kind of salad or crudité platter. But being the simple guy I am, I also love tomatoes eaten right out of hand or thrown together with a tasty vinaigrette. My wife, Bette, makes an easy tossed grape tomato salad that we love. I know you’ll enjoy it, too, and I hope you’ll capitalize on all the sweet spring tomatoes you can get your hands on this season!
Bette’s Grape Tomato Salad Italiano
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to taste
- 3 tablespoons basil, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Cut tomatoes in half and place in a salad bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. Toss again right before serving and enjoy!
About “Produce Pete” Napolitano
With over 65 years of experience in the produce industry, New Jersey’s own “Produce Pete” Napolitano is a renowned fruit and vegetable expert, author, and tv personality who’s appeared on a highly-popular segment on NBC’s Weekend Today in New York broadcast every Saturday mornings for over 28 years. For more information, visit producepete.com.
About Susan Bloom
A regular contributor to New Jersey Monthly and a variety of other well-known local and national publications, Susan Bloom is an award-winning New Jersey-based freelance writer who covers topics ranging from health and lifestyle to business, food, and more. She’s collaborated with Produce Pete on a broad range of articles for over a decade.
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