Tomatoes can be added to salads like Roasted Corn and Tomato Salad and shared on the salad bar or added as a salad topping on the bar. Add them to your recipes for entrees, side dishes, pasta sauces, and sun-dried tomatoes are a great addition in dressings! Incorporate them into toppings for entrees like tacos, create toppings for side dishes like a “Spicy Salsa “, or share them as a sweet taste test item.
Agriculture Facts:
- The heaviest tomato on record weighed in at 3.51 kg (7 pounds 12 ounces) and was grown by G. Graham in 1986, Oklahoma.
- Because the tomato has seeds and grows from a flowering plant botanically it is classed as a fruit, not a vegetable.
- China is the largest producer of tomatoes, accounting for one-quarter of the world’s production in 2009. The United States and India and the second and third highest producers, respectively.
- There are more than 7500 tomato varieties grown around the world.
- An Heirloom Tomato is generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family with certain, specific characteristics. Heirloom tomatoes come from all around the globe and include varieties like Tigerella (an English striped tomato) and Schimmeig Stoo of the Isle of Man (from England), Azoychka (a yellow tomato from Russia), Cherokee Chocolate (one of the oldest U.S. varieties), and Blondkopfchen (“little blonde girl” cherry tomato from Germany).
Nutrition and Food Facts:
- Tomatoes are low in sodium and very low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
- Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium, and Manganese.
- Keep in mind that cooking destroys the Vitamin C, so for these benefits, tomatoes need to be eaten raw.
- Tomatoes are the major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.
- Tomatoes fight inflammation and improve your eye health!
Literature and Lore:
- Tomatoes are the state vegetable of New Jersey. They are the official state fruit of Ohio and tomato juice is the official beverage of Ohio. However, Arkansas took both sides by stating the South Arkansas Vine Ripe Pink Tomato as the state fruit and state vegetable, due to its culinary and botanical classifications!
- The biggest tomato fight in the world happens each year in the small Spanish town of Buaol. The festival called La Tomatina involves some 40,000 people throwing 150,000 tomatoes at each other!
Spread the word and build partnerships
Don’t be a solo act. Invite your community to the table!
Promote in-house:
- Announcements
- Newsletters
- Website
- Social media
- Events (health fairs, open houses, garden working events, back to school, holiday activities, parents night, sporting events)
- Meetings (PTO, wellness committee, board of directors, staff professional learning days)
- Food tastings during events
Promote in your community:
- Report on activities and share pictures with news sources
- Share with community partners for their websites, social media and newsletters
- Post fliers at public places (libraries, health centers, non-profit hospitals, garden groups, local farm hubs, farmers markets, health agencies)
- Ask students to create and publicize local food stories – include photos or create videos
Invite others onsite to get involved:
- Build impact by engaging culinary arts, Future Farmers of America, wellness, botany, ecocentric and garden programs
- Create relationships and engage non-profit hospitals, garden groups, local farm hubs, farmers markets, health agencies and advocates
- Find support in local culinary leaders and businesses
Curricular Connections and Activities
Early childcare/preschool:
- Tomato Exploration from Growing Minds. Click here to view the PDF.
- Florida’s T is for Tomato Lessons, click here to view the PDF.
K-12:
- Vermont’s Harvest of the Month activities for tomatoes, grades K-4. Click here to view the PDF of the lessons.
- Tomato Trivia from Ag in the Classroom. Click here to find the curriculum search function.
- Florida Tomatoes lesson plans and activities for tomatoes for students grades 1-3, and grades 4-6.
- Harvest for Healthy Kids’ lesson plan for tomatoes. Follow this link and download the PDF lesson plans for tomatoes.
- Fresh From the Farm lesson plan for grades 3-5. Click here to view and download the PDF (pgs. 4.1-4.6).
- Tomato Lesson from U of I Extension in Champaign. Click here for the PDF.
Menu Logos – right click to save these images
Recipes
We have many recipes for you to look through in our Recipe Index! Here you can see take-home recipes for use in the community as well as more choices for your cafeteria. We have hot and cold recipes for most foods. Be sure to use the provided icons on your menu!
Featured Food Service Recipe: Grilled Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad
Featured CACFP Recipe: Corn, Zucchini, and Tomato Pie
Featured Home Recipe 1: Baked Tomatoes with Quinoa, Corn, and Green Chilis
Featured Home Recipe #2: Summer Tomato, Onion, and Cucumber Salad