When I first moved at the end of May, I was prepared for a host of new and exciting experiences –I was ready for anything.  Last night I had a chance to have another new and exciting experience – tomato beer, also known as “red beer.”  My friends were shocked that I’d never heard of this cocktail, and pleased when I enjoyed it, especially when I added a dash or two of hot sauce to the mixture of beer and tomato juice.  I suppose you learn something new every day, and I got the added bonus of inspiration for my first blog entry as well.

Tomatoes have come a long way from their humble beginnings – originally, folks thought they were poisonous because of the flowers’ resemblance to the deadly nightshade plant.   This wasn’t too off-base, as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes are all in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) taxonomically.  The tomato’s specific Latin name is Lycopersicum esculentum. Why this fuss over the tomato’s heritage?  As we continue our journey delving into the plant kingdom, it’s likely that perhaps you’ll want to try your hand at growing some of these creatures.  Learning the taxonomic names of plants is learning the secret language of the nursery world.  Common names vary regionally, so if you ask for “Common Sage” in Oregon, you could theoretically get a very different plant specimen from what you’d be purchasing in Missouri.  Tomatoes, thankfully, are easy to pick out in a lineup, and easy to grow, as well.  They just need full sun, lots of water, and a cage or a pole to stake them to.  Plant them in the early spring, and plant some basil nearby to keep pests away.

But is the tomato a fruit or a vegetable?  Usually, we define a fruit as a body that has seeds housed in a fleshy ovary, which would make the tomato a fruit.  However, the Supreme Court of the US thinks differently.  Seriously.  There was a court case in 1893 (Nix v. Hedden) that defined the tomato as a vegetable, based on the grounds that we usually eat it for dinner, not dessert.  However, Arkansas has reached a compromise – the tomato is both the official state fruit and the official state vegetable.

One of my favorite things to make with tomatoes is a spicy tomato chutney with some Indian flavors.  This dish takes a little while to make, and calls for some exotic spices, but it’s well worth it.  You can use green tomatoes in the recipe too.  This is a great recipe to use right now, when it’s almost time to pick all the tomatoes left on the vines and save them before frost.  Enjoy your tomatoes, however you eat or classify them, and check back next Sunday for my take on another locally produced vegetable (or fruit… or is it a vegetable?)!

Tomato Chutney

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tsp of coriander seed

2 Tsp of cumin seed

2 Tsp of mustard seed

2 Tbsp of paprika

1 Tbsp of cumin

1 Tbsp of chili powder

Approximately 1” of fresh ginger root

4 cloves garlic, diced finely

¼ cup of apple cider vinegar

3 green chiles

1 spicy Thai pepper, either dried or whole

About 2 pounds tomatoes

1 large yellow onion, diced finely

Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the seeds (this is a good rule for making Indian food – always season the oil in your pan first, before adding any other ingredients).  Cook them until they start popping and sizzling, then throw in your peppers, and totally char them on all sides.  Once the peppers are charred, add the garlic and ginger, and cook until the garlic is done.  Add the onion, tomatoes, and vinegar, then turn the heat down to low, add as much salt as you like, and let it cook for as long as you can stand.  The chutney should be like a thick paste, and tastes delicious over naan bread. 

For this article, I consulted Wikipedia’s entry on tomatoes, as well as Penelope Ody’s Natural Health: Complete Guide to Medicinal Herbs, 2000 (on Amazon or search for 'book stores' near you in the directory).