By Michelle Fabio

Plant & Food Research, along with Lincoln University, is claiming that tomato sauce may actually be better than raw tomatoes if you want to add more lycopene to your diet.

The research suggests that lycopene is reduced only in small amounts when tomatoes are eaten raw, but processed tomatoes may actually make the lycopene easier to absorb and digest.

Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found naturally in tomatoes and other red-colored fruits and vegetables that reduces the amount of damage done to body cells by oxygen; it is believed to help prevent cancers, heart disease, and other illnesses.

Read the whole story: Forget tomatoes, try tomato sauce.

By Vanessa Richins

The Waldingfield Farm in Washington, Connecticut, has seen a lot of crops since it was begun in the 1780s.

Since the late 1990s, the Horan brothers have been growing mainly tomatoes on this family farm.

This year’s crop was about 28,000 tomato plants, of 80 different heirloom varieties, though unfortunately yields were low due to blight and fungus from too much moisture.

Starting in 2006, the farm started making perishable products such as salad dressings and pesto.

Their main focus is producing a shelf stable heirloom tomato sauce. They experimented with many different kinds of Read the rest of this entry »

By Michael Nolan

I don’t think I have mention this on Tomato Casual as of yet but I was a vegetarian for eleven years, four of which I lived a strict raw foods vegan diet.

This is a recipe that I created out of my desire to recreate the pasta dishes I loved so much without breaking the guidelines of my diet at the time.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds of fresh, ripe tomatoes (about three large or five medium)
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3 Tablespoons of olive oil (Extra Virgin if possible)
• 1/4 cup of fresh herbs (basil, oregano and chives are my favorites)
• sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
If you feel the need, peel the tomatoes (I never do). You can Read the rest of this entry »