Tantalizing tomatoes.

A plant of the New World, the tomato is native to the lower Andes, in particular Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Early explorers took seeds to Europe where tomatoes remained ornamental for many years. Botanists correctly classified them with the poisonous nightshade family and assumed that they too were deadly, when in reality only the leaves and stems are toxic. Even into the mid-nineteenth century North Americans refused to eat them. Cookbooks said they should be cooked for three hours. The general population developed a taste for raw tomatoes in the twentieth century.

Technically the tomato is a fruit, since it is classified botanically as a berry. Typically in meal planning it is used as a vegetable. Today tomatoes are used in diets around the world in a variety of ways. Italians use them in sauces and salads. Americans slice them for sandwiches, dice them for salads, stuff them with egg salad, cook them with sugar and spice for ketchup. Mexicans mince them with cilantro, onions, and chilies for salsa. The French use them in ratatouille, the Spanish in gazpacho. The Swedes use tomato paste in their smorgasbords, and the Norwegians flavor a spread with them. Fried green tomatoes are part of the cuisine of the American South, while New Englanders bake them in sweet green tomato pie.

Tomatoes provide a variety of nutrients for very few calories. At 35 calories, a raw medium-sized tomato has 2 grams of fiber, which compares to 8 grams in an ear of corn, or 5 grams in a half cup of green peas, or 3 grams in a half cup of broccoli. Half of the vitamin C requirement for a day comes from a medium-sized tomato. It is an excellent source of betacarotene, potassium, iron, and the antioxidant lycopene.

Add the color, flavor, and nutrients of tomatoes to your menus by trying the following recipes.

Fresh Tomato Salad

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes
1-2 T. olive oil
1/8 t. salt or to taste
1-2 T. fresh basil, chopped
1-2 t. green onion, chopped

Slice tomatoes onto a shallow serving platter. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, basil, and green onion. Servings: 4. Calories per serving: 43; protein: 1.5 grams; fat: 1.5 grams; beta-carotene: 1,928 IU.

Cherry Tomato Saute

1 T. olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2-3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 t. salt or to taste

Heat oil in large skillet. Add tomatoes and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Cook until soft, but not C? until they burst. Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley. Toss to coat. Season with salt. Servings: 6. Calories per serving: 34; protein: .7 grams; fat: 2.4 grams; beta-carotene: 857 IU.

Other herbs to season tomatoes include: bay leaf, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.

Ratatouille

cooking spray
1 cup onion, sliced
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1 cup yellow bell pepper strips
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 t. salt
2 cups zucchini, sliced
3 medium tomatoes, cut
in quarter-inch slices
1 small eggplant, peeled and cut
in quarter-inch slices

Heat oven to 350 [degrees] F. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet and add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; saute 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Combine cheese, basil, oregano, and salt. Arrange half of zucchini, tomato, and eggplant slices in a 13" x 9" pan coated with cooking spray. Top with half of onion mixture and sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients. Cover and bake for 40 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves: 8 with 1-cup servings. Calories per serving: 60; protein: 3.9 grams; fat: 2.2 grams; betacarotene: 790 IU.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

1 onion, chopped
1 T. olive oil
2 pounds tomatoes, peeled
and roughly chopped
1/4 t. salt or to taste

In large skillet, saute onion in oil until soft, but not browned. Add tomatoes and simmer on low for 10 minutes or until soft, yet brightly colored. Puree mixture in blender or food processor. Season with salt. Yield: 6 servings. Calories per serving: 58; protein: 1.6 grams; fat: 2.6 grams; beta-carotene: 1,714 IU.

Use with savory dishes pastas, or vegetables. May season with fresh basil or at saute stage add minced garlic and/or sliced mushrooms.

Fresh Tomato and Herb Pizza

Pizza dough:
1 1/2 t. active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar
1 T. olive oil
2 1/2 cups flour

Tomato mixture:
cooking spray
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 t. salt
2 cups yellow tomato, chopped
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 T. fresh basil, chopped
2 T. fresh oregano, chopped

Dissolve yeast in warm water in bowl; let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, salt, and olive oil. Add flour and stir until dough barely holds together. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead until soft and silky; add a little flour as necessary. Place dough in oiled bowl; turn dough to coat with oil. Cover and let rise until double in bulk (about 1 hour).

Spray skillet with cooking oil. Heat and add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in plum tomatoes and salt.

Punch down dough and roll into two 12-inch circles. Place on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim. Preheat oven to 450 [degrees] F. Spread dough with plum tomato mixture. Divide chopped yellow tomato between the two crusts. Sprinkle each pizza with 1 cup of cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle each pizza with 1 tablespoon each of basil and oregano. Serve hot. Yield: 8 servings of 2 slices each. Calories per serving: 256; protein: 12.0 grams; fat: 6.8 grams; betacarotene: 1,301 IU.

Stuffed Tomatoes

4 large beefsteak tomatoes
1/4 t. salt, or to taste
1 onion, chopped
2 T. oil
1/2 pound zucchini, cut into
quarter-inch pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 T. parsley, chopped
coriander sprigs

Cut off and reserve the tops of the tomatoes; scoop out the pulp. Chop the pulp and season with salt. Place pulp in greased shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the inside of each tomato with salt and turn upside down on paper towel to drain. Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F. To make the stuffing, saute the onion in oil 4 minutes; add zucchini, corn, garlic, and parsley. Cook gently until zucchini is tender (5 minutes or less). Spoon mixture into tomatoes. Stand the tomatoes in baking dish on top of pulp; replace tops and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until tomatoes are just tender. Garnish with coriander sprigs and serve hot. Serves: 4. Calories per serving: 140; protein: 3.5 grams; fat: 7.3 grams; beta-carotene: 1,793 IU.

Tomato Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 T. olive oil
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled and
sliced, or one 14 ounce can
tomatoes
1 quart vegetable stock or water
1/4 t. salt or to taste
basil sprigs

Saute onion in large saucepan with oil. Add potatoes; cover, and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent browning of the vegetables. Add vegetable stock or water; cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Puree soup in blender or food processor and add salt to taste. Reheat gently without boiling. Serve in bowls garnished with basil sprigs. Serves: 4. Calories per serving: 123; protein: 2.6 grams; fat: 3.8 grams; betacarotene: 1,285 IU.

Zesty Salsa

1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 4-ounce can green chilies, diced
2 t. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. salt

Combine all ingredients. Allow to marinate one hour before serving. Delicious with entree or as a dip for vegetables or chips. Makes: 2 cups. Calories per tablespoon: 2; protein: .09 grams; fat: .02 grams; beta-carotene: 62 IU.

Fried Green Tomatoes

4 medium-sized green tomatoes
1/8 t. salt or to taste
1/3 cup flour
vegetable oil, for frying
1 egg, slightly beaten

Slice tomatoes about a half-inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Dust slices with flour on all sides. Heat skillet with about a quarter-inch depth of oil. Dip tomato slices into egg to coat all sides. Fry tomatoes, about half at a time, turning once, until golden brown on all sides. Serve hot. Serves: 6. Calories per serving: 70; protein: 2 grams; fat: 8 grams; beta-carotene: 929 IU.

If the first frost of fall leaves the garden with unripened green tomatoes on the vine, this will be an excellent use of the fruit.

RELATED ARTICLE: It's a Berry; It's a Fruit; It's a Vegetable

When was the last time you had a really good tomato? Are you so accustomed to the pale, cardboard tomatoes in the stores that you have forgotten what they are supposed to taste like? Because it has become so important to make sure that tomatoes survive great shipping distances, most of the advances in growing and hybridizing have been economical, rather than nutritional or gastronomical.

Among the most recognizable varieties in the stores are the cherry tomato (round and bitesized), the plum tomato (small and egg-shaped) and the slicing tomato (large and round). Unless you are lucky enough to be able to grow your own, here are some shopping tips you should try to follow:

* Never buy tomatoes from a refrigerated case; the cold damages them. Exposure to temperatures under 55 degrees during growth or after harvest prevents the tomato from ripening properly and developing a full flavor.

* Look for plump, heavy tomatoes with smooth skins. They should be free of bruises; the leaves should be fresh and green.

* Ripe tomatoes are fragrant, but even mature green ones should have a mild fragrance. If they have no aroma at all, they were probably picked when they were still quite immature; they never will ripen.

* Pick a size that works for you. The size has no bearing on the flavor, texture, or quality.

* Tomatoes that are too ripe (if they are not moldy or beginning to rot) can still be used in sauces.

Once you get tomatoes home, you should store them at room temperature. If you want to ripen them more quickly, put them in a paper bag with an apple or a banana to let the ethylene gas from the fruit speed up the process. Keep them out of the sunlight and store them stem-side up so that you don't bruise them. Once they are red and yield slightly to the touch, they will keep for another day or two.

If you must hold on to them longer, put them in the butter compartment (the warmest part) of your refrigerator, but let them come back to room temperature before serving.

When you get ready to slice up your tomatoes, wash them gently in cold water. Then stand the tomatoes upright and cut from top to bottom. This protects the juices. Don't add sliced tomatoes to salads or sandwiches until the last minute, so that they hold on to more of their juice. Salty dressings or condiments tend to draw even more juice out of a tomato.

If you want to use peeled tomatoes and you don't want to use the canned varieties, drop a tomato into boiling water and blanch for 15 to 30 seconds (the harder the tomato, the longer it will take). Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and then cool it under cold running water. The skin will then come off easily with a paring knife. You can do the same thing in a microwave by heating for 15 seconds on high power.

Sheldon Margen, M D, is professor of public health at the University of California, Berkeley, and Dale A. Ogar is managing editor of the University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter. They are the authors of The Simply Healthy Lowfat Cookbook, The Wellness Lowfat Cookbook and The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition.

[C]1996, Sheldon Margen, M D . and Dale A Ogar Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

Georgia E. Hodgkin, Ed. D, R. D, is an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in the School of Allied Health Professions at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California.