TOMATOES FOR lunch?? Try this dip

TOMATO TRIVIA.....Did you know there are around 7500 tomato varieties grown for various purposes. Heirloom tomatoes are becoming increasingly popular, particularly among home gardeners and organic producers, since they tend to produce more interesting and flavorful crops. YUM... 

Did you also know: Tomatoes, which are actually a fruit and not a vegetable, are loaded with all kinds of health benefits for the body. They are in fact, a highly versatile health product and due to their equally versatile preparation options, there's really no reason to neglect the tomato as part of a healthy diet.


One of the most well known tomato eating benefit is its' Lycopene content. Lycopene is a vital anti-oxidant that helps in the fight against cancerous cell formation as well as other kinds of health complications and diseases.!

It takes as little as 540 milliliters of liquid tomato product to get the full benefits of Lycopene. This means that a daily glass of tomato juice has the potential to keep a person healthy for life.

So,where today I may be well over my 540 milliliters... while the gettin is good I am going to get my grub on. SO - WHERE TO  START you ask!? I started with a knife and a tomato and here is what I got..an awesome lunch to begin with!!  If you are not as lucky as I am to have these beauties right outside your door it is fun to get a mixture of different, tasty, local (if possible) tomatoes in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Second, the flavor is brought out by salting the tomatoes, so don't skip this bit, but do use RAW SEA SALT... Some people get worried about putting this much salt on their food, but the bulk of it will drip off, leaving you with really beautiful, intensely flavored tomatoes. Yum. You can EASILY stop there  with your awesome tomatoes, salt and pepper - or what I did today was whip up a little dip..See below, enjoy and have a great start to your week!

Cannellini Bean & Basil Hummus 

• 2 (15-ounce) can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil or less - add slowly so you achieve the texture you want
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1T of fresh chopped parsley
• Fresh Basil to taste ( optional - but with the tomatoes SO GOOD!)
• Raw crackers, cucumbers, tomatoes or any veggies you can find!

Directions

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. YUM YUM YUM!