Tomatoes are one of the first vegetables I can remember growing in our garden at home when I was little. As one of the most popular veggie plants to grow in Louisiana, it can be planted in pots or gardens, and produce 5 or more pounds of edible fruit per plant. Tomatoes are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, not to mention providing a beautiful color contrast to any dish. Low in calories, tomatoes are a good source of vitamin A and C, along with folate, potassium, dietary fiber, potassium, biotin, and much more. Tomatoes provide a great option to add a vegetable to any meal of the day. Add them to a breakfast sandwich, egg scramble or omelet. Toss into salads with dark leafy greens – the vitamin C from tomatoes will help to absorb the iron provided by spinach. They make a great addition to any side dish or can be the feature of a main entrée. Being in season during summer there is an abundance of varieties to try at local Farmer’s Markets and produce stands. Try this fun summertime recipe:
Tomato -Watermelon Gazpacho with Thai Basil and Jalapeno 
Servers 6, 25-minute prep, 90-minute chill
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb large tomatoes (3 or 4), seeded and juices
- 2 ½ cups chopped seedless watermelon
- 2 cups English cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (leave some seeds if heat wanted)
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Spanish sherry vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- 15 basil leaves, roughly chopped (can sub some mint leaves for some basil)
- 2 Tbsp plain low-fat Greek yogurt
Directions
- Place tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, shallot, jalapeno, and garlic in a blender; add oil, vinegar, salt, basil. Blend until fairly smooth but still retaining a bit of texture (if soup is too thick, thin with ¼ cup tomato juice); chill 90 minutes or overnight
- Serve garnished with yogurt and basil leaves
Nutrition (1 cup soup + 2 Tbsp garnish)
Calories: 81 Fat 4g sodium: 201mg Total Carb: 6g Fiber 3g Sugar 6g Protein 3g
SmartPoints value: 1
Source: Weightwatchers July/August 2016 issue