When you think of the tomato, what first comes to mind, the bright red addition to your leafy green salad, spaghetti sauce, pizza, ketchup, a bowl of soup? How about tomato pie or tomato soup cake? How about roasted and stuffed with rice, ground beef and herbs topped with a slice of melted cheddar cheese? Maybe what comes to mind is a quick, juicy snack as you head out the door on your way to the soccer game or maybe a tall glass of juice with a twist of lemon or a dash of Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce or if you imbibe, a shot of gin or vodka. Any one or several of these things come to mind when you hear the word "tomato".

No matter how you slice it, the tomato is a very healthy fruit, yes, they are really a fruit and not a vegetable though vegetable is the category we of the western world most often place them in. Technically tomatoes are a fruit. No matter, whatever you want to call them, bottom line, they are very good for you and a very versatile food.

Tomatoes are a wonderful source of vitamins C, A and B-1. They are very low in calories but they are also relatively high in acidity but the acidity can be a good thing. More on that in a few. One small tomato contains approximately 250 mg of potassium which we all need daily. Potassium is what controls our blood pressure. You need potassium to help prevent heart attack and stroke and to keep your muscles in tune. Eaten raw, the tomato also contains a fair amount of fiber. The combination of the C, the A, the potassium and the fiber makes the tomato a good cancer fighter as well. Studies have shown that tomato helps top prevent lung, prostate, stomach and intestinal cancers as well as helping to prevent acute appendicitis and are also an aid in regulating cholesterol levels. The tomato seems to be a real health giving, all around good thing to eat.

There was a time, however, when the tomato was considered poisonous, even evil and no one would even think of touching one unless of course you were a witch or other sorcerer wanting to bring harm to another, use them in a brew to make some deadly potion or cast an evil spell on someone who had fallen in disfavor. These thoughts pervaded the early 16th century but by the mid-17th century the tomato had changed sides and was considered to be an aphrodisiac, though I highly doubt anyone became overly passionate from eating them. This notion probably stems from the mistranslation of the name for the tomato in different languages. In some

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