Greetings from the backyard gardens! Tomatoes, Basil leaves and herbs are exploding off every plant and we couldn’t be happier! Especially, because over 100 tomatoes are at their peak now — shiny and bright red!  Filled with vitamin C and lycopene, the disease-fighting all-star antioxidant, tomatoes are undisputedly everyone’s favourite fruit across the globe!

Tomatoes, which are full of many vitamins and minerals are known to protect against heart disease, prostate cancer, and asthma. They also help to ensure our bones, teeth, skin, and hair stay healthy.

Basil, which is considered the herb of summer, is a member of the mint family.  It has a floral aroma and is a bit spicy and a bit sweet. It is believed that it is best to tear basil leaves rather than chop them as the metal from the knife can alter the taste. You can buy basil in dried form, but it is best when fresh. The most known pairing of basil is with tomatoes, and here are a few recipe ideas which we’ve tried at home!

There’s no shortage of ways to enjoy them — tomato jam, tomato pickles, tomato curry, tomato rasam, tomato gojju….You can even make pasta sauce, bruschetta. The list is endless.

Here’s the short version recipes for both these simple yet delicious dishes!

Jam

This tomato jam is both flavourful and sweet with a deep, rich color!  Tomatoes are slowly cooked down in a mixture of granulated and brown sugars, cider and balsamic vinegars, lemon juice, salt, coriander, and cumin.  Adding a generous amount of chopped basil to the mixture which sends this tomato jam over the top!

Soup

This Tomato Basil Soup is super easy to make, for those times when you have much time to spend, cooking in the kitchen! It takes only about ten minutes from start to finish.

The flavours of this Tomato Basil Soup are fresh, vibrant, and untainted. The only ingredients are tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, and olive oil for seasoning!

Cook the tomatoes, onion and garlic together in a pan, and then blend it with the fresh basil. If you prefer, add some cashew nuts to make it creamier!

The resulting soup is fresh, aromatic, and incredibly healthy.  Tomato Basil Soup is also fab with grilled cheese sandwiches. Comfort food at it’s finest!

Try out this pairing in your own way! There are some perfect pairings in the world. Peanut butter and jelly, idlis and chutney, chhole with bathuras ! Similarly, tomatoes and basil all are pairings made in heaven, creating dreamy flavor profiles. Growing basil and tomatoes together in your garden  makes perfect sense! We’re enjoying the fruits of it! Just eat…