Golden Tomato Sauce Recipe

This is the season for tomatoes! The Farmer's Market is bursting with Heirlooms of all colors and sizes. Here is a recipe for the multicolored tomatoes you find.

I don't bother peeling the tomatoes here, but you certainly could. You can also do a double or triple batch. The sauce will keep refrigerated for about a week. Also, the color of your tomatoes will dramatically impact the color of your sauce. I like to choose tomatoes that are bright yellow in color, like you see here. Alternatively, yellow tomatoes with a hint of orange make a striking sauce as well.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds or 24 oz ripe yellow (or multi-colored) tomatoes, cored and halved

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Run your finger along the inside of each tomato to remove and discard the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into 1/4-inch chunks, reserve any juice, and set aside.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes in a cold medium sauce pan. Now, heat the ingredients, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to sizzle and take on a bit of color. Stir in the tomatoes and reserved juices, and bring to a simmer. Cook for just a couple minutes, long enough for the tomatoes to start breaking down a bit. Remove from heat, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Makes 2 cups of sauce.

From 101cookbooks.com

More Tips for Summer!

Here are more tips to stay cool this summer:

1. Wear lightweight clothing the lighter the colored clothing (white,being ideal) the more sunlight is reflected away from you. Darker colors absorb the light and heat.
2. Sunburn can happen very easily if you are not careful. Dilute one part Tea Tree Oil with ten parts of olive oil or coconut oil and spread freely over the affected areas. This is soothing and pain-relieving and to reduce blistering and peeling.
3. Schedule your outdoor activities to avoid the hottest parts of the day, and use a buddy system if necessary to keep watch on those at high risk.
4. If you feel dizzy and/or stop sweating, quit all activity and get out of the sun fast. Drink cool, not cold water with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in it. The vinegar helps to replace electrolytes and minerals like sports drinks do.
5. Take a cool bath and relax in the water for 15-20 minutes. Try to submerge as much of your body as possible.

Remedies for Heat Exhaustion

The summer heat can sneak up on you (or during the most recent heatwave, just knock you over!). This time of the summer it is common to experience dehydration, sunburn and actual exhaustion! Children under four, people over 65, and those who are overweight, already ill, or taking medications can be especially affected. Symptoms of heat exhaustion can include heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, dizziness headache and nausea or vomiting. The following blog posts will include remedies for heat exhaustion:

1. Carry water with you and sip it throughout the day. Dehydration can set in and we don't even realize it until we begin to feel thirsty! Often by then, it is too late to avoid dehydration's affects on your body.
2. Pace yourself when working outdoors, exercising or just having fun. Those who participate in regular exercise over time, allowing their bodies to adjust to hot conditions, may better tolerate exercise on hot days.
3. Replace salts and minerals with electolytes such as Smart Water or other drinks that have potassium. Avoid drinks with large amounts of sugar. Dehydration can stress the heart and impair the kidneys' ability to maintain the correct level of fluids and balance of electrolyte. Electrolytes are charged elements—like potassium, sodium, phosporous and chloride—essential for the normal function of every cell in the body.

It's Hot Out There!

Hope you're enjoying a beautiful weekend and staying cool! This is definitely one of the hottest weekends we've had in New York this summer.

When the temperatures soar like this, it's important to stay hydrated. Sipping water with lemon or cucumber is a refreshing way to cool off.

Be careful too if you go out in the sun—wear your sunscreen! You might also want to make sure not to leave food out for too long in direct light. Look what happened to these cupcakes!

Picking the Best Summer Fruit

I don't know about you, but I hate it when I buy a beautiful piece of fruit from the market, only to bite into it and want to spit it right back out. When a fruit is too ripe or not ripe enough, it's a major bummer.

On their Healthy Bites blog, Self magazine staffers offer a guide to choosing the best summer fruits:

Apricots: Plump, pretty firm, velvety skin, even in color with a deep yellow, pinkish hue. Store in fridge.

Peaches: Fragrant, pretty firm, no brown spots. You can ripen underipe peaches in a paper bag for a few days.

Plums: Firm (with a slight given whe you press it), plump, heavy, no brown spots, which means it's been sunburned. You can refrigerate a few days to keep.

Mangoes: Yield slightly to gentle pressure, fragrant, yellow skin blushed with red.

Watermelon: Hard rind that's dull (not shiny), symmetrical (no flat sides). Slap the side of the melon--if you hear a hollow thump, it's a sign it's probably ripe.

Cantaloupe: Sweet scent (but not too strong), deep, thick thump when slapped, heavy.

Tomatoes: Firm (with a slight give when you press it), free from blemishes, and heavy. Don't refrigerate--cold temps kill the flavor.

Festive Summer Cocktails

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! I hope you're all having a beautiful day.

A lot of people like to include a little alcohol in their summer celebrations. When enjoyed in moderation, an occasional drink can help promote heart health—especially fitting, as the season of summer is associated with the heart.

On Everyday Health, a Chinese medicine blog I follow, author Vien-Phuong Nini Mai posted about infusing your drink with herbs.

Why not try their suggestion of mint, ginger, and gogi berries?

Cheers!

Natural Sunscreen

Happy Memorial Day! You know what that means—Summer is right around the corner. Hope you have a wonderful long weekend planned. I can’t wait to spend time outside in the sun!

While the best way to stay safe and prevent sunburn is to cover and hang out in the shade, sunscreen helps reduce burns and damage from the UV rays.

If you’re worried about the chemicals and other harsh ingredients contained in most sunscreens why not try a natural, gentler sunscreen? Though I don’t currently carry any at Five Seasons Healing, there are quite a few on the market from companies such as Aubrey Organics, Badger Balm, California Baby, and Dermalogica.

Enjoy a happy and healthy holiday!