20110124 Tomatoes (1)

Tomatoes

They are more than just delicious

What is your favorite way to eat tomatoes? Do you enjoy them raw, red and juicy in a salad? Or do you prefer them cooked on a pizza or in a soup or sauce? No matter how you eat them, they are good for you. The tomato is a true super food that contains many nutrients, including lycopene. These substances can help fight cancer and prevent heart disease.

But people have not always enjoyed tomatoes. For years, people thought they were poisonous. It wasn’t until the 16th century that people in Europe started to eat them. It took until 1820 for Americans to learn to enjoy them. But now each American eats an average of 22 pounds of tomatoes per year!

When you buy tomatoes, choose deep red and sweet-smelling ones. Or grow your own! Tomato plants can easily be grown in pots on a balcony. Keep tomatoes at room temperature. If you put them in the refrigerator, their ripening process changes and ruins the flavor. Have a tomato today! It may just keep the doctor away!

raw adj. 生的/沒有煮熟的

=> not cooked

eg: Raw beef is served as the appetizer for the meal.

=> 這個套餐的開胃菜是生牛肉

eg: The chicken is still raw. You need to cook it longer.

=> 這個雞肉還是生的，你得再煮一下。

eg: If you process fish properly, it can be eaten raw.

=> 如果你會處理魚類，魚是可以生食的。

ripen v. 成熟

=> a fruit matures

eg: When mangoes ripen, they turn yellow and red.

=> 當芒果成熟時會變成黃色和紅色

eg: Apples ripen during the fall.

=> 蘋果在秋季成熟

ripen v. 使成熟

eg: The high temperature ripened the melon quickly.

=> 高溫使哈密瓜快速地成熟

ruin v 破壞/毀壞

=> destroy

eg: Too much seasoning ruined the natural flavor of the steaks.

=> 太多調味品破壞了牛排的自然風味

eg: Her bad temper ruined her chances of succeeding in her profession.

=> 她的壞脾氣破壞了她在專業中成功地機會

eg: Parents can ruin their kids by giving them too much freedom.

=> 父母對孩子們過度放縱可能會寵壞他們

nutrient n. 營養

lycopene n. 番茄紅素

poisonous adj. 有毒的

balcony n. 陽臺/露臺

//== Chat room ==//

salad n. 沙拉

green salad 生菜沙拉

= garden salad 花園沙拉

=> 放萵苣或是一些綠色蔬菜

=> green salad為正餐前上的一道開胃菜

bound salad

=> 一種濃稠的混合沙拉，和生菜沙拉完全不同

=> 可以夾到麵包裡，做成三明治。

=> bound salad的種類有鮪魚沙拉、鮪魚沙拉、雞肉沙拉、馬鈴薯沙拉和義大利麵沙拉

=> 這種沙拉是不必加沙拉醬的，因為本身就有很重的口味

chicken salad 雞肉沙拉

egg salad 鮪魚沙拉

tuna salad 鮪魚沙拉

potato salad

pasta salad

//== Grammer on the go ==//

It wasn't until the 16th century that people in Europe started to eat them.

=> People in Europe started to eat tomatoes in the 16th century.

It wasn't until a certain time or moment that subject + verb

eg: It wasn't until Bob saw his classmates turn in their reports that he realized his own report was still at home.

eg: Even though the team assigned to the project a month ago, it wasn't until yesterday that they finally began to work on it.

//== More information ==//

The Tomato: Is it a fruit or a vegetable? Technically, a tomato is a fruit, since it contains seeds. But for those who think it is eaten more like a vegetable, you have the Supreme Court on your side. Back in 1893 a case was heard in the U.S. Supreme Court over this very question. The court ruled that the tomato was to be considered a vegetable!