This typically red fruit is one of the basic ingredients of Greek cuisine. The plants usually grow to 1–3 meters in height and have a weak stem. Although in many countries the plants are made to climb, in Greece we let them sprawl over the ground as the scorching summer sun would otherwise damage them. On Kos island tomatoes are cultivated from end of spring to early autumn. Throughout the summer, up until October, tomatoes are wonderfully juicy and full of flavor.
The tomato can become a great snack with just some olive oil and some salt, although, to be honest, I mostly favor the tomato’s pulp spread on toast garnished with olive oil, oregano and a little salt. There are plenty of ways to include the wonderful tomato in a light meal: from the classic Greek salad (with its cucumber, feta cheese, and some olives) through its variations which include some paximadi i.e. rusk (called dakos in Crete and Mirmizeli in Kalymnos) to the much simpler versions such as the tomatosalata (simple tomato salad with some onions), the possibilities are numerous…. For those of you who need something more consistent, there are a myriad of different mouthwatering tomato based traditional Greek dishes like the stuffed tomatoes (with rice and with/or without meat, depending on your preferences) or the strapatsada (kind of scrambled eggs with tomato inside) while the tasty tomato is also widely used as a secondary ingredient in many recipes and sauces.
One of the delicacies of the island is sweet tomato. Unexpectedly through the traditional preparation of this sweet, the tomato flesh remains quite firm and tasty. It is usually packaged in a jar and is a very convenient and original gift to take back home with you. It is an excellent sweet for desert, although a little rich it mixes very well with Greek yoghurt. You should definitely give it a try…
