I think people are getting the hang of it.
Turmeric I mean. I think not only are they learning how to properly spell it (not tumeric), but they can pronounce it too (correctly with two “r” consonants)! YAY for linguistics! (I have a secret love of language and linguistics–I wish that had been my college major. Seriously!)
But back to people. They’re also realizing the use of turmeric beyond South East Asian cuisine. I’ve certainly realized from teaching culinary medicine classes that we need to create recipes that are more approachable, yet use turmeric and other healing spices without affecting too much of the true original flavor.
I LOVE (and so do my students) these easy to make Italian-style roasted tomatoes.
Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Turmeric and other Healing Spices
So they don’t taste like curry, which is a good thing in this case. But they have turmeric in them, just a little, because more would be a bit too overpowering in my opinion. The general individual shouldn’t have to take turmeric supplements if you do this type of thing: sneak a little in here and there in your cooking, when it makes sense. Use the dried powdered turmeric or fresh grated if you can find it. But it doesn’t matter which form you get it in (at this point in my research), it’s that you get it in with a little black pepper to make the curcumin (the phytonutrient) more bioavailable. Here’s a great article summarizing other benefits of turmeric (and curcumin).
By the way, these are the kind of little tidbits of information you get from myself and Dr. Shelly when you take our culinary medicine classes. She’ll present you with more about the evidence behind the science and we’ll answer questions like how much turmeric do you really need every day and so so much more. We just posted another class and more will come in the Fall!
Back to this recipe: it’s not only turmeric that’s the star of this recipe. I call it phyto-rich because marjoram and oregano, even DRIED, are powerhouses of antioxidants. They raise the antioxidant value exponentially! Now, here you go!
- 2 pounds cherry tomatoes, all sliced in half
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, tossing well.
- Spread out the oiled seasoned tomato halves on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through. When done, they should still be a little bit juicy and not totally dried out. Some of the juices might even leak out and stick to the pan. Eat these tomatoes as is or throw them into a pasta dish or as a side with heart-healthy fish.
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Always looking for ways to sneak more turmeric into my day. Nice!
I have been using soooo much turmeric in my recipes lately. It’s become kinda a joke at our place, my fiance will look at the orange tinge to the food and say “…Did you put turmeric in this?” and I’ll answer with my classic “You can’t taste it!” Haha. It’s such a subtle taste that I put it in so many foods to make our meals a little healthier.
That is so awesome to hear! I agree with you; a little does no harm in flavor at least! But a lot is too strong for some cuisines IMHO! Thanks for leaving a comment!