ROASTED TAMARILLO RECIPE AND HEALTH BENEFITS by Dom Livkimal

Tamarillos’ are a delicious addition to your meals. They are slightly bitter and depending on whether you add honey and other fruits or salts and vegetables they fit pretty well into so many sweet and savoury dishes

Solanum betaceum are a ” tree tomato” and grow really well in most climates. They were originally a native in the northern Andes in South America and in the 1890s became a popular fruit in New Zealand. Today they are growing everywhere and the good news is they grow from a cutting. So if your friends have some in their garden, it’s a short leap to your garden!

Today I want to share with you a recipe for roasted Tamarillos. I cook with them seasonally and right now they are in my garden at the herbal dispensary! So, I’m guessing they are ripe in your garden too!

They are really healthy. Did you know that they contain Vitamin C? Yes, well that’s obvious by their colour. They were originally a yellow fruit and you can still get the original versions. They taste exactly the same. The red tamarillo is the hybridised version and was developed by our Kiwi neighbours across the ditch in the 1920s to make them more visually appealing to the market. That’s when they started calling them tree tomatoes.

They are also high in antioxidants and help reduce oxidative stress and assist liver function. They also contain chlorogenic acid that helps the uptake of insulin back into the bloodstream and is now being researched for diabetes type 2 relief! This is all good news on the food as medicine front.

Here’s a recipe I made yesterday and really wanted to share it with you.

Roasted Tamarillos

1. Take as many tamarillos as you like, cut them in half and place them on a baking dish with the inside facing the top and sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt.

2. Bake in a moderate oven about 175 degrees C for 30 minutes.

3. Take out of the oven and sprinkle with a little honey or maple syrup while they are hot.

4. Now eat or cool down and pop in fridge for later. They are so good. Enjoy.

We mix them in savoury and sweet dishes, add them to platters and snacks. Have them in salads, or have as a dessert with some coconut ice cream or yoghurt! Yum.