Helen Peacocke on why ‘apples of love’ help to make the perfect romantic meal

It was the herbalist John Gerard, author of Gerard’s Herbal, 1597 who wrongly believed tomatoes to be poisonous given the similarity of their flowers to those of deadly Nightshade and Belladonna. He described them as having “ranke and stinking savour”. As his ideas were influential, tomatoes were virtually ignored until the 18th century.

We call them tomatoes now, but when these delightful little red fruits, which originated in the Andes, first arrived on our shores in the 16th century, they were named “apples of love” or “love apples”. The French called them “pommes d’amore”. Initially they were considered poisonous but were thought to be an aphrodisiac too, which suggests a fascinating combination.

It’s thought that the tomato’s seduct-ive red colour and sensuous sweet flesh had much to do with their supposed aphrodisiac qualities, though of course those early tomatoes actually enjoyed a golden hue. It wasn’t until the arrival of a strain of bright red tomatoes that they finally arrived on the culinary scene, to be matched with pasta in the mid 1700s. They finally began creeping into recipe books by the late 19th century. Today, with the exception of Japan there is hardly a culture that does not embrace this glorious and very versatile little fruit. It’s no wonder that it was seen as the food for lovers. Indeed, at one time it was considered the fruit that the devil used to tempt Adam and Eve. Tomatoes are botanically related to the mandrake — thought to be a love plant — which may have influenced early opinions too.

The amazing health benefits of tomatoes took some time to be appreciated. Now we know tomatoes are stuffed with health-aiding vitamins, and contain the antioxidant lycopene which is said to ward off a number of cancers, reduce the risk of heart disease and help control cholesterol. Lycopene is a natural carotenoid related to its better-known cousin beta-carotene.

While tomatoes are not a magic bullet, and must be eaten as part of a healthy diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables to be effective, this incredibly versatile fruit is now considered one of the world’s healthiest foods. It is certainly not the poisonous fruit our forebears considered it to be. To get the most from a tomato it is best to consume it with fat-rich foods such as avocados, nuts or olive oil. Cooked tomatoes rather than raw ones are considered best as the heat applied to them releases the most lycopene.

Tomatoes can certainly justify the name love apples. And how do you tell if they are ready to eat? When first picked they will have a subtle bloom on their skin and an appetising herby aroma that’s second to none. You are looking for a fruit that offers the perfect juicy balance of sweet and sour. Small cherry tomatoes are the sweetest, having the highest sugar content of all varieties, whereas the large beef tomatoes are considered flavourless. It’s important not to store your tomatoes in the refrigerator when you bring them home. They should just be removed from their packaging and placed in a fruit bowl until needed. Don’t be ashamed of being tempted to pick one out of the bowl when passing, sprinkling it with a little salt and sinking your teeth into its glorious soft flesh, that’s what this seductive little fruit has been created for. It is indeed a perfect St Valentine fruit.

It’s worth thinking about avocado filled with a salsa made from chopped tomato, spring onion and perhaps a little cucumber, then dressed with olive oil as the starter, followed by a tomato pasta, which if created from Carluccio’s heart-shaped pasta pieces proves a perfect St Valentine’s meal. A 500g pack of Carluccio’s Italian heart-shaped pasta — Cuori d Pasta — created from Durum wheat semolina and eggs and flavoured with tomatoes, beetroot and spinach, can be ordered online at www.carluccios.com One of the advantages of these heart-shaped pasta pieces is that they are designed such that each piece is capable of holding a generous amount of sauce.

The creamy yet sharp salty tang of feta goes particularly well with the sweet acidity of ripe tomatoes and pasta, creating a romantic combination of flavours, particularly if fresh basil leaves are stirred into the mix towards the end. Provencal sauce is good too as it calls for tomatoes, onions, garlic and black olives.Whilst this combination makes a good cook-in sauce for chicken, it makes for a delicious sauce for pasta.

By finishing your St Valentine meal with an easy-to-eat pink champagne jelly, (see recipe) you will have served the perfect romantic meal –— particularly if it has been cooked with love.