Learn the secrets of tomatoes and how they grow with Katie Battazzo. This kitchen-garden extraordinaire converts unused outdoor spaces into gardens that can produce bountiful crops of groceries. She teaches us how to plant and care for these plump, blushing babes and how much joy a ripe tomato brings.  Follow her journey at www.yesfrontyardfresh.com, or on IG @frontyardfresh. Stats referenced from Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook. Meredith’s question about fish genes in tomatoes is answered here: https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/adding-a-fish-gene-into-tomatoes-zmaz00amzgoe/ Eggplant Caponata "Caponata has many forms and recipes. This one is from Joanie Cere, a woman of Italian descent, who used to help us sell at the farmers market. She would take all our market leftovers and return the next week with this deliciousness. Quantity can be adjusted depending on how many baking dishes you own and how much eggplant is starting to wither in your fridge. These amounts are approximate and fill a 13 x 9 x 2 Glad baking dish." Chop into 1 inch cubes: 2 medium Eggplant (peel skin off) 4-5 Peppers, stemmed and seeded 6-8 medium Tomatoes 1-2 medium Onions Also: 6-8 whole Garlic cloves One 8 oz jar Italian type Olives 1/2 - 1 cup fresh Basil One tbsp dried Oregano 1/4 cup Olive Oil (veggies should be coated) 1/2 tsp Sea Salt Throw everything in a baking dish and toss with ample olive oil, sprinkling with salt. Roast in the oven at 350 for two hours. Stir occasionally. Once all the moisture has evaporated, caponata will look and taste like the tapenade you love to buy at Trader Joe's for six dollars. It's a great way to use up a bunch of veggies at once. You can pack it in oil and store in the fridge for months. Check out the Next Ingredient website at www.nextingredientconsulting.com. Take a peek at the blog while you’re there: nextingredientconsulting.com/blog. Maybe you’re more of an Instagram person: @nextingredient.  Thank you for listening! Please feel free to contact us with questions or comments, or if you would like to be a guest on the show.  *This podcast is meant to be a survey and celebration of natural ingredients. Please remember that health topics mentioned in these episodes are general. This is not to be considered one-on-one consulting with Next Ingredient, and does not replace a partnership with a trusted healthcare practitioner.