Tomato Day Festival

Passata Tomatoes are a source of vitamin C, a nutrient our bodies need for so many different things, including immune function and keeping our energy levels up.

This gastronomic event in Umag is dedicated to favourite seasonal summer vegetable- Tomato!

Podravka's products processed in Vegetable factory in Umag, produced from the tomato from Istrian fields, for a number of years have been an obligatory victual of modern diet and a source of inspiration in many cuisines.

At the main square in Umag, along the entertaining programmes, you can also taste the dishes based on this vegetable, the real source of health and vitality. During the Tomato Days, the people of Umag organise the greatest miss tomato!

The festival which celebrates the tomato harvest in the Buje region and the high summer ends with the real folk feast.

Podravka's tomato you can buy in the Supermarket is supreme original product Passata, and with its quality it can be a competition to the leading world manufacturers.

Fruitful Istrian land basking in the Mediterranean sun can justifiably be called the hotbed of this red wealth, and Podravka's products, owing to the climate, the number of sunshine hours and specific composition of the soil, contain a significantly higher amount of lycopene, β-carotene, vitamin C and minerals comparing to other tomatoes present in the market.

Their supreme quality was proven in 2013 by receiving the Superior Taste Award. Among other rewarded products were also Passata, Chopped tomato with basil and oregano, Chopped tomato with olive oil and garlic.

A Recipes with Fresh Homemade Tomatos To Try Out Today - Salsa spaghetti With black olives & fresh basil

Ingredients

320 g dried spaghetti
600 g mixed ripe tomatoes
12 black olives (stone in)
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 clove of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
20 g hard Italian cheese

Method

Cook the spaghetti for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente, which means that it should be soft enough to eat, but still have a bit of bite and firmness to it.
Chop the tomatoes, bash the olives and tear out the stones, then add the olives to the pile of tomatoes.
Pick the basil leaves, reserving the smaller ones for later and throw the rest onto the pile.
Add chopped garlic to the pile, then run your knife back and forth through all of the ingredients, chopping and mixing as you go, until you get a rough-looking salsa.
Add a good couple of lugs of oil, the vinegar and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and keep chopping and mixing until well combined.
Scoop out and reserve a cupful of the pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti in a colander.
Pop the spaghetti in a large bowl, scrape in the salsa dressing, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water, if needed, to make a lovely loose sauce.
Sprinkle over the reserved baby basil leaves and add a grating of hard Italian cheese before serving.

By: Jamie Oliver