A question that has been historically circling the tomato - scientists and cooks have been confusing people for years! The blurred line between fruits and vegetables is due to the fact that common place terms have taken over. Scientifically speaking, a tomato is a fruit. Fruits are grown from the ovary at the base of the flower - they also contain the seeds of the plant (although cultivated forms may be seedless - ex. seedless grapes). Blueberries, raspberries, and oranges are true fruits, and so are many kinds of nuts. Strawberries are a little different. They grow from the soft part that supports the seeds, not the ovary - but, it is still considered a fruit.
For those of us who have forgotten 3rd grade science class (guilty) - here is a picture showing the plant's individual parts. This is not a fruit baring plant, but you can see the ovary (couldn't find a good pic of the actual fruit.) Dang you googleimage.
But, here is a picture of what blueberries look like when still attached to the plant. Yum!!
With cooking, some things which are actually fruits, like tomatoes or bean pods, are generally called "vegetables" because they are used in savoury rather than sweet cooking. So, to answer the question - a tomato is technically the fruit of the tomato plant, but it's used as a vegetable in cooking:)
Go buy some tomatoes today! They won't be in season much longer!! They're a good source of phytochemicals like lycopene - a potential agent for the prevention of certain types of cancer!
Side Dish Recipe:
Throw some chopped green onion, crumpled feta cheese, a tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette and a table spoon of olive oil, some salt and pepper to taste over sliced tomatoes for a sweet side dish! Here is a pic of my sisters with the yummy concoction!
Resources:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/
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