At the end of summer, farmers’ markets overflow with beautiful tomatoes. The splendid summer heat has ripened the Big Girls and Boys, Beefsteaks, Jet Stars, Yellow Pears, Sweet 100’s, and heirloom varieties such as Oxheart, Cherokee Purple and Brandywine to a fantastic state of rich, sweet, succulence.
How glorious is the site of these swollen, scarlet fruits, tumbling off the vine, so heavy and full of pure, natural flavor?
Summer fresh tomatoes are incredibly delicious. Simplistic summer tomato preparations are culinary heaven. Slice up some of these beauties, whatever color and size, arrange on a platter and drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and dust with a smattering of fresh basil. Take a bite and savor the taste of sunshine.
Chopped and mixed with minced garlic, fresh oregano leaves and balsamic vinegar, and piled onto crisp toast, fresh tomatoes become a sophisticated bruschetta, a perfect prelude to dinner on a sultry summers’ night.
Whether roasted and blended into a silky soup, or stirred up into a sensational salsa, with a zesty bite of jalapeno and cilantro, or sandwiched with thick, crisp bacon, basil mayonnaise and creamy avocado slices, the humble tomato turns grandly gourmand as the cooks’ love child of summer.
Pomme d’amour, or “love apples”, as tomatoes are sometimes referred to in France, love the body inside and out.
Purifying the blood, improving the texture and color of skin, tomatoes also protect against infection, as they are a natural antiseptic. Tomatoes also contain nicotinic acid, which may reduce blood cholesterol, and as a powerhouse source of lycopene, tomatoes are considered to be an amazingly potent antioxidant, capable of staving off the growth of numerous types of cancer.
Prepare your delicious life with lush and lovely homegrown summer tomatoes.
“Work With What You Got!”
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