I once ate a tomato like it was an apple and I regret nothing about this decision. I love a juicy tomato sandwich, a lovely caprese salad, a delightful handful of cherry tomatoes.

Tomatoes in the summer are an affordable staple around here for us. I grab a couple every week at the farmer’s market at work, and recently they’ve been outstandingly delicious.

My favorite breakfast is scrambled eggs and toast with orange marmalade and a side of chopped tomatoes drizzled with a good olive oil and a good balsamic, sprinkled with a pinch of salt, a teeny sprinkle of sugar, and several generous cracks of fresh black pepper. It tastes like a day of doing nothing in the sun.

With grape or cherry tomatoes, I like to to take the lemon cheery tomatoes and grape tomatoes and slice them (tedious but worth it), salt them then sauté them in olive oil, pressed garlic or garlic stir in paste, fresh cracked black pepper. I toss this with angel hair or bow tie pasta and garnish with a little fresh parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Yum!

And who can forget the southern summer staple, green tomatoes? I love fried green tomatoes. If you’re looking for a lightened-up, non-fried version of green tomatoes, look no further than this here recipe for griddled green tomatoes!

Select green tomatoes that have just a tinge of pink, not too much. You want a firm tomato that will stand up to a cast iron skillet or griddle. Slice the tomato, season with salt, pepper and whatever else you would normally use in a breading (minus the actual breading agent). I like to use either: salt, pepper and smoked paprika, or celery salt, onion powder, and pressed garlic. Griddle in a HOTTT cast iron griddle or skillet, with some olive oil – several minutes on both sides. Serve with corn on the cob and green beans for a yummy veggie plate, or with griddled baguette and pimento cheese as a flavorful appetizer or snack.

What do you like to do with tomatoes?