During this time of the year, garden tomatoes tend to play a role in most of our meals, including breakfast. (Sauteed tomatoes spread on Oxbow Farms toasted bread…yum.) I find myself simply slicing them with a little salt, devouring BLTs, making tomato sandwiches, eating them like apples, roasting them with a little olive oil, and any other way possible. Tonight, it was simple…3 kinds of tomatoes (Green Zebra, Striped German, and Purple Cherokee), a few slivers of basil, and some salt. I sliced a couple pieces of Oxbow Farms Olive & Basil Focaccia…..and called it good. And it was very good!

Mixed Tomato Salad

Some people may say a tomato is a tomato, but there are so many varieties and each variety has a unique flavor. Take the Green Zebra, for example. Even when it’s ripe, it maintains a slight tanginess which is lovely. Most yellow tomatoes are missing the “pop” and “bite” Matt loves. But might I suggest a roasted yellow tomato soup? Roasting the yellow tomatoes really brings out a lovely flavor you don’t get from them when in the raw form. Cherokee Purple and Black Cherry are probably our two favorite tomatoes this season. They have wonderful flavor!

I would suggest you enjoy a simple taste test this summer. Slice a variety of tomatoes, sprinkle with a hint of salt, and then taste each one. This will help you see the variety in flavors and how those varieties can play into each dish you make. Plus, it’s just plain fun!