Tomatoes are jewels in the garden. There’s nothing like a juicy, ripe tomato picked at the height of its growing season, mainly from summer to fall. Did you get a bumper crop of tomatoes this year? Are you sneaking out at night to drop grocery bags of ripe tomatoes at your neighbor’s door? Are you at least leaving them a recipe card?

Although tomatoes offer many juicy health benefits, their biggest draw is lycopene, a carotenoid associated with a lower risk of macular degeneration and several types of cancers, including those of the prostate, cervix, skin, breast, and lung.

Tomatoes are best stored outside of the refrigerator. Partially ripe tomatoes will ripen in a few days at room temperature. Once ripe, the tomatoes will keep for up to two days without refrigeration. If you have too many to eat or give away, store them in the warmest part of your refrigerator. Then let them return to room temperature before eating for optimal flavor.

Gently wash tomatoes in cold water before eating. Slice them to eat on their own or with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Stack them on a whole grain sandwich or add a slice to a grilled cheese sandwich. Chop and toss tomatoes into fresh salads or add to sauces, soups, or chili peppers. You can even toss them on the grill or under the broiler. There is no wrong way to eat a tomato!

Instead of pawning the extra tomatoes with your friends and neighbors, why not make some amazing new dishes?

Tomato blossoms

8 medium tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups corn kernels frozen, thawed, or fresh off the cob

1/3 cup red onion, minced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before assembling the tomatoes. Heartless tomatoes. Slice each tomato from top to bottom leaving about 1/4 – 1/2 inch uncut at the bottom. Turn and slice the tomato two more times to create 8 even slices, but leave the slices together at the bottom. Sprinkle the tomatoes lightly with salt and / or pepper. Place each tomato in a colorful decorative bowl and fan the tomato to fill. Put a large tablespoon of corn sauce inside each tomato. Tomato blossoms are also good with grilled shrimp on top for a light lunch.

Fried Tomatoes and Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

Fried tomatoes

3 medium, firm, red or green tomatoes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs beaten

2/3 cup dry fine breadcrumbs or cornmeal

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon Watkins black pepper

1. Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Sprinkle the slices with salt and pepper. Let the tomato slices rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the flour, milk, eggs, and breadcrumbs in separate shallow plates.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dip the tomato slices in the milk, then the flour, then the eggs, and then the breadcrumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the tomato slices in batter at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. While the rest of the tomatoes cook, add olive oil as needed.

Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

8 large fresh garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of real mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon each Watkins Chili Powder, Watkins Paprika, and Watkins Nutmeg

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt to taste

Freshly ground Watkins black pepper, to taste

1. Place unpeeled garlic in microwaveable dish and drizzle with olive oil.

2. Microwave unpeeled garlic cloves on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until very soft; cool a bit. Squeeze the garlic from the skin into a small bowl. With a fork, mash the garlic until smooth.

3. Add mayonnaise, spices, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Serve fried tomatoes with garlic mayonnaise.

Tomato bread and olives salad

2 pounds large ripe tomatoes (5 or 6, depending on size)

1/2 cup of red onion finely chopped

1 sweet bell pepper, any color, chopped

1 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Watkins granulated black pepper

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 loaf dense white bread, cut into large cubes (6-8 cubed cups)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

In a large bowl, remove the core and chop the tomatoes, discarding the cores. Add the red onion, bell pepper, green olives, salt, black pepper, and garlic. Reserve so that the juices come out.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a large baking sheet, stir the bread cubes and olive oil to coat lightly. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring once, until lightly golden.

Let cool for 10 minutes, then toss the toast with the tomato and olive mixture to coat. Add most of the basil and stack the salad in a serving platter or six individual salad plates. Sprinkle the remaining basil on top. Serves six.

This is a great main dish salad, and the bread can also be browned on a grill instead of baking and then topped with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Tomatoes and Crab

24 cherry tomatoes or 12 small tomatoes

6 ounces crab meat (drain if canned)

2 green onions, diced

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon Watkins parsley

1/4 teaspoon Watkins dill herb

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup crushed seasoned Italian croutons

Cut the tops of the tomatoes into slices. Take out the inside. In a medium bowl, combine the crabmeat, onion, celery, mayo, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Fill each tomato. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle with crushed croutons just before serving.

Tomato and Paprika Salad Dressing

Spice up traditional tomato mozzarella salad or vegetable salad with this dressing, or use it as a light sauce for fish, grilled chicken breast, or pork chops.

3/4 pound of plum or other ripe tomatoes

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon Watkins paprika

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Watkins Sea Salt and Watkins Black Pepper

Using a kitchen knife, cut a shallow x into the bottom of the tomatoes. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters lengthwise. With your fingers, discard the seeds.

Transfer the tomatoes to a blender. Add vinegar, sugar, garlic, and paprika and puree until smooth. Remove the center cap and, with the blender motor running, add oil in a steady stream, mixing well. Spice with salt and pepper. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Tomatoes are “blanched” in a hot water bath to easily remove the skin and give the dressing a smoother texture.

Tomatoes add color, flavor, and healthy ingredients to your recipes.

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