You Say Tomato... I Say "You Betchya!"

Do we have tomatoes?  Why yes indeed!  Tomatoes upon tomatoes upon tomatoes.  We have luscious heirloom tomatoes in many varieties - monstrous Brandywines, Coeur de Boeus, Russian Blacks, and Italian Roma's and sweet yellow mini-pears-shaped cherry tomatoes.

Did you know that tomatoes are packed with all sorts of amazingness that make them a guilt-free food? And they keep your skin pretty?  Yep!  Beta Carotene and Lycopene help with deal with the damage that the all-mighty-sun does to our skin.  Then there's vitamins A, B6, C, K and Thiamine.  Don't forget Calcium and Niacin! And then loads of minerals such as magnesium, copper and phosphorus.

What do you like to do with tomatoes besides eat them fresh out of the garden, ala carte?

Two of my favorite summertime tomato treats are bruschetta and ranchero sauce.  Oh they scream to me of summer!  And both are very easy to make. 

Bruschetta

Diced tomatoes, chopped basil, minced garlic, sea salt, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Mix together, wait for a bit (if you can) and then spread on toasted sour-dough bread.  Don't forget the glass of red wine!

Ranchero Sauce

So delicious on eggs or smothered on chile rellanoes or baked chicken.  Simple ingredients: tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, garlic, fresh oregano, chipotle paste or powder, olive oil.  I use a recipe from a cookbook I bought at a Chevy's Fresh-Mex restaurant years ago and the link is here in case you want the whole shebang (they left out the chipotle in this one... I recommend it!)