A summer crop: Tomatoes!

If you planted tomatoes, there's a good chance that by now you are wondering what you are going to do with all those round fruits. This year we planted just four plants, and still we have far more tomatoes than we can throw into salads and slice for hamburgers.

Once upon a time people believed tomatoes, and in fact everything in the nightshade family, was poisonous. In fact, these fruits and vegetables are among the most nutritious. They contain large amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and iron. The stuff that makes tomatoes red – lycopene – is an antioxidant, which can stop cell damage in the body. Studies have shown that men who consume 10 servings of tomatoes a week cut their rink of developing prostate cancer by 45 percent. Other studies show that eating seven servings of raw tomatoes each week reduces the risk of developing stomach cancers, and lycopene also cuts the risk for lung, breast and endometrial cancers.

Which is all fine and good and really doesn't mean anything if you don't have some good recipes for tomatoes, since there are only so many slices you can eat on a hamburger.

BREAD SALAD
2 to 4 tomatoes, different colors if possible, seeded and chopped
½ sweet onion, sliced very thin
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
¼ cup basil, shredded
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 oz. fresh mozzarella, diced
½ loaf good French bread (day old is good), cut into pieces
1 to 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix together tomatoes, onion, cucumber, basil and olive oil. Cover and let sit on the counter for at least an hour. Meanwhile, spread bread chunks on a baking sheet and broil until toasted, tossing once half-way through. Cool. Just before serving, add cheese, bread, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

Vegetarian BLT
2 to 4 basil leaves
Lettuce
Yellow tomato, sliced and seeded
2 slices white bread, toasted
Mayo
Salt to taste
Layer Basil, Lettuce and Tomato on one slice of bread. Spread remaining bread slice with mayo (while I usually use light mayo, I splurge and use regular here). Salt tomatoes and top with last slice of bread.