Tomatoes are the jewels of the garden. There’s nothing like a ripe, juicy tomato picked at the height of its growing season, primarily summer through fall. Did you harvest a bumper crop of tomatoes this year? Do you sneak out at night to leave grocery bags of ripe tomatoes at your neighbor’s door? Are you at least leaving them a recipe card?

Although tomatoes offer plenty of juicy health benefits, their biggest selling point is lycopene, a carotenoid associated with a lower risk of macular degeneration and several types of cancer, including prostate, cervical, 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 allow them to return to room temperature before eating for optimal flavor.

Gently wash tomatoes in cold water before eating. Cut them up to eat plain 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 chilies. You can even throw them on the grill or under the broiler. There is no wrong way to eat a tomato!

Instead of pawning your extra tomatoes on your friends and neighbors, why not cook up some amazing new dishes?

tomato flowers

8 medium tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups frozen, thawed or fresh corn kernels from the cob
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients except tomatoes in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before assembling the tomatoes. Tomatoes with center. Slice each tomato from top to bottom leaving about 1/4 – 1/2 inch uncut at the bottom. Flip and slice the tomato two more times to create 8 equal slices, but leave the slices attached at the bottom. Sprinkle the tomatoes lightly with salt and/or pepper. Place each tomato in a colorful decorative bowl and spread out in a fan shape for stuffing. 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 beaten eggs
2/3 cup 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 dishes.

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

Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise
8 large fresh garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup royal mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon each of Watkins Chili Powder, Watkins Paprika, and Watkins Nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
Watkins black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

1. Place the garlic, unpeeled, in a microwave safe bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
2. Microwave unpeeled garlic cloves on high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until very soft; slightly cool Squeeze the garlic from the skins in a small bowl. With a fork, mash the garlic until smooth.
3. Add mayonnaise, spices, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Serve the fried tomatoes with garlic mayonnaise.

Tomato Salad and Olive Bread

2 pounds large ripe tomatoes (5 or 6, depending on size)
1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
1 sweet bell pepper, any color, chopped
1 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Watkins granulated black pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 loaf of dense white bread, cut into large cubes (6-8 cup cubes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

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

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

Let cool for 10 minutes, then toss the toasted bread with the tomato-olive mixture to coat. Add most of the basil and arrange the salad on a serving plate or six individual salad plates. Sprinkle remaining basil on top. Serves six.

This makes a great main course salad, and the bread can also be browned on a grill instead of baked, 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 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Watkins parsley
1/4 teaspoon Watkins dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup crushed Italian seasoned croutons

Cut off the tops of the tomatoes. Take out the inside. In a medium bowl, combine crab meat, onions, celery, mayonnaise, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Fill each tomato. Chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with crushed croutons just before serving

Tomato and Paprika Salad Dressing

Spice up traditional tomato and 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 plum or other ripe tomatoes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of Paprika Watkins
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Watkins sea salt and Watkins black pepper

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

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

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

The tomatoes are “blanched” in a hot water bath to easily remove the skins, giving the dressing a smoother texture.

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