Locally grown fresh tomatoes, picked the day before you get them have the most flavor and juiciness that you can’t find in any supermarket. From now until mid- October, you can feast on tomatoes that taste like tomatoes and are loaded with nutrition. Find them at our Harvest Home markets.

A Boost for the Body: Tomatoes are rich in lycopene to help prevent heart disease, cancer and diabetes; full of beta carotene for eye health and potassium to help maintain healthy blood pressure and vitamins A and C which are essential for the overall body health.

A mouth-watering treat of the season: Eat them plain or with a little olive oil, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Or make tomato salsas and mix them with fresh peaches or any of your favorite fruits.

A new twist on SALSA:

• 1 pound of tomatoes, diced

• 1 1/2 pound of peaches, diced

• 1 bell pepper (4 oz), seeded, finely diced

• 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

• 2 Tablespoons lime juice

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Chop tomatoes and put them to a large bowl. Finely chop seeded pepper, jalapeños and onion and transfer to bowl.

2. Dice the peaches. No need to peel them. You won’t notice the peels and the color is prettier with the peel on. Transfer peaches to your bowl.

3. Add cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well and enjoy.

Save some summer taste for those damp, chilly winter days: Freeze your Tomatoes

Enjoy the summer taste now and again in January!

TOMATOES: PERFECT WHILE THEY LAST

RECIPE: Fresh Tomato Sauce

Great when it's too hot to cook

INGREDIENTS:

• 5-8 very ripe tomatoes (plum, roma, round etc.)

• 1-2 cloves garlic (chopped or minced)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 6-8 leaves fresh basil chopped

• 1/4 cup of onion finely chopped

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

PREPARATION:

• Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic and oil in a large bowl. Toss to mix well.

• Add oregano, basil, salt. Toss again and season with salt and pepper to taste

• Mix in pasta and sprinkle with cheese

'MAKE AHEAD' TIP:

• Prepare through Step 1.

• Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 1.5 hours.

• Add remaining ingredients. Serve on top of hot or cold pasta.

TIPS and VARIATIONS

"SLIGHTLY COOKED" FRESH PASTA SAUCE:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet and add tomatoes, onion and garlic.

• Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until tomatoes are as soft as you want. Stir to avoid sticking. Add a little water if needed.

• Remove from heat, add the rest of the ingredients and let sit for 15 - 30 minutes for flavors to mix.

ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENTS: Use the basic sauce recipe and be creative

• Add an orange or yellow peppers for a sauce with a stronger tomato flavor.

• Add 1/4 cup of red onion

• Try adding cilantro instead of basil for a new taste.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• Freezing salsa can be a little tricky. Learn how to Freeze Salsa correctly

• Don't forget to add fresh summer tomatoes to salads, soup, stir-fry or stews. Great in almost anything!