FRUIT OR VEGETABLE?

When it’s time for dinner and the stress and chaos of the day sinks in, it’s all too easy to boil a big pot of pasta and pour some ready-made tomato sauce on top.

 

This is completely acceptable, especially if you’re using pasta from Valicenti Organico and sprinkling some fresh cheese from Narragansett Creamery, however there is a time and place for everything and the time for canned or jarred tomatoes is not when you can get fresh, local, juicy tomatoes in abundance. Right now, there are too many delicious options to choose from! Pay a visit to your closest farmers market.

Slice up some heirloom tomatoes from one of the many farms carrying them in abundance at the moment and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper for an easy snack... or try one of these simple recipes from local bloggers and make the most of summer’s sweetest fruit that you didn’t realize was a fruit!

Looking for something simple and portable? Pick up some cherry tomatoes, fresh burrata from Fiore Di Nonno and a Hi-Rise Bread Company baguette for a picnic friendly afternoon snack – perfect with a bottle of wine from Turtle Creek or Westport Rivers. Get the recipe for Roasted Tomatoes with Burrata and Pesto from A Thought for Food.

Or highlight your cherry tomatoes and Crystal Brook Farm Goat Cheese in these adorable Tomato and Goat Cheese Wonton Cups from Fork it Over Boston!

Another great dinner party appetizer which is colorful, fresh, and delicious are these Tomato Salsa Crostinis from Tiny Urban Kitchen making the most out of your medium sized tomatoes.

Pick up some bacon, free-range chicken from Copicut, corn and grape/cherry tomatoes from your local farmers market and mix up this hearty blend of summer flavors. This Creamy Chicken with Corn, Tomatoes and Bacon is from Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Enjoy another summer favorite by picking up some fresh fish from C&C Lobster Co. or get creative with smoked fish from Matt's Amazing Smokehouse to serve atop fried heirloom tomatoes and avocado. Get the recipe for Crab Salad with Fried Tomato and Avocado from A Boston Food Diary.

 

Make the most of this year's tomato season! We promise you won't be sorry.