Tis the season for tomatoes! Whether they come from our own gardens or the farmer’s market, NOW is the time to indulge in our tomato love. And just so we don’t get tired of them–because that would be tragic–Real Simple offers up 20 recipes that uses them to great effect.
Choose from the likes of Gazpacho Salsa, Tomato and Mozzarella Quesadillas with Basil and Steal with Chickpeas, Tomatoes, and Feta plus 17 others.
BONUS TIPS: Although I LOVE tomatoes, I don’t like their skins, so I always peel them. I cannot, like my brother John, peel them with a paring knife. (I lose too much meaty tomato-ness.) My method involves a cup or two of boiling water. I simply dip the tomatoes into the water for about 5 to 10 seconds or so. When I take them out, the skins slip right off. Some people suggest cutting X’s into the bottom of the tomatoes before you submerge then into the boiling water and then to drop them into an ice bath after you take them out of the boiling water. Neither is really necessary.
Another method for peeling tomatoes, which I haven’t tried but think I will, is to scorch them off over a gas flame. For this technique, you slip a tomato onto a fork and then hold the tomato over the flame, turning the fork quickly so the tomato doesn’t cook. This should only take about 5 to 15 seconds per tomato. Apparently, the flame will actually intensify the flavor of the tomato.
