Fruit or vegetable? Tomato or tomatoe?

Tomatoes are complex. Botanically they are fruit. But if you look at their culinary uses, they are eaten and prepared more like a vegetable.

It doesn't matter to me. I love tomatoes. I can eat them raw, roasted, stewed, in salsa, marinated in italian dressing (like my grandaddy did years ago) or coupled with sharp cheddar on a baguette—in shades of red, yellow, orange, purple or green. 

I was fortunate enough to get some cherry tomatoes in my Papa Spud's box yesterday. I washed them and popped them one by one—red, yellow & orange—into my mouth. Mmmm. They burst in your mouth, and you can almost feel the warm sunshine that ripened them. 

I can snack on a bowl of cherry tomatoes like I do with cucumbers or carrots. And that's pretty much what I did yesterday for lunch and tonight for dinner. I tossed a few in broccoli salad for my lunch today. Not only did they provide a nice color to my salad, but consumed with broccoli is better for your health. Tomatoes and broccoli are good eaten alone, but when eaten together (especially cooked a bit) they are superfoods. Their nutrients are more readily digested by humans.

I threw together a broccoli salad with cherry tomatoes, red onion & lemon-tahini dressing early this morning for lunch. I grabbed some almonds, pistachios and blueberries to enjoy too. 

I love summer—the simplicity, color and variety it brings to meals.