You say tom-A-to?

I say: carpe diem! 

This is the time to go all out on tomatoes. Our produce bins are brimming with them.. but not for long.  In the blink of an eye, you'll be back to those mealy, tasteless supermarket tomatoes. So eke out every opportunity to use sweet, juicy market tomatoes over the next few weeks.

Tired of tomato salads? Here are five great ways to use the gorgeous tomatoes – heirloom, cherry, beefsteak – available right now.

1. Make a tomato tart. This is an August staple for lunch or dinner  in France. There are so many variations. Some include goat cheese, others feature Dijon mustard. This one is made with caramelized onions and the crust is ruggedly rustic. Almost all include fresh basil cuttings, also abundant at the market right now. For a twist, try these tomato tartes tatins by the late, great Patricia Wells. So delicious!

2. The Greeks like to stuff their giant heirlooms or beefsteaks with ground lean beef, or lamb or pork, in a traditional dish called gemista. Here's a very different vegetarian version, using mozzarella as a filling instead of meat. And here's a Bon Appetit recipe that uses the tomatoes themselves as a filling for roasted peppers. 

3. Make tomato confit. This is a French slow, slow cooking technique more typically associated with meats, specifically duck (duck confit is a duck that has been slow cooked in its own fat.) But you can confit tomatoes in olive oil. As the tomatoes cook, they release some of their juices yielding tomatoes so flavorful you will want to put them atop everything, from slices of Wave Hill focaccia for easy bruschetta, to your favorite La Trafila pasta, to your morning market eggs. As an added bonus, the oil left in the roasting pan is just as flavorful, and versatile, as the actual tomatoes.
 
4. Make yellow tomato gazpacho with cilantro oil and avocado. 

5. Tired of the plain Harriet the Spy tomato sandwiches? Try an E-L-T- egg, lettuce, tomato sandwich made with pain de mie from Bien Cuit Bakery.

There will be other things besides tomatoes at the market this week: Plantidote Veggie Burgers will be here with their plant-based patties that are so flavorful and satisfying. A perfect platform for a dollop of Anita's Guacamole. Or some sautéed mushrooms from Windridge Farm and a slice of melting cheese from Cooperstown.

Did you stay with friends this summer? Send them a pretty, hand-made thank you card by Hey There Paper Goods, along with something stunning from KHEM Woodworking Studios.

Summer is winding down and you want to enjoy those warm nights on the deck while you still can. The Spirits Lab is here to help with their ready-made cocktails. Pick up a bottle of their Rose Lemonade or Old Fashioned cocktail.

See you at the market!