Tomatoes, Glorious Tomatoes

Starting today with the Italian B.L.T., I'm doing not 1 but 2 weeks of tomato-themed content. Tomatoes are available year-round in grocery stores, but many (including me) will contend that the engineering involved in producing tomatoes available anytime except July-September robs them of their essential characteristics, particularly flavor. This is the time to celebrate locally grown fresh tomatoes in all their varied forms: heirloom, beefsteak, zebra, plum, cherry and grape. Yum!