Those tomatoes just keep coming on strong. What a lovely dilemma to have! So I've been busy making fresh salsa and many, many Caprese salads. Especially since there is so much basil as well.

Take advantage of the fresh produce from your garden while it lasts. Nothing tastes better than the veggies you pick in your own garden. And did you notice something else? These tomatoes actually have all the aroma and all the flavor a tomato should have, unlike so many store-bought tomatoes that don't have the luxury of hanging out until the peak of ripeness beckons from the vine.

For those of you not lucky enough to grow your own, search out the nearest farmers market or even a roadside stand with baskets of ripe, red tomatoes. Then savor the flavor as you enjoy one of the best fruits of the farm.

Summertime

Wow! It is already mid summer and I've been busy in the small garden outside my library window. So far the harvest has been tasty, vine-ripened tomatoes, a special Greek type of cucumber and loads of basil, mint, parsley and thyme.

All those fresh tomatoes and basil mean summer meals with my favorite Caprese Salad. To make this delicious salad, round up the best,full-of-flavor summer tomatoes you can find and a handful of green, leafy Italian basil, along with a big ball of soft, Buffalo mozzarella. (This isn't the traditional mozzarella used in pizza making. This mozzarella is soft and white and usually comes packaged in a cup filled with a salty brine to keep it fresh longer.)

To make the salad, slice one or two of the juicy, meaty tomatoes on a plate. Add a sprinkling of sea salt. Then top each tomato slice with a slice of the Buffalo mozzarella. (Hint: use a wire cheese slicer or a piece of unwaxed floss or thread to easily cut the cheese into slices.)

Then slide a few leaves of fresh basil between the tomato and the mozzarella and continue around the plate. Add another sprinkling of sea salt and ground, black pepper. Drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil and dashes of white or dark balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve with crusty bread.