tomatoes

Homemade pizza is a great dish to add to your weeknight repertoire. Especially when using a store bought dough, it can come together in under 45 minutes. If you enjoy creative toppings, you'll love this hearty chicken pie. Actually, it's really more of a flatbread, since there is no sauce. This recipe makes perfect use of the season's ripe tomatoes. The toppings are simple: spicy blackened chicken, chunky tomato salsa, and tons of pepper jack cheese. It's an unusual, yet scrumptious pizza that's packed with flavor and heat. This blackened chicken pizza would taste even more delicious when cooked on the grill, so if it's hot in your neck of the woods, take it outside! Get the recipe now.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for lycopene! It's important to load up on this powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes that fights cancer and heart disease. Also high in folate, vitamin C, and potassium, tomatoes are sweet and juicy; they taste like Summer. Here's a summery dip featuring cherry tomatoes with tofu to add protein and a creamy texture. The corn kernels add fiber and sweetness.

Keep reading to learn how to make this creamy dip.

After eating hard, tasteless, discolored tomatoes for the past eight months, I'm loving the fact that my knife is now sliding through juicy, ripe, and delicious tomatoes. Although tomatoes generally taste better toward the end of the Summer, the tomatoes that are now arriving in farmers markets and grocery stores shouldn't be missed.

Tomatoes are not only tasty, they are also good for us. In this month's issue of Natural Health, it's noted how tomatoes are better for us when they are cooked because they offer more antioxidants than raw ones. When tomatoes are heated, they release the antioxidant lycopene, which makes it easier for the body to absorb. Lycopene is good for us because it has cancer-fighting properties and helps fight free radicals that can damage cells.

Find out more about how to maximize tomatoes' health benefits.

The farmers market is in full swing and fresh tomatoes have just started to arrive on the scene — I can't resist buying several pounds each week. While I love classic salads like Caprese, I enjoy trying slightly more unusual combinations, such as this tomato and peach salad with tangy orange vinaigrette. I'm growing a small garden this year, thus I used a bunch of different varieties of basil and mint; don't be afraid of mixing your herbs to enhance the flavor of any dish! You could easily substitute the orange juice in the dressing with other fruit juices, so have fun experimenting. Keep reading for this incredibly simple salad recipe.

Although there are supermarket aisles filled with hundreds of different jars of tomato sauce, every now and then, it's rewarding to make your own. The thick sauce simmering on the stove warms the kitchen and fills the house with a delectable aroma.

This wonderful recipe makes a huge batch of sauce, so you can use some now and freeze the rest for later. The base of the sauce is a classic mirepoix, plus garlic and tons of fresh herbs. The resulting sauce is rich, slightly sweet, and one of the best tomato sauces I've ever tasted.

It's delicious simply tossed with spaghetti, but it's also great in dishes like lasagna, pizza, and eggs in purgatory. To check out the recipe, which comes from chef Marco Canora's cookbook, keep reading.

We're in the midst of Spring cleaning, and the first order of business — other than tossing out over-the-hill foods — is clearing the pantry, fridge, and freezer of those one-off items that are still hanging around. Our latest series, Cabinet Cleanout, will focus on using the resources we have on hand, and little else.

Last Friday, with the temptation of Thai takeout dangling over my head, I opted to be economical and imaginative with little more than bacon, collard greens, and tomatoes. The pantry was stocked with dry pasta, frozen brown rice, and prepared millet, and while I deliberated pasta with greens, I decided to make bacon-flecked wilted collards, served on a bed of creamy millet the same way a Southern restaurant might offer greens with grits.

I felt healthfully satisfied at the end of dinner, and the vegetable crisper was looking tidier. What imaginative dish would you have come up with using the same ingredients? To see how this meal came together, read more.

There are certain dishes that I'm obsessed with. Among them are shrimp appetizers and crostini, so imagine my delight when I came across Giada de Laurentiis's recipe for a shrimp crostini appetizer! The most important part of this dish is the bread; select a loaf that's sturdy and can hold the gooey thick topping. It's a mixture of plump pink shrimp, vibrant peppery arugula, and juicy fresh tomatoes. There's a slight creaminess thanks to the addition of mascarpone cheese that also provides a great richness. These finger-licking good hors d'oeuvres are excellent with a glass of crisp white wine. Ready for the recipe? Read more.

• A major freeze in Mexico will significantly increase tomato prices. — Wall Street Journal
• Also expect to see a rise in the price of cheap beef. — The Consumerist
• Learn how to keep salad greens fresh. — The Kitchn
• Saveur magazine is now reviewing restaurants. — Eater
• Gourmet's Italian Kitchen has hit newsstands. — Gourmet Live
• Must make: spinach, provolone, and pepperoni calzone. — Serious Eats
• What model Selita Ebanks eats in preparation for Fashion Week. — Grub Street NY
• Vote now for the People's Best New Chef. — Eatocracy
• An easy way to take your food to the next level? Use good salt. — The Atlantic