I had my first bite of a local summer tomato over the weekend.  WowEE!  A far cry from the salmonella trash-talking making the headlines, this Early Girl had deep color (think lipstick), earthy perfume and gutsy, full-on flavor that needs little enhancing. (Just a few grains of coarse salt, perhaps?)

In northern Virginia, where I live, typically I don’t have this kind of pleasure until August; Mother Nature has been generous, providing plenty of rain, and so this year’s crops have been downright spectacular. The heirlooms are like works of art, and the pint of Sun Gold cherry tomatoes on the kitchen counter is like candy!

This is the time of year when I treat myself to a BLT, when the tomatoes are assertive enough to cozy up against the salty strips of bacon and give me permission to indulge in one of my favorite fatty snacks. I’m also gearing up to make a batch of gazpacho when I visit my mother next week; she’s been keen to incorporate healthier lunches into her routine, and gazpacho is about the easiest way to get a multivitamin’s worth of nutrients into one bowl.

Tomato lovers, what have you seen from your local vines so far in the season? Share your red, orange and yellow reports – and favorite ways to eat the “love apple.”

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