You say tomato, I say delicious

No matter where you live or how you have to fit them in, tomatoes are the one veggie you should always grow. There is nothing quite like a vine-ripened tomato, and you can squeeze in cherry tomatoes almost anywhere.

No matter how hot (or cold) our summer weather, cherry tomato plants will keep delivering until the first frost. These nuggets of deliciousness can never be matched by tomatoes that were grown in a hothouse, picked while still green and then trucked to a supermarket.

Cherry tomatoes come in every size and color; there are yellow pear varieties, chocolate cherry, plum-shaped reds, green striped, a white cherry and even a dark blue tomato!

Even during the winter months, don’t bother buying the supermarket’s big, flavorless tomatoes. Choose cherry tomatoes instead. They pack a punch of flavor and usually are not mealy. If you didn’t plant cherry tomatoes earlier this year, farmers’ markets are overflowing with them.

Buy several varieties and try them in these recipes to celebrate the amazing flavor.

Fresh Cherry Tomato Salad

2 pounds mixed types cherry tomatoes:

(yellow pear, sweet 100, chocolate, sun gold, etc.)

¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

½ purple onion, thinly sliced

1 small head jicama, peeled and diced

1/3 cup to ½ cup olive oil

2 - 4 tablespoons fruit or herb vinegar

½ - 1 cup goat cheese

Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Cut basil into thin strips. Dice onion and jicama finely, and then toss with olive oil and vinegar. Taste, and then add more oil or vinegar, depending on how sweet or tart the tomatoes are. Scatter dime-sized pieces of goat cheese across the top and serve.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 350, Fat: 33 grams, Protein: 6 grams, Sodium: 111 milligrams

Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce

Make this year-round for fresh tomato flavor even in winter.

2-3 pounds fresh cherry tomatoes

¼ cup fresh basil

2 tablespoons fresh oregano

2 cloves fresh garlic, sautéed

¼ cup olive oil

Sautee garlic, add oregano just at the last minute and wilt it. Cut basil in thin strips. Cut tomatoes in half. Put all in bowl, add olive oil and toss several times. Serve at room temperature over hot pasta. Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Nutrition Information (sauce only): Calories: 147, Fat: 13 grams, Protein: 1 gram, Sodium: 13 milligrams

Fresh Cherry Tomato Salsa

Cherry tomatoes, mixed varieties, quartered

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup onion, chopped

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 long green chili, seeded and chopped

¾ cup vinegar or bottled lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer. Stir frequently until thick, about an hour. Serve with low-salt corn tortilla chips or pan fry your own homemade chips from corn tortillas.

Nutrition information (per ¼ cup serving): Calories: 27, Carbohydrates: 6 grams, Fat: 0 grams, Protein: 1 gram, Sodium: 7 milligrams

[Contributor Katy G. Wilkens recently retired as registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. The National Kidney Foundation Council on Renal Nutrition has honored her with its highest awards for excellence in education and for significant contributions in renal nutrition. She has also been awarded the Medal of Excellence in kidney nutrition from the American Association of Kidney Patients.]

Eating Well, Living Well classes

Studies show that working with a registered dietitian can delay kidney failure and postpone dialysis for longer than two years. FREE nutrition classes taught by Katy’s former team of registered dietitians are available at convenient times and locations around Puget Sound.

Eating Well, Living Well classes teach people how to eat healthier to slow the progress of kidney disease and postpone dialysis. Learn more at www.nwkidney.org/classes.