Tomatoes- for meals and for skin!

If you’re lucky enough to grow tomatoes, you know you’re always in for a huge treat late summer. Picked at the height of the season, a fresh tomato is a mouthwatering delight for many people, myself included.

Not only do tomatoes taste incredible, they are known to have potential benefits to skin!

Lycopene and beta carotene can help protect skin against damage and UV damage. Vitamin C also acts against those nasty free radicals that damage skin.

Tomatoes on skin:

Rubbing raw tomatoes on skin acts as an astringent making skin less oily and toning skin.

It’s also said that this can lighten dark spots or under eye dark circles.

Some people mix a teaspoon of tomato juice with lemon juice and apply to skin before washing it off.

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Tomatoes as food:

Whether you grow them, snag them from your local farm stand, or grab them at the grocery stores, you’re sure to have an abundance of fresh tomatoes this summer. Then you’ll need to decide how to eat them all!

Here are a few of my favorite ideas for fresh in-season tomatoes:

My #1 bring to a deserted island meal: the tomato and fresh mozzarella sandwich

I like a generous leaf of sweet basil , a thick slice of mozzarella and fresh tomatoes with salt and pepper . I serve it all on toasted ciabatta bread or garlic bread. OMG is this heavenly or what?

Bruschetta

As an appetizer or side dish, bruschetta is an easy topping for fresh bread. Start by chopping tomatoes into four cups of small pieces. Roma tomatoes work great, but others are fine. The fresher and juicier, the better it will taste. Mince a clove of garlic and 1/4 cup fresh basil. Toss tomatoes with garlic, basil, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste and let sit 15 minutes at room temperature to absorb flavors. Spoon over a freshly sliced baguette of the bread of your choice, or garlic bread. This garden fresh bruschetta is a burst of flavor and great on a hot day!

Homemade Sauce

Turn your tomato harvest into a delicious sauce and make extra for canning! You can enjoy the fresh homemade taste year round at a fraction of the cost of store-bought jarred sauces (and it’s much healthier!)

Mexican bowl

A delicious meal that hits the spot! Make Mexican rice bowls and let the family choose their toppings. Start with rice and then offer chopped tomatoes, black or pinto beans, shredded cheese, chopped onion, chopped cilantro and avocado slices or guacamole. You can have bowls of cooked taco meat or chicken too. This meal is a hit in my house!

Marinated salad

Toss chunky chopped tomatoes with quartered cucumbers and croutons in balsamic dressing. This is a tasty, slightly crunchy accompaniment to a summer meal or on an appetizer platter.

Quiche

Ever hear of tomato quiche? It makes a great meatless dinner. You can serve it hot or cold, depending on preference. It makes a beautiful eye-catching dish to bring to a summer luncheon or party too. Serve with a tossed salad for a simple meal that hits the spot on a summer day.

Homemade Pico

Another delicious way to use tomatoes that is tasty and summery! A bowl of pico, some organic corn chips, and Ole! I really can’t get enough pico in my life ,can you?