Don't need one. The best way to enjoy a tomato is walk to your garden about mid-day with a salt shaker in your hand. Twist off a big red fruit, bite into it, salt lightly between each bite and wipe the juice off onto your arm. Repeat as needed.

Jan, a really good way to eat tomatoes is in panzanella..an old country Tuscan salad. It's a meal in itself and is really good on a hot summer's day. We have it all the time. Just take a loaf of Italian bread that's a day old. Tear it up into bite sized pieces and toss that with some olive oil,salt and pepper and minced garlic. Put that on a baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes until the bread gets crisp. Cut up 4 or 5 tomatoes into wedges into a large bowl,slice a red onion,and add that plus some basil and chunks of fresh mozzerella ( I've made it without the cheese and it's good too) and black olives if you like them. Add the bread and mix all that together with about a 1/4 cup olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Let it sit for awhile and the bread will start to soak up the tomato juices. It's sooooo good. The Italians sure know what to do with tomatoes.

For the last few days we have existed on toasted sourdough bread, mayo, avocado bacon and tomato. One of my customers has 20 avocado trees and bribed me to do some trimming on a couple of small ornamental trees.

I love living where I do, but...but Don! Oh, free avocado! Such bliss!
That and free Meyer lemons, the best parts of living in southern California!

Janis, What is a tomato pie? Never heard of that one.

Tomato mayo and chunks of cold butter on white bread. Only time I like white bread. Don't know why. I limit myself to one sandwich a week with the bad butter and use just mayo on the rest. Lite mayo. Slices bro
oiled with a little breadcrumbs, S&P, parmasion. Drizzle with olive oil. I never used pepper on anything until this last year. Didn;t even cook with it. Use to make me sick as a kid. Couldn't eat anything spicey at all. Boy am I glad I can eat it now.

The dh and dd wouldn't touch tomato pie. I have a recipe for green tomato pie that I have not made, I have had it, it is like a mincemeat pie in taste and texture.

We want the tomato pie recipe!

Tomato Pie

* 4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
* 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
* 1/2 cup chopped green onion
* 1 (9-inch) prebaked deep dish pie shell
* 1 cup grated mozzarella
* 1 cup grated cheddar
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in 1 layer.
Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.

Layer the tomato slices, basil, and onion in pie shell.
Season with salt and pepper. Combine the grated cheeses and
mayonnaise together. Spread mixture on top of the tomatoes
and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

To serve, cut into slices and serve warm.

I can't claim this recipe as my own, it is Paula Deen's
recipe from the Food Network.