A recent study found that cherry tomatoes grown in salt water can turn out tastier and heartier than ones grown normally, partially because the plants have to fight harder to fight the environmental stress and produce more compounds to help them cope. These compounds contain antioxidants like Vitamins C and E, which have healthy effects on those who consume the fruit.

The solution only contains 20% seawater. Unfortunately, not all genotypes of tomatoes react in the same way to the salt water. Some die because they cannot counteract the free radicals from the solution, so don't try to do this with larger tomatoes; it probably won't work. In the study, the water was constantly circulated and the pH controlled by a computer, so the researchers promise that the tomatoes won't taste salty.

The researchers, based at the University of Pisaone in Italy, are encouraging the growth of tomatoes in brackish water, because it will not only lead to juicier, healthier tomatoes, but will help to preserve our freshwater supplies.

Remember the Simpsons episode where Homer accidentally breeds tobacco and tomatoes, calls the resulting hybrid a Tomacco and gets rich?

Unfortunately, the tomacco, albeit a cartoon invention, was the first thing that came to my mind upon hearing about the stramato.

A hybrid of - you guessed it - a tomato and a strawberry - its inventors are saying that their cocktail tomato" boasts a "beautiful strawberry shape, naturally sweet taste and a rich, deep red color."

Eh - I mean, it sounds good, but did the world really need another cocktail tomato? What was wrong with the old ones? Or just plain ol' cherry, for that matter?

Whadya think, readers? Yes or no on the stramato?

It's been unseasonably warm here in Philadelphia for the last few days and so my thoughts are turning to foods available in the spring and summer. I think that our warm temperatures are part of why this image of a sliced tomato stacked with rounds of fresh mozzarella called out to me so much. I would like one, please (right now)!

If you want to tempt my taste buds with some delicious food photography, head over to Flickr and join the Slashfood pool. We want to see your scrumptious creations!

I've been reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a book extolling the virtues of eating locally (and the horrors of eating veggies trucked in from California, Chile, and other places far afield). Beyond simply pushing organic food or a vegetarian lifestyle, Kingsolver suggests that eating foods grown locally, in season, by farmers using sustainable practices can, basically, save the world -- not to mention, be delicious. I've swallowed her pitch hook, line, and heirloom potato, and have begun deeply rethinking our family's grocery lists. Starting this process in the dead of winter is a challenge, and "the sustainable food project" is my way of sharing the struggle with you.

The sandwich, a staple of my family's diet, is a particularly interesting problem. Were I to open a pictorial culinary dictionary under "S," I'd imagine a photo of bread, meat, tomato, lettuce, mayo. But fresh red tomatoes and leafy green lettuce are anything but in season in Oregon, where I live -- and the vast majority of the U.S. and Europe for the next several months. Because it's easy to find a sustainably-farmed source, we've been eating lots of beef, ham, and crusty local bread, but what else?

I've been able to find lots of delicious, flavorful options utilizing local, organic produce.

Last night, a friend introduced me to a fun appetizer idea that makes a terrific edible centerpiece. When I pushed for the inspiration, she admitted that it was a concept borrowed from another friend, who always serves it at parties. It is simply white and green tortellini (the secret is to only cook it for half the time the package directs, or it will be too soft to stay on the skewer), a grape tomato and a small ball of fresh mozzarella wrapped in a basil leaf.

As you can see from the picture, she arranged them in a vase, so that they look almost like a flower arrangement. It made the table gorgeous and they were absolutely delicious to boot.

Recipe and photos after the jump.

Though you could easily serve this for dinner, any "sandwich" that includes bacon, lettuce, and tomato automatically makes me think lunch. Either way, this twist on an old standard is enough to make me want to thaw out a steak and fire up the grill at noon hour.

Made without bread of any kind, this BLT Steak sandwich prepared by myamii at For the Love of Food is definitely friendly to those of you who are avoiding carbs but still want a flavorful, hearty meal.

When I was first contacted by FiberGourmet to try their fettuccine, I have to admit I wasn't really expecting anything all that different - after all, it is just pasta, right? Well, yes and no. The product itself is a lower-calorie version of standard pasta which, as I understand it, uses a reduced amount of flour that is supplemented with dietary fiber. In fact, there are only three ingredients in the pasta - durum semolina flour, modified wheat starch, and vital wheat gluten - with the addition of just tomato paste or spinach powder in the flavored varieties.

Since I received a sample package that included each of the three types - original, tomato, and spinach fettuccine - I wanted to try the pasta served several different ways to see what worked best, so I gathered up a group of people, sauces and accompaniments, and got to work. (Continued after the jump.)

Given that April is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month, I couldn't let the month go by without making, eating, and posting about grilled cheese at least once!

Everyone has their favorite grilled cheese sandwich, whether it's a slice of Kraft American on Wonder White made at home, or some complex combination of fancy cheeses on fancy bread. People also have their favorite "accompaniments." My Ultimate Grilled Cheese is one I make at home: razor thin slices of sourdough bread filled with extra sharp cheddar cheese and thinly sliced tomatoes. I know tomato soup is a popular accessory to grilled cheese sandwiches, but I prefer just throwing fresh ones into the sandwich to make it easier. I have to cut the crusts off and eat them while I'm standing there over the chopping board, then cut the sandwich into long strips. When I eat them, I feel like I'm eating cheese-filled French fries.

Now, what's your Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

I was at a local food event today which show cased regional and local food products made by small / family businesses and farms. Every now and then I run across a product so good I have to share the news. The Bombay Emerald Chutney Company has not just one, but five great products. Their gourmet line of "Royal" Chutneys are fantastic: Royal Mint Chutney, Royal Tomato Chutney, Royal Plum Chutney, Royal Cranberry Chutney, and their new Royal Pomegranate Chutney. It's a Mom and Pop company who make their chutney by hand from their own family recipes using all natural ingredients that they personally buy themselves, and they have no preservatives.

My favorite is the Mint Chutney, made from Coriander, Lime Juice, Mint Leaves, Green Chilies, Salt & Spices. You would think that from such few and simple ingredients the flavor would be simple, but it's not. It has a very complex taste with just the right balance between the tangy lime, fresh mint, salt, and a nice but not lethal dose of spices. The Tomato Chutney has a very solid, summer ripe tomato presence, with the lemon, spices, salt, and cilantro bringing it all together.

Trader Joe's sells some pretty good premade hummus blends in their refrigerated section. I am a particular fan of both the spicy hummus and the tomato and basil hummus, but since so many popular dips are of the spicy variety, I decided to recreate the tomato and basil here as part of our Super Bowl dip-a-day feature.

Since I am a firm believer that dips should be simple - especially if they're for a large party - I went with canned tomatoes. I used Muir Glen and if you use that brand as well, you have a couple of options. The recipe below calls for the plain whole peeled tomatoes (easy to find in other brands, as well), but if you prefer, you can opt to buy their Tomatoes with Basil and eliminate the need to buy fresh basil to add to the dip, streamlining the recipe a bit. The choice is yours, but it's easy and tastes quite addictive either way.

They may look ugly, like many heirloom and heirloom tomato crosses, but taste sun ripe like they grew in your backyard. As of January 18, 2007 the Ugly Ripe tomato from Florida will be allowed to be shipped out of state to markets across the country. You can now go to your market and get tasty tomatoes during the winter months until late spring.

There have been legal battles for several years about this relatively new breed of tomato. It was introduced to the public in 1999 and for a few years prior to 2003 the tomatoes were test sold to see the public reaction, which was positive. Then, since 2003 the Florida Tomato Committee, which controls a majority of the $500 million dollar industry, has prevented the farm that grows them from shipping the fruit out of state. The supposed reason is that the Ugly Ripe breed of tomatoes are not uniform in shape and color, even if they taste great, and if they allow these tomatoes to be shipped then others may try to ship non-uniform specimens of regular, tasteless commercial tomatoes.

Personally I think that the pretty but flavorless tomatoes should be composted, and I'm all for ugly but tasty. So look for Ugly Ripe tomatoes, sold under the brand name Santa Sweets, at your local market. Since they are picked and shipped ripe they will be packed in white netting to protect them from bruising and will be easily identified. There is already a great demand for them, so they may not be available in large amounts for a few weeks. Hopefully the price will be as good as the taste.

Trader Joe's is sometimes criticized for the way that they package their produce. Much of it, with the exception of apples, is packed in little plastic containers that protect the fruit from being damaged or bruised and, in general, make it easy to grab a pre-set amount of tomatoes or other fruits and veggies. The pre-set amount is usually four or five items, depending on size, and can be inconvenient if you either need a lot of things or just want one. One of Trader Joe's newest offerings appeared in stores just this week and takes advantage of the grab-n-go nature of this packaging. It is a little kit containing all the ingredients you need to make fresh salsa: three tomatoes, a jalapeno pepper, a large shallot, garlic cloves and a lime. The instructions are printed right on the label and simply direct you to five up all the ingredients, combine and stir with lime juice.

I opted to make mine in the food processor, mincing the garlic, shallot and most of the jalapeno, then pulsing in the tomatoes and extra pepper. I used everything that was included and added a little bit of salt and pepper, too.

Although many consider any type of egg-centric dish to be breakfast fare, these Romaine- and Egg-Stuffed Tomatoes with Bacon, from A Mingling of Tastes, strike me as a dinner dish, as well as a brunch one. The dish consists of eggs baked until only slightly runny in hollowed out tomato cups. Underneath the egg, there is a generous spoonful of a romaine lettuce-based pesto sauce, and before serving the entire thing is sprinkled with crisp, crumbled bacon. The presentation, needless to say, is fantastic and makes a relatively simple egg dish suitable for serving to guests. If you're going to try the recipe and take the breakfast route, try serving it with fruit and toast. For dinner, a side salad or even a simple pasta dish would work out nicely.

Here's a bit of food trivia: The word "pomodoro" translates to "golden apple," reflecting that the first tomatoes were yellow, not red. It has been some time since anyone expected Pasta Pomodoro to be made with golden, not red tomatoes, and as Nosheteria proves with her beautiful rendition of the dish, red tomatoes make more of an impact when serving, anyway.

Her pasta pomodoro delivers perfectly cooked spaghetti topped with fresh basil, freshly shaved parmesan cheese and a "double whammy in the tomato department," with both raw, chopped tomatoes and slow roasted cherry tomatoes. The dish is colorful, uncomplicated and uses such a fantastic combination of flavors that it is guaranteed to be a showstopper, despite its simplicity.