Reflected tomatoes. Photo: gutter/Flickr

• You may love the deep red and delicious flavor of tomatoes, but how much do you know about the fruit?
• This week's Dinner & a Movie: "Blame it on Rio" and food from the Boogalu Cafe.
• Readers weigh in on easy summertime treats.
• If you can bear to add mixers to your whisky, try a Macallan Classic 10.
• Rice Cream Puddings offers customers puddings flavored with everything from coquito to rum raisin.
• Writer Maricel E. Presilla writes about the Cuban memories evoked by sweet mangoes.
• California's Brassfield winery traded rolling cattle fields for vineyards and grapes.
• Northwest Miami-Dade is home to restaurants like Olivos, Thai Cafe and Taberna de Ignacio, while Hollywood boasts Exotic Bites, Cafe Italia and Orale Mexican.
• La Cofradia adds "Ceviche Bar" to its name and revels in raw fish.
  
• L'Express Sandwicherie in Coral Gables is run by a ... kickboxing chef?
  
• Recipe: Barbecued Pork and Beans

This eye-popping bowl of fettuccine with roasted tomato sauce is a tantalizing reminder that tomato season is nearly upon us. Brought into glorious (and most likely brief) existence by Gwendolyn at Patent and the Pantry, it's a vibrant ode to the complicated chemistry that takes place between simple ingredients, rendering them extraordinary. It's also a succinct explanation of why carbophobia tends to end in bankruptcy, both moral and financial. Above all, it's a comforting reminder that sometimes, happiness really can be found at the business end of a pasta machine.

[Via Patent and the Pantry]

Gourmet's Barry Estabrook investigates the plight of Florida tomato pickers. The following is an excerpt of his findings published on Gourmet.com.

A little slavery is okay, just not too much of it.

At this writing, that appears to be the official government position in the state of Florida, and it could explain why the fields of the Sunshine State provide such fertile ground for modern-day slavery. In the past dozen years, police have broken up and prosecuted seven slave operations there, freeing more than 1,000 men and women who were kept captive and forced to work for little or no money and threatened with death if they tried to escape. (For more on the plight of the Florida tomato pickers, see my article "The Price of Tomatoes" in the March 2009 issue of Gourmet.)

Late last year, two members of the Navarrete family, the operators of what has been recognized as the most brutal slave ring the state has seen, were sentenced to 12 years in prison; two others received lesser sentences. Justice having been done, it was an ideal opportunity for Governor Charlie Crist, who enjoys a very high approval rating, to spend a bit of that political capital to condemn the practice and announce bold steps to prevent it.

The story continues at Gourmet.com: Politics of the Plate: Florida's Slave Trade

Last month in the New York Times, Melissa Clark published a recipe for broccoli with shrimp roasted in the same pan and described how bite-size pieces of chicken thighs would cook in the same amount of time, too. I tried the chicken idea with cauliflower, and the results were very nice. Since then, roasting protein and veggies together has been my go-to method for no-fuss cooking.

Recently, I was inspired by two recipes in Gourmet's "Every Day" section: Roasted Pacific Cod with Spring Vegetables and Mint and Provençal Chicken and Tomato Roast. I swiped the cod from the first and the tomatoes from the second and threw in capers instead of the black olives that the second recipe called for. The fish and the tomato mixture were cooked perfectly at the same time. This is a tasty, simple recipe that I'm sure to reprise. The method is after the jump.

Had enough of tomatoes? Try a tomatillo!

Got an overflow of late-season ripe tomatoes in your garden? Check out this New York Times recipe for tomato Tarte Tatin. Tarte Tatin, French upside-down tarts, are usually sweet, often made with green apples. But this colorful savory tart, made with a variety of yellow, red and orange tomatoes, can be served alongside lamb or or beef, or on its own with some green salad for a light lunch. A splash of vinegar and finely chopped Kalamata olives add zest. Gorgeous.

For your lunchtime pleasure, I'm presenting a series of my favorite bento boxes. Bento are Japanese home-prepared meals served in special boxes, usually eaten for lunch at work or school. The boxes can range from austere lacquered trays to multi-tiered Hello Kitty confections of neon pink plastic. The meals themselves are anything from rice and leftovers to elaborate themed affairs of Pikachu-shaped dumplings with sesame seed eyes and carved radish trees. These days, bento enthusiasts from all over the world share their creations on Flickr.

This shellfish illusion from Sakurako Kitsa is actually perfectly kosher. Our "lobster" is fashioned entirely of Roma tomatoes with gel food coloring accents and strips of cayenne pepper for antennae. Cloves make perfect beedy little eyes. The "butter sauce" is mashed egg yolk with mustard and mayo, and the rose is carved from yellow tomatoes.

A few weeks ago, we learned about all the amazing varieties of tomato. Now, milk the last lovely harvests of tomatoes for all they're worth with these juicy recipes from the food blogs:

Sock-eye salmon steak with slow-roasted tomatoes from [Eating Club] Vancouver

Caprese Salad from Michael Ruhlman

Yellow Tomato and White Bean Salad from Vegan Dad

Summer Vegetable Cianfotta from 101 Cookbooks

Cherry Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad from Simply Recipes

Bruschetta di Pomodori Gratinati from The Wednesday Chef

San Marzano Sauce with Peppers from Andrea's Recipes

Green Fried Tomato BLT from Serious Eats

Have a favorite tomato recipe for a almost-end-of-season hoorah? Share!

Grocery store bins are still overflowing with fresh sweet corn, its silky hair littering the tile floors like pine needles, so you might as well get as much as you can, while you can. The New York Times has a good story on stretching late summer corn, with an especially awesome-looking recipe for corn, basil and tomato chowder. This thick soup packs in the trifecta of summer flavors, made hearty with potatoes and a dollop of crème fraîche. And, best of all, soup's great for freezing, which means you can thaw a container-full any time during the winter for a burst of early September's golden goodness.

This time of the year, I love going to the farmer's markets to try the many succulent and colorful tomatoes. Depending on the season, we can enjoy these fruity delectables into mid-fall. Like so many fruits and vegetables, there are plenty of varieties of tomatoes to try. Below are 8 with some history.

1. Heirloom - Within this category there are approximately 400 different varieties. Aesthetically, they look striking with their unusual coloring and size. I would not use them to cook with. They're preferable eaten on their own with fresh basil, mozzarella, and vinaigrette.
2. Big Rainbow - These large beefsteak tomatoes can weigh over two pounds. They've been growing in the U.S. since the early 1900s. They start off yellow, and as they ripen they resemble a green pinkish-red rainbow. They're perfect for sandwiches and cooking.
   
3. Brandywine - This is another beefsteak tomato. The Amish community has been growing them since the late 19th century. They're softer than Big Rainbow tomatoes and they're bursting with both sweetness and acidity.
4. Cherokee Purple - These small sized salad tomatoes are perfect for cutting in quarters. They were first grown by the Cherokee tribe as far back as the 1800s. If you have a sweet tooth, these are for you! They're probably the sweetest large tomatoes at the market.
   
5. Djena Lee's Golden Girl - Tomato breeder Djena Lee created this deep yellow variety in the 1920s. They're known for their intense taste and sugar-acid balance. Cut them for your summer salad.
   
6. Green grape - This yellow-green cherry tomato has a relatively short history. It was created in the 1980s by being bred between four different heirloom tomatoes. They look like muscat grapes and are great for snacking.
   
7. Currant red - These tart cherry tomatoes are the smallest ones available.
   
8. Yellow Pear - This gorgeous yellow pear shaped small fruity tomato is great for snacking with grey sea salt mixed in with greens.
   

What are some interesting tomatoes you've tried so far this season?

I love this picture. I love how the leaves on the toast mimic the pattern on the tablecloth. It's breakfast that also happens to be doubling as art. For more pictures of gorgeous, creative breakfasts, make sure to check out Cesca's entire breakfast set.

Thanks Cesca, for adding this beautiful picture to the Slashfood Flickr pool.

I now know what I need to hunt down this weekend -- lots and lots of cherry tomatoes.

Deb from Smitten Kitchen, a woman after my own heart, has just posted a sweet ode to the wonders of the tomato. Better yet, she has shared a great way to use up those small, sweet cherry suckers -- slow roast them. There's just a little bit of prep, a few hours for roasting, and then a bunch of little, roasted tomatoes to eat up. Don't they look delicious?

Just think -- small nibblets for snacking, a wonderful topping to pasta, a great addition to a sandwich, or even a nice twist on classic bruschetta on toast.

I adore tomatoes. In fact, I love them so much that I'd put up with melting every day in the heat if it meant that I'd get a never ending season of fresh tomatoes from the local farms.

Alas, we're working our way back to winter, and this red-hued season won't last forever. But while it does, I can over-indulge. I had to share the above picture, which I took after I found myself staring into the super-cheap $6 basket of tomatoes I picked up over the weekend. That blemish on the top left was the only bit in the whole box. The rest were perfect, deep red tomatoes -- the type I dream about all year.

I've made tons of salsa so far, and am gearing up for more salads, sandwiches, bruschetta, and salt-covered slices, but what other ways do you prepare your fresh tomatoes for a meal? I'm looking for any ideas that don't include cooking the heck out of them. I want to enjoy the raw, or raw-ish flavor while it lasts!

Lycopene lovers across the country can now heave a sigh of relief. The FDA has announced that it is once again safe to eat all forms and styles of tomatoes. It seems that the unprecedented outbreak of salmonella that swept the country has finally slowed. People are still cautioned to take care when eating hot peppers as they may still be carriers.

I must admit that the FDA's warning didn't alter my personal tomato consumption over the last month. Pennsylvania and New Jersey were both cleared of any contamination and so I just took care to only eat local 'maters. How has the tomato warning effected you? Did you or anyone you know get sick from bad produce?

[via AOL News]

I remember the first time someone clued me in that it was possible to make salsa at home, I was agog (I was 13). It took me a few minutes to wrap my head around the fact that it didn't need to come from the grocery store in a jar or a tub. Even more amazing was that the ingredients were fairly basic and easy to come by. Fast forward about fifteen years and homemade salsa fresca is one of my favorite summer treats. Here's what you do.

Pull out a mixing bowl. Take 1 huge tomato to two medium-sized ones and cube them into 1/2 inch square (no need to be perfect). Mince up an onion, seed and dice a jalepeno (if you don't want your fingertips to burn for the rest of the day, wear gloves), crush two or three cloves of garlic and top it off with a handful of chopped cilantro. Hit the veggies with the juice of one lime and a generous pinch of salt. Stir it and let it sit for a while (I recommend at least an hour before eating). I make it in a lidded bowl, so that I can mix and store it easily. Eat it with tortilla chips, over scrambled eggs, on top of beans and rice or simply with a spoon, straight out of the bowl.