You Say Tomato, I Say Heirloom

It just isn't summer without a juicy, sweet tomato plucked straight from the vine and still warm from the sun. Forget about those perfectly round, ruby red tomatoes in your supermarket. The real beauty queens are of the heirloom variety.

Grown from seeds handed down from generations, heirlooms are lumpy, bumpy tomatoes that come in a rainbow of colors. They have memorable names like Brandywine, Green Grape, Black Krim, Green Zebra and Mortgage Lifter and are full of flavor (so unlike their bland grocery store cousins).

I chose some Cherokee Purple tomatoes from my local farmers' market that became an inspiration for a summer salad. On a bed of spicy greens and broccoli florets, I added tomato wedges and sliced fried chicken, then drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was almost too pretty to eat!