I can never get enough of big, juicy tomatoes bursting with flavours, thanks to a good balance of sugar and acids! One can use these for slicing, snacking, garnishing, grilling and of course, cooking. Even the sweet, small cherry tomato is indispensable in many a salad and starter.

Here are a few good and healthy way to enjoy them:

• Slice a few and eat them drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt

• Drizzle some slices with a vinaigrette made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a spoonful of pesto, and salt and pepper. You can also alternate the tomatoes with slices of avacado and cucumber and add fresh mozzarella. Eat with toasted brown bread or French bread.

• For slow roasted tomatoes, cut the tops and squeeze out the juice and seeds. Place them upright in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, season with garlic, salt, pepper and herbs. Roast at 325?F until they are soft and have collapsed. Serve as a side dish, or roast further until they?re drier and use them as a topping for crostini or a pizza.

• A chilled, tangy gazpacho from finely diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and sweet peppers is hard to beat. Season with salt, pepper, minced garlic, and herbs. Add lime juice or red-wine vinegar, and round out the flavours with a little olive oil. Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving.

• The unbeatable BLT sandwich which consists of bacon, arugula, tomato, and avocado. For a twist, add some cheese, maybe even softened blue cheese or fresh goat cheese, into the juicy tomato sandwich.

pasta with tomatoes and basil

Ingredients: Olive oil; 6 medium tomatoes, diced with their juice kept; 2 tbs sliced spring onions; 1 tbs minced garlic; about 1/2 lb cheese (gorgonzola), crumbled; salt and pepper to taste; large sprigs fresh basil; 1 lb dried linguine; 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Method: Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Add the garlic. Then add the spring onions, tomatoes and their juice and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Add the cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Tear the basil into small pieces and add to the pan.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender, for about 10 minutes. When the pasta is done, drain it and immediately add it to the pan. Toss well until almost all of the cheese is melted and the pasta is evenly coated with cheese and tomato juices. Add the pine nuts and serve.