So, for the first official food post for my brand-new food blog, I thought I’d go with a popular Summer addition: Tomatoes. Most people love a good tomato (don’t worry, I’m counting out you people who have a strict, no-tomato policy.) Do I love taking a large bite out of one? Nope. Definitely not. I prefer to do that with an apple or a peach, but if done right, I love a good tomato.

© Pottery Monster

Why? Because there is so much that you can do with it. You can make a sauce, a salad, a soup…it can be used as a topping, a side dish, the only dish.

But today, I am going to focus on one type of tomato–that vine-ripened Summer tomato. Why? Well, I’m so glad you asked…

If I’ve learned anything about the art of cooking, it’s that ingredients matter. It’s what turns something simple into something that is delicious. Fewer ingredients doesn’t have to mean bland food.

Take tomatoes, mozzarella (or burrata, which is a favorite of mine), and basil…

If all of these ingredients are fresh, ripe, perfect…and they are seasoned simply with salt and drizzled with quality olive oil—they create a delectable appetizer or even an entire meal.

BUT, if you take unripe tomatoes, shredded mozzarella from a bag (the horror!), and dried basil from one of those jars, you have perhaps the most disgusting thing ever created. (Not to totally trash those particular ingredients; they have their place…just not today…).

Ingredients, people, they matter.

And a good, quality tomato might just be the best ingredient a chef can ask for.