Tomatoes are botanically a fruit and are actually berries - but no less than the U.S. Supreme Court, in a ruling dealing with tariffs, declared them a vegetable.

Tomatoes are indigenous to the Andes although they were domesticated in Mexico. They were first introduced to Europe in 1527, but as ornamental plants as they were thought to be poisonous. The Italians were the first to begin eating tomatoes seriously. The Italian name, "pomodoro", when translated, gave tomatoes the English nickname of love apples. It wasn't until the middle of the 19^th century that tomatoes became a widespread food.

Fresh tomatoes are now available year round, but most are picked green-ripe and allowed to finish ripening in transit, usually by gassing them. There is no question that tomatoes ripened on the vine have more flavor than others, but the problems in shipping vine-ripened tomatoes make them less commercially viable.

Most chefs turn to canned rather than using commercial tomatoes. Chefs Illustrated praises the Progresso and Muir Glen brands quite highly, while also recommending Redpack and Contadina. In general, when buying a can of tomatoes, look for one that lists tomatoes, not tomato puree, as its first ingredient.

But in the summer, you can find vine-ripened tomatoes (which are not the same thing as the tomatoes on the vine currently imported from Holland). Choose ones that are heavy for their size, yielding but not soft, have a saturated color, and actually smell like a tomato. When you bring them home, store them at room temperature - refrigeration actually kills one of the major flavor components.

Tomato types include:

§         Beefsteak  - large, deep red, juicy tomatoes good for fresh salads and sandwiches

§         Cherry - small red or yellow tomatoes; the yellow ones have less acidity. Use fresh or sauté briefly in butter and herbs like basil or oregano

§         Pear - small, pear-shaped red or yellow tomatoes that are very sweet; best for fresh eating

§         Plum or Roma - red, egg-shaped tomatoes with a greater proportion of pulp to seed and gel; used for sauces, soup, purees and other cooked dishes

§         Yellow - slicing, large, round, smooth-skinned tomatoes which are used fresh - use instead of beefsteaks when you want a tomato with less acidity

§         Green - full sized, but unripe tomatoes that are used fried or in chutneys and jellies

§         Currant - tiny, but very sweet to eat fresh

§         Heirloom - increasingly popular and usually found in local farmers markets, these tomatoes are grown from historic seeds that did not attain commercial popularity. They can have lots of flavor, are often funny shaped, and come in any number of colors, including striped and purple. Availability varies widely by geography. Some of the most popular include Brandywine, Prudent Purpose, Cherokee Purple, and Zebra. Definitely use these fresh or in minimally cooked tomato sauces.

Besides never refrigerating tomatoes, here's some other advice:

•    Due to their high acidity, tomatoes will pick up a metallic taste from reactive (aluminum) cooking pots, as well as aluminum foil. Cook any sauces in a non-metallic pot and don't let the foil touch the top of any tomato dish. 
• Add sugar to temper excess acidity.
• To maximize flavor in a sauce:

1.       Seeds have a bitter flavor when crushed and the liquid is watery, so drain the tomatoes. Cut them in half, squeeze out and discard the seeds and juice, salt lightly and let sit, cut side down, for 15 - 30 minutes.

2.      Add tomato puree or sundried tomatoes for an extra flavor boost.

3.    It isn't necessary to peel tomatoes, unless you don't want the texture of the peel in your end product. To peel, dip the tomato in boiling water for 20-30 seconds, and then plunge in ice water.

Roast Tomato Sauce, adapted from Food & Wine Magazine:

-2 ¼ pounds ripe tomatoes

-3 tablespoons chopped parsley

-2 tablespoons chopped garlic

-Salt and pepper, to taste

-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve the tomatoes crosswise and arrange them snugly, cut side up, in one layer in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle the parsley and garlic evenly over the tomatoes and season them with salt and pepper.

Pour the olive oil all over the tomatoes and bake them on the top rack of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until they are very tender, shrunken slightly, and browned at the edges. Let the tomatoes cool slightly.

Lift the tomatoes with a fork, letting them drain well, and transfer them either to a food mill fitted with a medium disk or the food processor. Puree and check for seasoning.