Holly is visiting Emily and me this week from Atlanta and three of us have kept busy trying to get pictures hung and the garage cleaned out at the new house. Lucky for Matthew he is still working up at Camp Laney so he has escaped some of the work. And he would also think he is lucky to have escaped the daily plate of tomatoes being consumed here at the Hall house. Matthew only eats tomatoes in things such as tomato sauce or sometimes on a burger, while the girls and I are eating some everyday. Emily has been a tomato eater since she was big enough to pull the little cherry tomatoes off of her grandfather’s plants. Holly just came into the fold about a year ago but now she too is believer.

Neither one will eat a tomato sandwich with me but we do share another favorite way to eat them. I slice them thinly on a plate, add slices of fresh mozzarella if I have any, if not a few drops of balsamic vinaigrette, snipped basil from my herb bed, a sprinkle of kosher salt and a grind or two of fresh pepper and you are talking about heaven on a plate.

My plants, two heirloom tomato plants and one grape tomato are just now covered with little green tomatoes. Fortunately for me and the girls my father-in-law has had a good supply and our friends Ricky and Wanda have been producing tomatoes since early spring.

If you need a way besides a juicy tomato sandwich or the simple plated method above give these two recipes a try.

Tomato Pie

1 (9-inch) pie crust

3 large tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (I don’t peel mine)

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 cup cheddar cheese (I use Mozzarella)

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Bake the pie crust in its pan on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Place tomatoes in the baked pie crust. Sauté the onion in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place this over the tomatoes. Combine the cheddar cheese with the mayonnaise and spread over the tomatoes. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove and top with the crumbled bacon. Bake for 5 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tomatoes Rockefeller

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach

1 cup soft breadcrumbs

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 cup green onion, chopped finely

6 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Dash of Tabasco

12 thick tomato slices, skin on

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the spinach according to the package directions. Drain and squeeze out the excess water. Mix the spinach with the remaining ingredients except for the tomato slices. Mound the spinach mixture on top of each tomato slice. Bake for 15 minutes.

Adapted from Mississippi Magazine

Christina Hall is a columnist for the Natchez Democrat. She can be reached by e-mail at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com