Don't underestimate heirloom tomatoes

At first these tasty treats may appear to be too oddly shaped and colorfully diverse to the naked eye. But give these delicious tomatoes a chance and you will taste some of the most succulent tomatoes of the season. August is rapidly approaching and it is the time for tomatoes, so don't overlook these odd delights on your next visit to the farmer's market!

Heirloom tomatoes got their name due to the way they are grown. Unlike regular tomatoes they are open-pollinated, meaning they grow directly from the seed of a previous fruit whose variety has been around for at least 50 years. The tomatoes themselves are delicate and can't take too much handling so they are typically picked and sold within two days making them the freshest tomatoes you can find. The skin is incredibly tender and they are quite absorbent so they work quite nicely with vinaigrettes in salads.

Heirloom Caprese

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

3 pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved if small or cut into slices if medium or large, cut carefully so as not to bruise the skin

Chopped fresh basil

Sliced fresh mozzarella

Whisk together vinegar, salt, and peper in a large bowl. Add oil in a slow, continuous stream, whisking constantly until both parts oil and vinegar are emulsified. Add tomatoes and mozzarella, gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.