Two reasons why I love summer...

Summer tomatoes and fresh basil! See them in my window?

There are so many ways you can enjoy tomatoes and basil. First, you'll want to get a really good cheese. I enjoy Feta or Chevre (Goat Cheese) or Fresh Mozzarella will do (and I'm not talking the shredded stuff, either).

You can top it with a little Italian dressing or get really fancy and pour on a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt/pepper. Seriously, my mouth is watering.

I have this great Black Currant balsamic vinegar from the Olive Mill. We discovered this little shop on our trip to Saugatuck last year. Holy crap! It's so delicious.

The other night, I simply poured that vinegar over my sliced tomatoes at dinner and devoured them. Then I poured it all over my strawberries and it was equally delicious.

When you're working with fresh basil, do me a favor and cut it the fancy way, by giving it a little chiffonade. Take the leaves and stack them on top of each other. Then, roll them like a tortilla and cut them to make long, thin strips.

I plan to eat so much of this stuff, that by the end of the summer I'll be thankful that tomato season is over. But, until that day, I'm gonna savor every bite.