If you have a home garden, or live close to someone with a home garden, chances are that you have tomatoes sitting on your counter right now.  And, while you may love having BLT sandwiches everyday for lunch, you may still have mountains for tomatoes just waiting to be used.

I have to admit that in past years, I have even let them sit out so long, waiting for them to have a purpose, that I later found tomatoes rotting on my counter.  This year, especially with food prices being so high, I vowed to not let them go to waste.

Here are some ideas for using your little tomato treasures:

• Salads – Slice larger tomatoes or use cherry or grape tomatoes
• Fresh Salsa
• Soup – Tomato Soup or Gazpacho are both perfect choices
• Broil - Cut tomatoes in half and top with Parmesan cheese before putting them in the broiler for 3 – 5 minutes
• Sandwiches – Almost any sandwich can benefit from a couple of slices of these lycopene-filled darlings
• Saute – Add these to your favorite pasta dish or they make a great garnish on top of chicken or fish
• Roast – Put them in with a little olive oil and some salt for a great side dish
• Freeze - Dunk tomatoes into boiling water and then remove their skins. Then, cut them in half, remove the seeds, and pop them into freezer bags.  Who doesn’t love fresh tomatoes in the dead of winter?
• Homemade Pizza - Roma tomatoes are my favorite for topping homemade pizza!
• Ketchup – Try your hand at making homemade ketchup
• Canning – Though this can be a little more challenging, this is a great way to preserve your tomatoes for long term use.
• Give Them Away – Scope out which of your neighbors don’t have garden, and try surprising them with a basket of fresh tomatoes!