Like most kids raised on the Standard American Diet (SAD is an appropriate acronym), I couldn't stand many vegetables. I was grossed out by avocado, eggplant, and the very worst of them all, tomatoes. Tomatoes were goopy, slimy things, just waiting to contaminate the rest of the food on my plate. However, as I got older and my tastebuds evolved, I started to try many foods I was terrified of as a kid. I soon discovered that avocados and eggplant were gifts from the heavens! But I'm going to be honest with you–I was still terrified of tomatoes. Knowing I had to get over it (or die trying!), I hid a tomato in a sandwich. NOT BAD. I was expecting a gag reflex so when I made it through the whole sandwich, I was impressed. I might have even (gasp) ?! Next, I tried a more advanced tactic of chopped tomato in a salad. Well, that was downright tasty, and it wasn't even covered in vegan ranch! Finally, I tried biting into a tomato like an apple (I have friends who say this is the best way to eat one), and okay, that was too much for me. I'm not ready to run with the big (tomato-loving) dogs quite yet. But I've integrated tomatoes into my cooking, and I'm a better person for it. Or, at least a person filled with more vitamims!

Here are some of my VegWeb tomato-y favorites:

Um, who else is ready to go eat all the tomatoes? Follow me!