OPINION | FRONT BURNER: Make use of scorched tomatoes with this dressing

The heat and lack of rain completely zapped my backyard garden this summer. Only a handful of herbs — basil, oregano, pineapple sage and mint (which cannot be killed) — have thrived. My dill and cilantro bolted and now I'm just waiting for their seeds to ripen and release while they hang upside down in paper bags in my pantry. Of four tomato plants and two pepper plants my harvest has been a whopping single tomato and three peppers. And the pepper plants were either mislabeled at the nursery or so poorly pollinated the resulting peppers were unrecognizable from the variety listed on the tag.

Thankfully my favorite local farmers have been more successful. As often as I can, I make the drive out to their market stands and stock up on corn, melons, onions, squash, cucumbers, peaches and, of course, tomatoes.

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