When Farmer Lee picks the first tomatoes of the season, he admits that he will “plunk that very first handful into my mouth.” And, as the juice dribbles down his chin, he shares that this experience absolutely screams summer to him. “As I smell the tomato leaves as I walk towards the vines,” he says, “and as I smell the soil and feel the sun on my back, the experience is purely spiritual. It’s about that miracle, the miracle that happens when God gives us a seed and then it turns into such a majestic, glorious gift.” (Farmer Lee Jones, during the summer of 2018)

When you mine Google search data, it quickly becomes obvious that we’re a curious bunch of folks, with questions like these being asked regularly:

We’re Sowing the Seeds of Summer Crops

Chef Matt McMillin is constructing a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with the tenderness and care it takes to swaddle a newborn.

In 2018, tomatoes are being used in creative cuisines around the world in unique and delicious ways. And, as we once again enter the long-anticipated summer tomato season, we thought we’d take a more in-depth look at this incredible crop.