It's here! Tomato time. A year late and a week or so early, tomatoes are ripening like crazy in my garden. As of last Saturday morning, the plants needed rain badly. They were wilty and droopy under the weight of the heavy, fast-ripening fruit.

Saturday night changed all that with about an inch of rain. My husband, David, swears he forgot what a heavy rain sounded like drumming on our red tin roof. Welcome. Hopeful. Renewal, following all this too-hot and way-dry weather.

On Sunday morning, after that generous watering, new yellow blossoms had formed on some of the tomato plants. This was a good sign.

I was worried that some plants might be finished. Any green tomatoes they now carry will ripen, but I wasn't sure that they would set any new fruit.

Even with the hot and dry weather challenges, we've had a huge crop of tomatoes. Great, velvety-soft, juicy Brandywines; rich-flavored black plum tomatoes and Purple Cherokees; small, sweet and crisp Stupice. The tomatoes that I started from seed so many months ago.

An impressive tomato array sits on platters and baskets on the harvest table in the kitchen. At this time of year, it's called the Tomato Table. As in other years, as soon as I use them up, a trip out to the garden produces enough bounty to once again fill up the Tomato Table.

"What are you going to do with all those tomatoes?" my dinner guests asked the other week. "Can them?"

This is what I did: I made the guests take them. Some anyway. I also simmered up two big batches of sauce for the freezer. But I gave plenty away.

Then I asked the tomato recipients what they did with my tomatoes.

China Millman made gazpacho. Amy Rosenfield reported that she sliced some up on a platter, seasoned them with fresh basil and wine salt and enjoyed them with cheese. At another meal, she cut the tomatoes into thin wedges, mixed them with halved Sun Golds, thin slices of hot Hungarian pepper, more basil and a dash of fruity olive oil. This was served on salad greens and with a crusty baguette.

Michael Hoffman, a new friend, sent me a photo of his abstract Caprese Salad, which he prepared from different colors and sizes of tomatoes and creamy mozzarella. Our good neighbor Nancy Hawkins e-mailed: "I am eating your tomatoes like apples for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

What did I do with them? I'm with Nancy: Eat tomatoes at every meal. For example, on Sunday, we enjoyed sliced tomatoes with bacon and eggs for breakfast, wedges of tomato with cheese for lunch and corn and tomatoes for dinner. It's the best season!

I'm looking for tomato-seed-swapping stories. If anyone has a good tale about where they got their tomato seeds, please e-mail me at mmmrubin@gmail.com. I may use your story in an upcoming column.

-- Thanks, Miriam Rubin

Miriam's Garden Gazpacho

PG tested

For years I made gazpacho with a secret ingredient: V-8 vegetable juice. Eventually I realized that while it does boost the flavor of grocery-store vegetables, it doesn't really save on chopping and it's not necessary if you use really fresh, flavorful vegetables. I was lucky enough to be gifted a whole lot of tomatoes, some sweet peppers and cucumbers from Miriam's famous garden, so I made a giant bowl of this California-style gazpacho. It's easy to make, but be sure to get organized and use a sharp knife.

-- China Millman

• 6 to 8 large tomatoes
• 2 medium cucumbers
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 to 4 small green sweet peppers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 carrot
• Sherry vinegar
• Juice of 2 limes, freshly squeezed
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 small, ripe avocados
• (optional garnish)

Roughly chop about half the tomatoes, 1 cucumber, half the bell pepper, 2 of the sweet peppers, both cloves of garlic, half the red onion and the entire carrot. Puree (in batches, if necessary) in blender until completely smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Dice the remaining tomatoes, the cucumber and the other half of the bell pepper. Add to the puree. Mince the remaining sweet peppers and the remaining half of the red onion. Add to the bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Add the sherry vinegar, the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. You may want to add a little more or a little less vinegar or lime juice, depending on the acidity of your tomatoes, and your personal taste.

Cover and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. The gazpacho will keep well for 3 or 4 days in the fridge. Before serving check seasoning 1 more time. Serve garnished with diced avocado.

Serves 4.

-- China Millman

Michael Hoffman's Caprese Salad

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Caprese salad is often formally arranged, tightly overlapping slices of tomato and mozzarella. Michael's version is casual and appealing; sometimes he adds a few oil-cured anchovies as well. He likes to drizzle the salad with saba, a thick, sweet, reduced grape must (the juice from which wine is made). I opted for the more available balsamic vinegar.

-- Miriam Rubin

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds mixed, ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick crosswise slices
• 4 to 6 ounces fresh mozzarella or bocconcini (bite-size mozzarella balls), sliced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet red or white onion
• 1/4 cup loosely packed slivered or torn fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar or saba, or more to taste
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

On large plate, arrange tomatoes. Arrange mozzarella over; then sprinkle with onion and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or saba. Season generously with salt and pepper. Let stand a few minutes before serving with crusty bread.

Makes 2 main-dish or 3 or 4 side-dish servings.

-- Michael Hoffman

Tomato and Fennel Soup

PG tested

This soup is delicious hot or cold. If you like, serve it with crostini. Make them from toasted, thin slices of ciabatta or other crusty bread. Crostini can be plain or drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with a cut clove of garlic or spread with roasted garlic and quickly broiled. Fresh fennel is sometimes called anise.

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced, feathery leaves reserved for garnish
• 4 cups diced, seeded Roma tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups diced, peeled Yukon Gold potatoes
• 32 ounces vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 sprig fresh thyme (or large pinch dried)
• 1 sprig fresh oregano (I used marjoram)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add fennel; cook, stirring often, until it begins to look translucent, about 4 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except salt and pepper.

Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Remove herb sprigs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool 15 minutes.

In batches, puree in blender or food processor. Reheat or chill, and serve. Garnish each serving with a sprig of fennel leaves.

Makes 9 cups.

-- Adapted from "Melissa's Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce: A Guide to Easy-to-Make Dishes with Fresh Organic Fruits and Vegetables" by Cathy Thomas (Wiley, 2010, $29.95).

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