What: Cherry tomatoes

Season: Late summer, early fall

About: Cherry tomatoes and their larger cousins are in season now at local farmers markets. You can get cherry tomatoes at many supermarkets, so why bother hiking down to the farmers market or vegetable stand for a pint? It’s all about the flavor. See, most supermarket varieties of tomatoes are developed to be hearty and to hold up during shipping. But sometimes with heartiness comes a lack of flavor. And this is as true for cherry tomatoes as it is with beefsteak, grape or pear tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes come in red, yellow and sometimes purple. They are typically about 1 inch wide, with a sweet taste. Don’t refrigerate these gems; keep them at room temperature until you’re ready to eat them.

Preparation: Here’s where you can have some fun. Cherry tomatoes can be eaten right out of the box or simply dipped in some dressing or placed atop a salad. But there’s lots of other fun things you can do. Heat up a healthy drizzle of olive oil in an oven-safe pan and wait for it to get hot. Add the cherry tomatoes and let them sizzle for a few minutes, then add in a few chunks of garlic and place the whole thing in the oven until the garlic is soft, about 30 minutes. The tomatoes will develop an incredible sweetness and a bit of a crust. Toss with pasta and basil. Cherry tomatoes are also divine with Greek flavors. Consider splitting the tomatoes in half, mixing with fresh parsley, oregano, garlic and kalamata olives to create a fresh salad. Or serve with feta and crackers.

— Alandra Johnson, The Bulletin

Produce purchased from Agricultural Connections, which distributes goods from regional farms (www.agriculturalconnections.com).

A weekly look at produce at local farmers markets.