Kitchen Tip: Cutting Basil into Chiffonade

Wondering how to cut your basil into the pretty confetti known as chiffonade? Here's a quick tutorial:

Remove the basil leaves from the stems and stack into a neat pile.

Roll the pile of leaves tightly like a cigar.

Cut the roll crosswise into thin strips.

Ta-da, chiffonade!

Two Tomato Salads

Note: I am reposting my old food columns from Milford Patch. They originally contained step by step photos and accompanying instructions, which I hope to recreate at some point. Until then, I am posting the original text. This post originally appeared on Patch on August 13, 2011...

Tomatoes are here! There is no other food that more clearly illustrates the difference between in-season, fruits and vegetables and year-round, well-traveled supermarket produce. It’s just not worth eating tomatoes the rest of the year, so you should get your fill in the now. Besides tomato sandwiches, here are two great ways to enjoy tomato season. These recipes only take a few minutes to make, so wait until the last minute to put them together.