Tomatoes - much ado about nothing
Anyone who has eaten an heirloom like these pictures, or summer tomato from a farmer's market or their own vine knows how a tomato should taste. Those shiny, baseball-hard globes in supermarkets don't come close. They taste like nothing. More expensive mass-produced vine-on tomatoes aren't much better.
If there's one vegetable that should be eaten in season and gathered from the garden or fields, it's the tomato.
The best way to extract flavor from the supermarket versions is to roast them.
Buy Roma or Plum tomatoes for preference, though this will work for any of them. Slice them in two (I do it through the core so you can easily remove it). Oil a baking sheet or pan and place the tomato halves cut side up. Drizzle with more oil, then place in an oven preheated to 375F.
Until collapsing, about 30 minutes. Then carry on with your recipe or eat them like this alongside your main dish. (I like to let them catch a little brown if I'm making them as a side dish.)
They make excellent tomato soup or sauce.
The best canned tomatoes are the San Marzano brand, available from Litteri's and other Italian delis and from Whole Foods.