The Smartest Way to Shop at a Farmers Market

When you're buying a ripe, dry-farmed heirloom tomato that was hand-picked off the vine this morning, you're really doing a disservice to your palate if you try to muddle its flavors with too many other ingredients. So keep the prep uncomplicated: for tomatoes, try a straightforward caprese salad. When cooking simple things, you'll get to know each produce variety's subtle flavor differences, and you'll spend less time in the kitchen and more time at the table.

Photo: Lauren Hendrickson