The Tomato King of Greensburg, Pa.

People are competitive about their garden tomatoes in Greensburg, Pa., my home town. Certainly my dad was. The main rivalry focused on who had the first ripe tomato in town. The second was deciding who grew the most perfect-looking tomato. The third, for which my dad always took the prize, was whose tomatoes tasted best.

Dad’s tomato mentor was Dan Antonucci, who taught him how tomatoes were grown back in Italy and gave him seeds from his own garden, heirloom tomato varieties Antonucci’s family had brought over in the early 1900s. Some of them no one could identify. Dad would save the seeds from his favorites, and year after year he produced the meatiest Romas, the plumpest little yellow pear tomatoes and the biggest, bumpiest, most luscious beefsteaks in western Pennsylvania.

Dad took great pride in the fact that he followed Antonucci’s old-fashioned gardening practices. He scoffed when all the other neighbors used pesticides and artificial fertilizers. My dad was convinced that this was why his tomatoes tasted better than any others--except Antonucci’s, of course.

He chose the sunniest spots in the corner of our back yard to grow his beauties. A small brick wall held up a 10x10-foot raised bed dedicated to his tomatoes. It was on this wall that I sat every summer, saltshaker in hand, awaiting my first bite of warm ripe tomato. That moment became a sacred yearly ritual for my father and me.

As a child, I devoured tomatoes as if they were juicy peaches. My mom made me stay outside to eat them because I loved the feel of the juices dripping down my chin. The sweet smell of the tomato intoxicated me as well, and I hoped that rinsing my hands would not wash away the scent. When I wanted to splurge, I made my favorite sandwich of thick slices of beefsteak tomato, home-grown onions, lettuce and mayonnaise on soft white bread. I was in paradise.

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Toward the end of the growing season, we ate lots of unripe green tomatoes. Mom would bread and fry them. Dad dipped them in garlic and oil and grilled them next to rib eye steaks. My brothers hated them; I couldn’t get enough.

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Ratatouille is a classic dish that is treated differently by every cook. It is the recipe of choice when your neighbor brings you one more basketful of vegetables from her prolific summer garden. Slow oven-roasting deepens the flavors. Traditionally, each vegetable is cooked separately. Ros Creasy, author and gardening expert, and I agree that cooking them all together encourages the various vegetables to blend and absorb one another’s flavors. Double the recipe if you want leftovers. Toss ratatouille with pasta, serve as a bed under grilled fish fillets or as an appetizer with plenty of bread, salty olives, aioli and glasses of red wine.

OVEN-ROASTED RATATOUILLE

2 to 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces

1 medium eggplant (globe, rosa bianca or Japanese), peeled, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces

1 medium sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 medium golden summer squash, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

10 cloves garlic, optional

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 to 5 fresh oregano or sage sprigs

1/3 cup fruity red wine

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Place tomatoes, eggplant, sweet red pepper, onions and squash in heavy 3-quart baking dish. Add garlic, oil, oregano and wine. Toss with vegetables. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees 30 minutes. Remove from oven and baste vegetables with pan juices. Cover again and bake until vegetables are very tender, 15 to 30 minutes longer. (In this dish, vegetables should not be al dente.) Mix in basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let ratatouille cool slightly before serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Tomatoes, pears, chiles and potatoes are all in season at the same time. Bring them together on one plate to create an earthy dinner that is hearty and soul-satisfying.

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS WITH TOMATO, PEAR, CHUTNEY AND CHILE- MASHED POTATOES

1 cup virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

4 (5-ounce) lamb loin chops

Chile-Mashed Potatoes

Tomato-Pear Chutney

Finely chopped fresh mint

In large bowl combine oil, wine, chopped garlic, rosemary, pepper and salt. Add lamb chops, turning to coat thoroughly on both sides. Marinate 2 hours or more at room temperature, turning occasionally.

Remove lamb chops from marinade and pan-fry or grill until done. To serve, place about 3/4 cup Chile-Mashed Potatoes on each dinner plate. Arrange lamb chop on side of potatoes. Garnish with 2 generous tablespoons Tomato-Pear Chutney. Sprinkle lamb chop with mint to taste. Makes 4 servings.

Chile-Mashed Potatoes

2 pounds boiling potatoes, preferably new potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks if large

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped Anaheim or serrano chiles

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Salt

In large pan cook potatoes in abundant boiling water until soft. Drain. While potatoes are still hot, mash in butter, sour cream and chiles and add milk gradually until potatoes are light and fluffy. Season to taste with salt.

Tomato-Pear Chutney

2 cups peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped tomatoes

2 cups peeled, cored and coarsely chopped pears

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 cup raisins

2 cups light-brown sugar, packed

1 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup finely chopped ginger root

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

2 cinnamon sticks

2 green chiles, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons salt

In 2-quart nonreactive pan combine tomatoes, pears, onion, raisins, sugar, vinegar, ginger root, mustard seeds, cinnamon sticks, chiles and salt. Simmer over low heat, mixing occasionally, until all fruit is tender and chutney begins to thicken, about 1 hour. Remove cinnamon sticks.

Reserve as much chutney as desired for this meal. Spoon remaining mixture into sterilized jars. Place lids on top and store in refrigerator up to 6 weeks or in cool, dark place. Makes 5 to 6 pints.

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This is possibly the best way to eat a perfectly ripe, juicy tomato. However, the success of this dish lies entirely in the quality of the ingredients. Don’t even bother serving it unless the tomatoes are as sweet as sugar. Use top-quality olive oil and fresh, delicate mozzarella. They’re worth a few cents more. If you can find boconcini or small mozzarella balls, they are wonderful. If you can’t find three different kinds of basil, the sweet green variety will do just fine.

TOMATO, ONION, FRESH MOZZARELLA AND THREE-BASIL SALAD

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, room-temperature, thickly sliced

1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced

1 cup fresh basil leaves of any combination of sweet green, purple, lemon, cinnamon, Thai or chocolate, coarsely chopped, plus several sprigs for garnish

6 to 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thickly sliced

1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 to 6 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Layer tomatoes, onion and chopped basil on large platter. Top with mozzarella slices. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with sprigs of fresh basil. Makes 4 servings.