I once had a rather heated discussion with a journalist/gardener from upstate New York about tomatoes. I swore the Piedmont of NC, particularly the family farm I grew up on, produced the best, juiciest, honest-to-goodness old-fashioned summer tomatoes in the world. He was convinced the humidity had not only slowed my speech but also affected my senses, too.  Surely the best tomatoes were from his very own garden in the cooler climes of his county, he argued.

We never settled the argument; it is one of those discussions that we had to agree to disagree. But the one thing tomato lovers all over the US and world can agree on is: there is nothing better than a tomato that is vine-ripened, warmed by the hot sun and plumped with the perfect amount of rainfall.

When they are perfect, there’s nothing else needed but a fine homemade dressing to top them off. I first sampled this heirloom tomato salad in one of Wolfgang Puck’s California restaurants and quickly worked it’s beauty and simplicity into my repertoire. This year I’ve lightened the salad dressing by using fat free Greek yogurt and think it pairs beautifully with the tangy buttermilk and course ground black pepper. This delicious dressing keeps for up to 10 days covered and refrigerated. It is also delicious as a dip for fresh sliced veggies or as a dressing for cabbage slaw.