My family loves tomatoes. Growing up in Kansas probably had something to do with it. My mother would plant row after row of tomato plants. We would eat them green-fried, sliced for sandwiches or as a side dish with just salt and pepper sprinkled on them. My mother made the best homemade tomato soup with chunks of cheese floating in it.

The part I remember most is when it came time for canning. I would sit in the kitchen for what seemed like hours on end pealing tomatoes so my mother could cook and then can them. Even though I thought it was an endless chore, I loved the fresh spaghetti sauces and tomato soups that came from these delicious jars of tomatoes.