Drizzle some honey over your tomatoes

Photo: Claire Lower

One ​​of my favorite sides is extremely simple: sliced ​​fresh tomatoes with a little salt (extra credit if served on Blue Willow china). Ripe summer tomatoes don't need a lot of adornment, and I tend to shy away from involving unnecessary ingredients, so when I saw a woman drizzle honey on her tomato toast, I scoffed. The honey sweetness would surely overpower the tomato, or so I thought.

A few weeks later I found myself with a half pint of cherry tomatoes threatening to lose their shine. I cut them in half and tossed them along with some of the saved feta that my friend (and Lifehacker contributor) Amanda had made. The combo was good, but something else was needed. Then I remembered honey.

Tomato Tools: A bread knife for perfect slices Honey for watering Blue willow plates (for authentic southern charm) Maldon salt, for flavor and texture

I sprinkled some on it, swirled it around, then took a big bite. The feta and honey were wonderful together, but that's to be expected; honey and cheese go well together. What I didn't expect was that honey and tomato go together so well. Rather than overpowering the fruit, the warm sweetness of honey amplified and complemented the tomato's acid spiciness and umami-rich glutamates. Add a little salt (or cheese) and you have a bite that hits all the flavor notes but bitter.

Dissatisfied with a single data point, I entered a few heirlooms to test a more stripped down approach. I toasted a piece of bread, sliced ​​a few small tomatoes and spread the slices over the toasted bread before finishing them off with a few drizzles of healthy honey and several large...