I admit I’m a bit obsessed with cherry tomatoes these days. I discovered Sunset’s Flavor Bombs, a cherry tomato on the vine that is greenhouse grown, with seed sourced from the south of France. But where they come from isn’t nearly as important to me as the fact that they taste really good — and sweet. The flavor literally bursts in your mouth.

I have a couple of cherry tomato plants growing in my raised garden. Funny thing is, the local deer filled themselves with my regular Big Boy tomato plants, but so far, they want nothing to do with my cherry tomato plants. Believe me, I’m thankful. It takes a couple of months for cherry tomatoes to ripen.

I think cherry tomatoes are the perfect snack, especially if you’re looking for something that doesn’t pack a lot of calories yet is satisfying. A single red beauty has only 3 calories, and a cup of cherry tomatoes has 27. They are also full of antioxidants, including lycopene, which is helpful in decreasing the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease, and protecting our skin from ultraviolet rays. They are also good sources of vitamins A, C K and all of the B vitamins except B12.

Cherry tomatoes, which come in red, orange, yellow and even black, are cousins to the grape tomato. Grape tomatoes are oblong, rather than round, and they have thicker skins. Grape tomatoes aren’t as sweet but are “meatier.”

Most of us enjoy cherry tomatoes raw in salads or on veggie platters, but they can also be used in pasta, pizza and sauces, or can be baked in a chicken caprese, in a quick shrimp scampi or over pan-roasted salmon in a warm tomato vinaigrette.

Here are two of my favorite recipes. The first one, adapted from Nature Fresh Farms, pairs cherry tomatoes with watermelon and feta, a combination you may not have thought about, but it makes a fresh summer salad. The second is a Quick Shrimp Scampi, great for busy weeknights yet impressive enough for company. It’s a family recipe.

Tomato and Watermelon Salad

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups long English cucumbers, diced
2 cups watermelon chunks
½ cup feta cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Fresh basil leaves

Wash all vegetables. Cut cherry tomatoes in half, dice the cucumbers and cut watermelon into bite-sized chunks. Place all in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Chiffonade the fresh basil leaves into ribbons and garnish over top of salad. Serves 4.

Quick Shrimp Scampi

12 ounces uncooked linguine pasta
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1-pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
½ cup white wine
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup fresh Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside. To make the sauce, add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add the garlic and chili flakes, and cook, stirring until the garlic is golden and fragrant, about two minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, flipping once, until pink and cooked through, about three minutes. Add the white wine and cook until it has reduced in half. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Transfer the drained pasta to the saute pan and toss to coat. Add the fresh Parmesan. Serves 4.

Fargo Ware is a registered dietitian with Southern Illinois University Medical School in Springfield, Ill. Send recipe ideas to her at [email protected]. The opinions of this writer are not necessarily those of Farm Progress/Informa.