You probably spend all year waiting for those few fleeting weeks of peak tomato season. Your kid? She still hasn't made the connection between the plump, juicy heirlooms on the windowsill and the stuff she smears across her hot-dog and hamburger buns. These recipes, running from our "safe tweak" (child-size cheddar-and-egg tomato cups) to this month's "reach" (the crisp, slightly tart flavor of fried green tomatoes), build on one another to introduce—or, at the very least, expose—kids to the flavors and textures of fresh tomatoes. That's something you can't put in a squeeze bottle.

The Safe Tweak

Tomato Egg Cups

Even if your kid just eats the egg, she can't avoid getting a hint of fresh tomatoes.

• 4 medium-size vine-ripened tomatoes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons shredded white cheddar cheese
• 4 slices toast, cut into strips (as shown in the picture)

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. Slice off and set aside the top third of each tomato. Scoop out the seeds.
3. Place the tomatoes in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Season with the salt and pepper.
4. Break an egg into each tomato.
5. Bake, with the sliced tops, for 10 minutes.
6. Top the tomatoes with the cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbly, 5 to 7 minutes more.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with the tops and toast strips (also called "soldiers"—as your child might be delighted to know) for dipping.

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