Tomatoes are everywhere these days. As plasticine Loewe handbags or waxy Trader Joe’s “Tomato Leaf” candles — they’ve inspired dozens of Tik Tok “tomato girl” moodboards, fabric motifs on Miaou corsets and Rachel Antonoff jumpsuits and Betsey Johnson dresses. Not to mention the fact that they hold the tried and true position of “best lunch in the world” when paired with a slice of warm sourdough bread and a dollop of cottage cheese (don’t knock it ‘til you try it).

Safe to say, we’re head over heels in love with a good tomato. But it can be hard to know just how to maximize your enjoyment of these little red gems during their oh-so-short peak season. Here are some of my favorite ways, as a certified Tomato Lover.

1. Grow Them

If you have never eaten a home grown tomato, you haven’t lived. There’s really nothing else like it— even the best store bought tomato pales in comparison to one grown in your own garden.

Now, don’t be intimidated! They are not hard to grow at all. Trust me, I have the world’s worst green thumb and I have successfully grown many a tomato plant. Just make sure to plant them in mid-May timeframe (after your region’s last cold snap), then you’ll be munching on ‘maters all summer long.

My favorite way to eat them is, of course, sliced on toast with a little salt and cottage cheese or kewpie mayo — but they are also scrumptious in Matty Matheson’s Tomato Mussel Stew and Wishbone Kitchen’s Tomato Basil Galette with Burrata.

2. Smell them!

Tomatoes have inspired some of the greatest fragrances ever made. I’d maybe hold off on buying the recalled Trader Joe’s candles... but there’s plenty of other places you can get your fix.

Dauphinette’s “369” has the most intoxicating tomato leaf opener. Paired with orchid milk and musk, It’s the perfect scent for anyone who longs to feel like they’re floating through a Mediterranean garden, half awake, half sleepwalking.

“Chef’s Table” by MiN New York is a unisex fragrance that smells like a warm Sicilian summer night- basil, bergamot and sage top notes melt with a tomato, black current and turkish rose center. Eventually, the scent wears down into a gentle tonka bean base- which, to me, smells a lot like fresh hay. It’s delectable.

3. Put Them In Your House!

Who doesn’t love a good pop of red? In the wake of the “Unexpected Red Theory,” people everywhere are starting to recognize the true power of splashing some color on our “light and airy” neutral homes

I love these little beezwax candles shaped like Heirloom tomatoes by ArtifaqtDesign. These, of course, aren’t for burning — they’re just for looking. But they’re perfect to style on top of coffee table books or in a little basket in your bathroom.

I daydream about this glowing tomato orb lamp from Urban Outfitters. You can hang it from the ceiling or set it on a shelf so it’s perfectly versatile for any Scandi-obsessed interior decorator.

Finally, this “Sweet Tomato from Mt Vesuvius” print by Enikő Eged is the cherry (tomato) on top of any cool girl apartment. The basic colors and simple design make it easy to style in just about any room — but the bold, graphic nature of the print makes it stand out as a fun conversation piece.

Hopefully, this inspires you to take full advantage of all the humble tomato has to offer. It really is one of the best vegetables ever grown — even if it is technically a fruit.