Tomatoes were on the menu in nearly every form as Special Needs Services (SNS) of Ray County continued its Community Connections series with another evening of cooking, tasting and learning.

The recent tomatothemed session at the Ray County Library featured demonstrations from SNS Director Suzan Breen and Library Director Stacy Hisle, who showed attendees different ways to prepare and preserve the seasonal produce, from fresh dishes and homemade pizza sauce to canned salsa.

Breen began with a fresh tomato salad, combining tomatoes with garlic, basil, red wine vinegar and Tuscan-infused olive oil. She demonstrated the way she presses fresh garlic and finely cuts basil before mixing the ingredients together.

“What you’re tasting are the natural juices and just the two tablespoons of Tuscan oil and two teaspoonsful of the red wine vinegar,” explained Breen.

As attendees sampled the salad, the group discussed different ways the dish could be adjusted to individual tastes, including adding chee…