(Family Features) Whether you’re having a friend or two over for a casual lunch, or hosting a weekend party, you want to serve great tasting food that’s easy to make. Chef Justin Timineri, known as the Florida Chef, and Florida Tomatoes have created some fabulous recipes that make serving a delicious meal a breeze.

Tomato Tips
-Coring: Use a sharp paring knife to make several angled cuts through the stem and under the core.
-Seeding: Lay the tomato on its side and halve with a sharp serrated knife. Squeeze each half firmly enough to push out the seeds. Discard seeds.
-Peeling: To eliminate the skin in cooked dishes, gently lower 2 or 3 tomatoes at a time into enough boiling water to cover. Boil for 15 to 30 seconds, lift into a colander with a slotted spoon. Rinse briefly under cold running water. Peel off and discard skins.

Fresh, ripe Florida tomatoes are versatile enough to use in a creamy bisque, a sizzling stir fry, a crisp seafood salad, and a zesty tortellini toss. To get more easy, breezy tomato recipes, and to sign up for a free newsletter, visit www.floridatomatoes.org.

Tomato and Sweet Corn Bisque
Yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 pound fresh Florida corn kernels
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 cups low-sodium broth (vegetable or chicken)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 medium Florida tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

Melt butter in large, heavy pot. Add onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, for about 6 to 7 minutes.

Add corn and garlic, and cook while stirring until corn is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add broth and simmer until corn is tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 1/2 cups corn to blender, add sour cream and 1/2 cup cooking liquid and puree until smooth, for about 2 minutes. Return puree to soup. Add tomatoes, scallion and 1 tablespoon cilantro to soup and cook until heated through. Serve hot and garnish with cilantro and chopped tomato, if desired.

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Source: Florida Tomatoes