Whether you view the tomato as a vegetable or a fruit - either way - they sure taste good and add that extra kick to a lot of popular dishes on a worldwide basis.

With a fascinating history, you'd never figure that the tomato is actually part of the nightshade family, where a few poisonous cousins exist. Interestingly, the lineage of the tomato is also connected to that of tobacco, eggplants, chili peppers, and the potato. Without tomatoes, some of the favorite edibles around the world would cease to survive. Overall, I find tomatoes a versatile vegetable, which shapes the many reasons why I celebrate their existence.

1) A Happy-Looking Vegetable

Tomatoes are colorful and not only come in the bright red variety, but also decorate dishes with orange, green, pink, purple, yellow, and even white selections. Some are multi-colored, while others display funky stripes. All in all, the tomato makes a rather attractive addition to a recipe that actually helps uplift a gloomy disposition.

2) Important Salad Ingredient

A salad isn't complete without tomatoes, as there are many different selections to consider. Tomatoes and cucumbers with Italian dressing make a great accessory to any dinner, which is also fast and easy to prepare. Add cubed cheese to this side dish and you have a filling, speedy lunch for on the go.

3) Hamburger Helper

Sprinkle a little salt on sliced tomatoes and you have a refreshing treat. A juicy hamburger with all the fixings isn't the same without a couple of slices, adding zip and matching perfectly with lettuce.

4) Please Pass the Ketchup!

Thanks to the tomato, the popular burger condiment of ketchup heightens the taste of freshly grilled items on a hot summer day. Will you please pass the ketchup for my hot dogs, French fries, Thousand Island dressing, sandwiches, and other fried foods?

5) Good Stuff for the Body

Red foods are known to supply the body with lycopene - a heart-healthy, powerful antioxidant proven to fight against cancer and other ailments. When you want to provide the body with the healthiest boost, seek out crushed-, tomato sauce- or paste products.

6) Fried Green Tomatoes

Fannie Flagg brought attention to this tasty treat when she published "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café." The novel was later turned into a comical drama starring Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy, prompting curious thoughts regarding the actual taste of fried green tomatoes. FYI: They're delicious!

7) Easy to Grow

Sometimes the price of tomatoes is ridiculous, but with a little patience - you can generate your very own supply in a homemade garden. While the rabbits nibble at strawberries and corn becomes riddled with bird pecks - you'll always have a healthy crop of tomatoes to enjoy. This easy-to-grow vegetable becomes so plentiful; you'll have enough to share with family and friends.

8) Pizza, Pizza!

Without tomatoes, the magical blend of most of the four food groups wouldn't come together in a neat pie slathered with tomato sauce. The added spices of rosemary, oregano, and other Italian selections bring the flavor of tomatoes to life in this rather vital component of pizza making.

9) A Taste of Italy

Joining pizza, the thousands of ways to prepare pasta, including heaping mounds of lasagna and the childhood favorite of spaghetti and meatballs isn't the same if tomato sauce and tomatoes aren't available.

10) Mexican Delight

Nothing tempts the palate at a Mexican restaurant like the taste of fresh salsa with sturdy tomatoes that burst inside your mouth. Many other Mexican dishes rely on the use of tomatoes, whether included in a recipe or merely decorating the side of a plate.