Peeling Tomatoes
Make an X at the blossom end (bottom) of the tomato. Plunge the tomato into boiling water for 30 seconds; remove and cool in ice water, then drain. To peel, pull back one segment of skin at the X. Repeat with remaining skin.
Seeding Tomatoes
After peeling, cut the tomato in half crosswise between the stem and blossom ends. Holding it upside down, gently squeeze each half to push out the seeds from the cavities. If some seeds remain, pick them out with a paring knife, grapefruit spoon, or your fingers.
Snipping Fresh Basil
Put the basil leaves in a small measuring cup or custard cup. If the leaves are large, stack them first and cut them into pieces. With kitchen scissors, snip them to the appropriate size.