QUESTION: How can we stretch out the tomato season and keep our green tomatoes from turning red?

ANSWER: You can’t completely stop Mother Nature. However, you can slow her down a little. Some people wrap green tomatoes in newspaper and store them in a cool, dark place. Keeping them away from light can keep them from turning red so quickly.

Many years ago, a farm wife told me she stretched out her tomato season by putting green tomatoes on a bed sheet spread on the floor in a spare room. By keeping the lights dim and running a ceiling fan on low to keep the air moving, she slowed down how fast the tomatoes turned red well into winter.

Otherwise, you could start freezing them as they ripen. It’s less work than canning and you can do it in small batches. The easiest way is to drop some tomatoes in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then move them into ice water to quick-chill them. Pull off the skins and cut out the cores, then freeze them whole in freezer bags. Or cook them into batches of tomato sauce and freeze that.

QUESTION: When I try to grill fish, they turn out dry, bland or both. Do you have any tips for cooking salmon or swordfish on a gas grill?

ANSWER: Fish ought to be so simple, but they can be tricky. You can increase your chances of success.

Get good fish. Frozen fish, particularly fish steaks, aren’t that bad, but pre-marinated, frozen fish that’s been soaking in a gloppy sauce isn’t going to do well. It’s worth going to a good store where you can ask the person who’s selling the fish where it came from and how fresh it is.

Clean and oil the grill grates. I use a grill brush on my grill as soon as I take food off, because the grates clean easier when they’re hot. If you didn’t do that, wait until the grates are hot and give them a good rub with a heavy grill brush or even a ball of foil. Then either oil the grate or brush some oil on the fish.

Don’t turn the fish too soon. Meats, including fish and chicken, do this cool thing where they release from hot metal when they’re ready to turn. Try to slide a spatula under it; if it’s sticking, give it a minute.

Don’t overcook it. Dry fish is overcooked fish. Measure the thickness by pointing your index finger down next to the fish. The first line of your joint is 1 inch. A general rule is 10 minutes per inch. That’s total, not per side.

Give it a flavor boost when it comes off the fire. A squirt of lemon, a small pat of flavored butter, maybe a drizzle of olive oil. Or try drizzling maple syrup on salmon for the last few minutes of cooking.