It’s pasta salad season, and a recent trip to the farmers market helped determine the ingredients in today’s recipe.

Let’s start with the tomatoes. Rich in vitamins A and C, along with iron, potassium and fiber, tomatoes are a staple of the Mediterranean diet. Today’s recipe calls for grape tomatoes, but any variety will do. Just chop larger tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Popular Michigan-grown tomatoes include beefsteak, Big Boy, yellow pear and Roma (also known as plum).

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Bell peppers are often referred to as sweet peppers because they lack the spiciness of hot peppers such as jalapenos or serranos. We opted for red bell peppers, but use whichever color you prefer. Though the nutrient profile of peppers varies based on their color, all bell peppers are packed with vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body make collagen, which keeps bone, muscle and other tissues in place. Collagen is also needed for healthy-looking skin.