BY THE BOOK; Tomato Repertory: 250 Ways to Enjoy

ASK a tomato lover to describe the best way to eat summer's tomatoes and the answer will often be sliced, on bread slathered with mayonnaise.

Another favorite method is arranged on a platter, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, scattered with torn bits of basil and dusted with salt and pepper.

So if this is all it takes to indulge in this seasonal treat, why is it that every summer brings another tomato cookbook? Will anyone bother to make a tomato galette, tomato and corn chowder or warm Indian tomatoes with spicy chilies, which are among 250 recipes in ''You Say Tomato'' by Joanne Weir (Broadway Books, $15)?

The adventurous cook who does will be well rewarded.

These and a number of other recipes in this new book, like a quick uncooked tomato sauce made by rubbing tomato halves on a box grater, are worth adding to summer's repertory.

I was drawn to the book because I liked a number of the recipes in Ms. Weir's previous book, ''From Tapas to Meze'' (Crown, 1994), and I was not disappointed. Unlike tomato books from previous years, this one includes some of the new ways chefs are using tomatoes, like roasting and charring them.

A rich helping of tomato history and lore have been included. A handy chart shows how many cups of chopped tomatoes you get from various kinds.