Freshness is 9/10 of the law.

As I chopped the most tomatoey tomatoes you've ever seen (thanks, CSA!), I realized the secret of good home cooking. If you have great ingredients, 9/10 of the work is done, and all you have to do is avoid messing them up.

Of course, freshness is only about 4/10 of the law in gourmet restaurant cooking, wherein chefs are required to innovate.