One of my favorite things about summer? TOMATOES! There’s nothing like a fresh from the garden, sun-warmed, salt-sprinkled, juice-dripping-down-your-chin tomato. Can I get an Amen? When you grow your own or make a beeline for the farmers market and/or roadside fruit stand each week, you’ll soon learn the mealy, flavorless, faded-to-pink tomatoes at the grocery store are a pathetic substitute for the lusty heirloom.
A “real deal” tomato stirs up all the memories for me: eating them straight off the vine, aunts who made wonderful tomato sauce, soup, and chow chow. Momma served a big slice on every supper plate.
Let me go ahead and get this out of the way: for those who don’t like tomatoes, please let me know. Although I can barely stand to hear the words spoken aloud, I’m keeping a list of these weirdos folks for future reference. Just saying.
What does it take to be a lusty tomato?
Locally grown + Ripe. That’s it.
For lunch I’ll have a turkey sandwich on fresh-baked sourdough with a fat slice of tomato and a generous dollop of mayonnaise. Hold the turkey, please. It’s called a ‘mater sandwich. And you can’t beat it.
I’m also partial to bruschetta. Spread a little White River Creamery goat cheese on toasted sourdough, load it up with tomatoes and basil from the garden. The perfect summer appetizer / meal.
And a simple lettuce salad with green onions and tomato? Yum.
How about tomato, cucumber, and onion served with a squeeze of lime?
Pico de gallo, fresh guacamole, I could go on making you hungry by adding fried green tomatoes to the list.
If fried green tomatoes don’t stir up the tomato lust, go ahead and put yourself on that list I’m keeping. My recipe HERE.
What’s your favorite tomato variety, recipe, growing tip, memory?
Cheers to the lusty tomato! Cheers to the backside of summer.
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
[tweetthis]Ode to the heirloom tomato. #summer #garden #nature[/tweetthis]
Musical Pairing:
Heart, Crazy On You
I chopped up some freshly picked maters to have with a supper of cornbread and beans tonight. Chop up some onions and sprinkle over C and B and I am in HEAVEN! Add a glass of sweet tea with a slice of lemon and life is complete for me
That does sound heavenly!
Oh dear…..go ahead, add me to your list. I have always been that one person in the group that does not like this mushy, slimy fruit. I have tried, and cannot overcome that texture, I am sorry. Now, blend them, add spices, that can be tolerated. But that mush factor gets me every time! No can do!
A good tomato is never mushy or slimy in my opinion. Thanks for volunteering to be first on my list. LOL! No worries, I’ll gladly eat your share of tomatoes.