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Every year in early spring my husband scours the nurseries and garden stores for a variety of tomato plants. His new passion is heirloom tomatoes so he’s even more excited when he stumbles upon a new variety. We’ve potted the tomatoes and/or planted them in our garden year after year but one thing remains consistent…summer just wouldn’t be summer if he didn’t have his tomato plants.
It is now August and he’s nurtured and loved these plants day after day and the harvest has finally arrived. I give him a bad time because inevitably something goes wrong and we only end up with one or two prized tomatoes after all that hard work….but boy, those one or two tomatoes are REALLY good! Last night we had the pleasure of thoroughly enjoying 1 early girl tomato. Since they really are so much better than what you can buy at the store, they are best eaten just plain or accompanied by a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. My gourmet tendencies couldn’t help themselves, so I served it sliced with fresh mozzarella cheese, basil leaves and drizzled with a little 25 year old balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. I must say, it was great! I now wait in eager anticipation alongside my husband waiting for the next early girl to ripen up. I don’t know what our family of four will do when the sweet 100 tomatoes ripen up (1 at a time)….how will we divide that teeny thing up so we can all taste our garden’s bounty?
If you happen to be one of the lucky ones with a big tomato harvest, we salute you! If you happen to like us with just a few tomatoes here and there throughout the late summer months…well, there is always the farmer’s market! All jokes aside, I really do encourage you to seek out organic, locally farmed tomatoes. The taste is so far superior to that of what is available in the mainstream grocery stores and with organic tomatoes you avoid the pesticides (Big Bonus)!
Hopefully you can get your hands on some beautiful organic tomatoes – and more than just 1. If so, here are some fabulous tomato recipes to help you enjoy this ‘oh so loved’ fruit:
Bruschetta with Mozzarella & Basil
Herbed Ricotta & Tomato Bruschetta
Tomato-Mint Bruschetta
Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Salad
Fresh Tomato Soup
Tomato & Peach Gazpacho
Marinated Tomatoes
Pasta Salad with Basil & Tomatoes
Chicken with Garlic & Tomatoes
Enjoy!
- Chef Jessica |
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