tomato town

Tomatoes are everywhere right now. You can find lots of ways to put them up for the winter: can 'em whole (I never do this), make sauce with them (I rarely do this, but remind me to tell you about the roasted tomato sauce/puree I made), freeze 'em whole (did you know you could do that?), make salsa, tomato jam, etc.

But... maybe you don't want to do any of that. Maybe you would rather read a good book outside in the crisp September air. Maybe you would rather hit up a local happy hour, grab Mexican food or go to a movie. Maybe you just don't want to stand over a stove all day processing tomatoes. Ain't no shame. I have the perfect solution for using up your tomato bounty.

Just eat them. Slice them up and eat them. When I was younger I couldn't imagine doing this. I didn't think I liked tomatoes enough. The fresh, local, in-season, juicy tomatoes from your garden, farmers market or CSA are so much better than the ones available in the grocery store during January. These are worthy of turning around your tomato shyness.

We like to borrow a recipe from Chris' family and add minced shallots, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper on top. If there is basil in the house, that goes on there too. For extra fancy occasions, a slice of mozzarella may accompany the tomato. Try it. Go buy a fresh, juicy tomato and see for yourself. (Note: Admittedly, there is a limit to how many of these you can eat. I know, because I've pushed past that limit only to find my mouth and stomach sore from all the acid. That subsides quickly though, but consider this a warning.)