Sunday, August 15, 2010

Tomatoes, At Last



It’s been a long wait. Nary an heirloom tomato to be found on the East Coast last year, due to the awful tomato blight. While the recent spate of hot weather may have been oppressive, it seems to have coaxed the tomatoes out of their great recession at Restoration Farm.

We are greeted at distribution with Slicers, Juliet tomatoes and a variety of red and gold cherry tomatoes that are as sweet as penny candy.


It is a joyful reunion! How did we manage last summer without these blushing shades of red, orange, pink and gold on the plate? How long since we dabbed that tart juice from our lips?

The debut tomato recipe of the summer of 2010 is an aromatic Mixed Tomato Salad with black olives, dressed with warm toasted garlic and oregano oil. Used as a relish over pan broiled beef tenderloin steaks, it delivers a brilliant burst of savory sunshine.

It is a welcomed homecoming, indeed!

©2010 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

14 comments:

~I AM Love~* said...

Enjoy the harvest! Thankfully there was no blight started this year. They do indeed look like beauties and I love the recipe combo with olives & sweet roasted garlic. Mmm...and maybe some shreds of fresh basil for garnish!

Kalyn Denny said...

Yummy! I'm so happy you're getting tomatoes this year. I've had a few delicious tomato sandwiches, and yesterday I made my first batch of slow roasted tomatoes for the year!

Julia said...

Do you have Etta James singing through your head?

I've been told that the hot, dry summer is making for sweeter tomatoes too! The tomato sauce I jarred a few weeks ago tastes like candy.

How's your garlic curing?

Fresh Local and Best said...

How did we survive without those tomatoes last year? It certainly was painful.

What are you going to do with all of those tomatoes? This year poses a much better dilemma. I like that relish.

Deana Sidney said...

Those tomatoes are burning a hole in my brain.. blt's for lunch, and salad nicoise for dinner... tomatoes in their prime... well there's nothing better than that!

Foodiewife said...

While you are wilting from heat, we are shivering from a never ending marine layer off the coast of California. Sunshine? What's that. My tomatoes are slowly ripening, but I fear I might be making fried green tomatoes at this rate! I'd love to have a big basket of those grape tomatoes. Wow! I never tired of sun-ripened tomatoes. I cringe at the thought of having to buy store fake red tomatoes. Lucky you!

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I have tomato envy. I hope you're planning some batches of slow-roasted tomatoes to stash away for the winter.

~~louise~~ said...

I'm singing the tomato cheer! In case you can't hear me it's coming all the way from Idaho! Enjoy each and every one T.W. as I know you will:)

Thanks for sharing...I sure wish I had just one itty bitty one right now:)

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Tomatoes are the best part of summer for me. We're growing Cherokee Purples only this year, except for one Roma that said he was a Cherokee Purple on the label. We're still waiting for some good ones.....
Sam

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

There is nothing like a fresh tomatoes. This sounds like a good year for you. I love them in sandwiches.

tasteofbeirut said...

Only you can talk about tomatoes in such a lyrical way; all of a sudden I am so excited about tomatoes all over again and want to get some and eat them at once (with olives of course)

veron said...

Look at all those gorgeous tomatoes. It's interesting that they are a bounty of summer but they remind me of the fall with their colors.

Jen said...

I love tomatoes -- I eat them at almost every meal when they're in season!

Stacey Snacks said...

Our tomatoes have been amazing this summer and we have a lot still on the vine!
I have 3 tomato posts this week!
I wish it would never end.