Pick the tomato warm from the garden. Sit right there in a sunny patch if you’ve got one. Brush off any dirt and bugs, but don’t make yourself crazy. Sprinkle with a little salt. And don’t you add one other thing, because there’s just something about a tomato being a tomato. Eat it like an apple. Let the juices run down your chin, and then wipe ‘em away with your shirtsleeve. You heard me. The perfect summer tomato is worth half a shirt. And that’s the truth.
― Kat Yeh, “The Truth About Twinkie Pie” (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, January 27, 2015)
Photo: Pixabay via Pixels
It’s worth a whole shirt.
Nothing like a good summer tomato.
Right. I didn’t quite get the half a shirt thing…and where author was going with that, but it clutched me.
It’s all over, or nothing.
You go Sawsan. All the Way or Why Bother!
I think my love for good tomatoes comes from a childhood memory. I’m the firstborn child of my parents. So, I witnessed my mother’s busy years taking care of all of us. She always put herself last. She always cooked what dad was craving or what one of us was craving. Three of my paternal uncles lived with us through college and until they started working. Mom took good care of them, too, like they were her own. Every now and them mom would get a peaceful moment to herself. Her favorite meal was an easy one on the go. Leaning with her elbows on the kitchen table while still standing, with a large tomato in one hand and the salt shaker in the other. On a good day, she’ll open a can of sardines too, black olives, green onions, and fresh bread.
So illustrative…gorgeous remembering Sawsan!
Like it was yesterday.
Had me all the way until sardines! Beautiful!
I LOVE sardines. I eat them out of the can, with bites of lime. But hey, I come from a village on the Mediterranean. Lots of fish.
I get it
a lovely ode to this summer’s bounty
And it doesn’t really need the salt, either. When it’s warm and you can breathe in its scent. Bliss.
“When it’s warm and you can breathe in its scent.” Yes, you so nailed it Dale!
Best part of having a garden, David. I picked some just yesterday. Mmmmm
Yes it is….
Grin nearly knocked my coffee over. Thanks!
Smiling! So glad!
Love this..
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Thanks LouAnn! Me too!
Speaking of tomatoes, Huffington Post published this article today by Taylor Tobin: The Best Kind Of Tomato For Every Use, From BLTs To Caprese Salad. Vine-ripened tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes each have unique qualities. Experts suggest when to use them. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-best-kind-of-tomato-for-every-use-according-to-chefs_l_64c80d0de4b044bf98f6ce70
Great article Ken. Thank you for sharing.
[…] Posted on August 16, 2023 by Dr. Rex The perfect summer tomato is worth half a shirt […]
in summer i could live on toms….. guess what i made for lunch? toms with feta cheese, maldon sea salt (from Maldon UK, better than the French one), a bit of aceto balsamico and a dash of olive oil. garnered with own basilic from my ‘private garden’. heaven on a plate. my own mini toms my son gifted me, never even make it back to the kitchen, they are rather rare, but so sweet they melt on their short way from my hand to mouth to stomach. one should have tons of them, so that HH could know their taste too! 🙂
Tomato, feta, sea salt. Magic! Drooling.
Exactly, so delicious and worthy to eat like an apple. Some people say that it is a vegetable and some others say it is a fruit. Once upon time there was a big argument about tomato, it, even went to court. But which side won I don’t remember now. Anyway, I love tomato and I can eat in any way, but I can say this, tomatoes no longer taste like they used to, since vegetables and fruits were played with their genetics and also because of hormones… Thank you, Love, nia
Agree with you Nia!
Fresh tomatoes from the garden are luscious – though I don’t think that having juice run down your chin enhances the flavor.
It doesn’t enhance the flavor, but it’s part of the experience, the slurping as well.
Fair point…have shirt, have tomato, will slurp…
Ha ha. I can just imagine trying to wash half a shirt.
Right!!!
Gorgeous photo – I checked out the page and so many gorgeous photos!!! I read your share back on the 16th…meant to share that sliced tomatoes on my plate were yummy and from our garden (we also had pork chop, lettuce & string beans…we also had BLT w/avocado & eggs for breakfast that morning – formula for the breakfast today, is cooking now 🙂 butter fried toast w/melted Swiss cheese, avocado, basil leaves, then the slices of deep red tomato,(maybe Black Krim) topped off with two fried eggs and pink sea salt.. on top of that I asked the dear daughter how many tomato plants this year (we’ve lots some earlier in the season due to weather & unwelcomed rodents, lost about 15 plants (at least) -the current count is 94 or 96 plants…dear hubby on the 16th, made & canned 15 pints of tomato jam, yum! (Now that we are not well into the over 100 temp will be 81 today( cyclone remnants hits us next week) -he is planting broccoli, cabbage, red overwintering onions and some kohlrabi.
https://foodinjars.com/recipe/classic-tomato-jam-sweetened-honey/
the food in jars website also has tomato jam recipe w/sugar
Yesterday, the 18th we went out and we were gifted some Gravenstein Apples- we can go back when more drop (the ancient tree is so tall a ladder can’t reach the apples) she also has Italian Prune Plums and said when their ready – we are welcomed to some!!! <<<oh, yum!!!
Pork chop, lettuce and string beans. Drooling!
So many memories in this. I picked my tomatoes and sat on the top of the picnic table under a shade tree. Had my salt shaker in my pocket and one tomato was never enough. Who needs the bacon and lettuce when the vines are drooping from the weight of all those tomatoes. Real ones — not the new cardboard kind. I miss those days.
Yes me too. And you have so beautifully stated the experience. Thanks for sharing.
BLT w/bacon, eggs, salsa & avocado…on the gluten free toast for breakfast…
Drooling!