Ripe Tomatoes
“It's
difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a
homegrown tomato.”
Lewis
Grizzard
It's tomato season in the
deep South! And this year, because we've had so much rain, they are
big and juicy and sweet. It's impossible to not become reverent, even
transcendent, when biting into a ripe, delicious tomato. Suddenly,
you are elevated; you hear celestial music. I have tons of basil and
have been making wonderful Caprese salad. Here's a simple recipe:
1 or 2 ripe,
red tomatoes, sliced (or chopped)
1 fresh
mozzarella cheese, sliced (or small mozzarella pearls, whole)
10-15 leaves
of fresh basil
extra virgin
olive oil (for drizzling)
salt &
pepper
(I confess to
loving a mixture of 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp of good
balsamic vinegar, but that is not the Italian way, which would have
only the olive oil.)
Your can line them up, or
stack them up, on a plate alternating tomato, cheese, basil leaf,
drizzle, salt and pepper, or you can chop them together and toss as
you would traditional salad (my preferred method because it's easier
to eat). Either way, if you love tomatoes, you're going to love this
salad.
One of the sublime
experiences of summer is being able to pick a red ripe tomato that
you've grown with your own hands, and eat it, sun-warm, right off the
vine. I remember doing that as a child in my daddy's garden. Whatever
you do, take the time to notice just how wonderful it is to have
taste buds, and what a gift to be able to grow something so
delicious. Give thanks for all the little blessings of life each day.
They accumulate into a lifetime of gratitude.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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