Oh, tomatoes...

This weekend a friend gave me a bunch of tomatoes from her garden to help get me through that withdrawal period between my own tomato crops (my beautiful Heartland reds are recovering from a couple days of neglect, which in the desert is much more severe than it sounds, during which I lost two of my plants and the small green tomatoes that were growing on them). Anyway, the Sweet 100's I ate that very afternoon with my daughter, who loves any kind or color of small tomato. They're absolute heaven, small and round and sweet, bursting with rich fresh flavor when you bite. The large reds, however, I had no idea what to do with. I'm tired of the ubiquitous "it's summer and it's hot" salads. Fast-forward to a few days later - they are very ripe and need to be eaten right away, so I decided to stew them.

Here's the lovely stewed tomato recipe I found. The author recommends eating them as a stew with homemade croutons, which I'll bet is very delicious, but I've come up with other uses, the best of which will wind up here for my adoring fan to try. On the list for tomorrow's cooking are:

• Sweet tomato-carrot soup
• Tomato and nectarine bisque with roasted garlic (I'm thinking this one has lots of promise; at any rate, it will make a nice change from my usual lazy-ass canned soup for lunch)

My kitchen is, at the moment, quite poorly stocked, but I think I can whip up a few good, simple recipes using what I've got.

Note that I've modified the stewed tomato recipe slightly. My changes are as follows:

5 cups cored, peeled, roughly chopped fresh ripe tomatoes
7 Tbsp good quality salted butter
7 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 large Genovese basil leaves, torn

Toss tomatoes in large pot; add butter, sugar, and pepper. Simmer 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat and add basil.

Please note that, to suit my intentions for the tomatoes, I've omitted any salt (except the little bit in the butter). If you're preparing a more savory dish you'll want to add a teaspoon or so, depending on your tastes. Personally I'd rather have sweeter more versatile tomatoes - you can always add salt to your recipe later.

There's nothing like a real, fresh tomato.

I'm talking about the sort you walked out your back door to pick, doesn't need washing, and is still warm from the sun when you slice it open. The kind that actually has a smell, and ripened the way nature intended. Be they sweet or savory, fresh tomatoes are, in my opinion, the best fruit there is.

This summer marks something momentous - my first garden. My mother has grown things before, but I always hated helping take care of the plants and never much cared about what went on out there. It's an entirely different animal when it's your very own, when you love and nurture these plants from tiny seedlings (or seeds), watching them bloom and bear their first fruits. I have to admit that I love my little piece of the earth; I love that, with much care, I triumph over this desert climate and am rewarded with fresh, nutritious ingredients to nourish myself and my family with. I grow the most beautiful tomatoes (sweet heartland red and strong, savory yellow pear), Japanese eggplants, and herbs I've ever laid eyes on.

Today I was faced with a bowlful of colorful tomatoes, and again the nagging dilemma - eat them now, or wait for a couple more to come in and make salsa? In the end, my rumbling tummy, a loaf of homemade bread, and my craving for an old favorite won out. And while I try to stay as celiac-friendly as possible, my apologies fo the gluten intolerant: there is just no substituting here.

Bread salad
Prep time: less than 45 minutes
Easy to prepare while making other dishes

3 cups good white bread (preferably crusty), cubed
12 oz. fresh mixed tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup fresh torn basil leaves
1/4 cup kalamata olives
1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup plus 1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T hot chile oil (optional)
pinch salt
pinch pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Spread bread cubes out on cookie sheet; bake for 15 minutes. Place in large bowl to cool. Add tomatoes, basil and olives; toss and let stand. Combine vinegar, garlic, oils, salt, and pepper, and whisk til emulsified. Let stand 10 minutes; then toss with bread mixture, allow to stand another 10 minutes at room temperature. Serve immediately, and don't expect leftovers.