A La Garden

This is a very yummy time of year. Vegetable and fruit stands are popping up along city streets and everyone's gardens are yielding delicious foods. In particular, tomatoes.

Nothing compares to the tastiness of a freshly picked tomato. Whether they are warm or cold, with salt and pepper or in a dish. They are one of the only vegetables that CAN NOT be matched at the grocery store. Even the "on the vine" variety available for purchase do not come close to home grown goodness. The flesh is soft and tartly sweet; the seeds are salty and savory. And when the tomato is added to soups, salads, and sandwiches, whatever soup/salad/sandwich is taken to another level of scrumptiousness. I enjoy nothing more than slicing a tomato in half to salt and pepper it - then bite in and suck out the juices.

This is also the only time of year when you can get green tomatoes. Ah, the green tomato. Breaded and fried and then dipped in fry sauce. A fantastic summer treat that tastes like nothing else. If you've never had a fried green tomato, I recommend eating one this summer, watching the movie, or reading the book...or all 3!

Now, I don't have a garden, so I have to bum this fresh stuff from friends and family. Today my mom gave me 13 tomatoes, ready for eating, and then my friend brought me in 3 more at work. What luck! I'm sure my mom's garden will be giving me several more before the winter freeze and I will be love-ing every tomato (red or green) from it.