Ingredient of the Week: Tomatoes

 
I had big plans for tonight.

I wanted to write a love letter.

A love letter to Oregon.

I wanted to say something about the glistening fruits dropping off trees and bushes everywhere I go.

Persimmons, anyone?  Walnuts, apples, grapes, blackberries?  Don't leave home without a canvas bag.

I wanted to say something about the ocean in one direction, sending up billowing clouds every evening that turn pink and fluffy by the time they get to the Willamette Valley...

And towering Cascades in the opposite direction, those emerald peaks punctuated by startling, sky-high, snow-white volcanoes.

The time I saw a ruby red crawdad in the crystal clear black and green water of a mountain creek and thought it was a toy, until it shook its claw at me.


The ginormous, swirling, tornado mobs of swifts that sleep in the chimney of the local university for a few days only, every fall and spring.

The steam-punk accordion players at the Farmer's Market playing a Calliope version of Bad Romance.

Oregon is some good juju, y'all.  I moved here two years ago, and I'm totally in love.

But I don't have time for a love letter.  Maybe you should just come and visit.

Meanwhile, let's talk about tomatoes!  I didn't grow these, unfortunately, although I do have some purple ones out there that please me enormously.

Unusually colored fruits and veggies still do that for me.

What do you do with your late summer, early fall 'maters?  (Where I grew up they were called 'maters).  Tarts?  Soups?  Preserves?  Salsas? 

All of the above are acceptable.

8 comments:

jeannesioux said...

Anna, this looks fantastic. Garden veggies are wonderful. What a lovely post!

Ana Regalado said...

That tomatoes are so gorgeous , it makes me sigh !!! lol Especially that purple ones :D The second pix looks absolutely scrumptious !

Oregon sounds wonderful ! How I wish I can visit ! :P :D

Nancy said...

Wowza! Look at all those colors. I love tomatoes so my love letter would be to them. Though your love letter is also very nice:) Thanks for sharing Anna!

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

I love tomatoes and your first picture already made me excited. Those tomatoes look really delicious! If I ever plant some vegetable garden, tomatoes are my #1 list. :)

Una Semplice Passione said...

Wow, amazing! Your words and the pictures. I would make a lovely tomato sauce for my spaghetti with these lovely tomatoes.

dervla @ The Curator said...

that sure sounded like a pretty good love letter to me! We're still dripping in tomatoes here and i usually just toss them in olive oil with basil or roast cherry ones in the oven with breadcrumbs and grated cheese, then toss it with pasta. YUM

amlamonte said...

thanks you guys, your comments mean the world :) and where would we chefs be without tomatoes? dervla your breadcrumbs concoction sounds wonderful.

Aiming4Simple said...

We harvested just a handful of garden ripe tomatoes before we left for Canada.

Thanks for your comment. I left an answer below your question following my blog post.