Summer time is Tomato time! Specifically…Heirloom Tomatoes!
I grew up with these kinds of tomatoes as a kid. Striped tomatoes, odd shaped tomatoes, tomatoes in nearly every color of the rainbow and then somewhere along the way tomatoes became standardized, boring and tasteless. Thank goodness that Heirloom Produce is making a comeback, because you haven’t tasted a tomato until you’ve tasted a REAL tomato like an Heirloom variety.
I have been making one particular salad with fresh Heirloom Tomatoes now for over a decade. In fact I feel like stepping back to Summer in the year 2006 just to show you a picture of this salad that has been my Summer signature and how it has remained virtually unchanged after all these years.
There isn’t really a recipe for how I make this salad. It’s more of a process and a combination of ingredients and you add them all together to make this stunning little tomato stack that explodes with the tastes of Summer all over your tongue.
Now let’s step in to the present day, actually yesterday to be exact. My guy knows that I am not one for jewelry and that I’d rather have a bottle of Truffle Oil over a bouquet of roses. So he got me bags of some absolutely beautiful produce to play around with yesterday. In those bags were gorgeous Heirloom Tomatoes – and this is what I did with them yesterday:
As you can see… not a whole lot has changed over the years, which just goes to show how this recipe has been a favored Summertime staple in our house.
Go check out Pike Place Market or your local Farmer’s Market right now, chances are the first Heirlooms of the season are making an appearance!
Just came across your site. Stunning and colorful post. STARVING right now wow, I love heirlooms! Thanks
So nice to meet you Kelly! Thank you for writing me and also for peeping my blog out too. So it goes, this is my friends beautiful perfect little angel. I love kitties, and animals so so much as well. The Sarah Mclachlan commercials on tv are gut wrenching… I can’t wait to keep in touch.
SB.
That plate of salad is beyond gorgeous! It really bothers me that my daughter might not know the real taste of a fruit of vegetable. What we grew up eating was REAL produce and only when you can’t get them anymore you realize how valuable that was.
Gorgeous post!
Gorgeous post! The beautiful tomatoes remind me of this article I read recently about industrial tomatoes http://www.gilttaste.com/stories/572-the-indignity-of-industrial-tomatoes
Thanks Prerna, what you say is so true. I’m glad there are more of these real fruits and vegetables coming back in to fashion again, lucky us!
Sarah – super nice to meet you too :) I’m working another recipe to post over the weekend that showcases Heirlooms again – I think you’ll love it :)
Kulsum – Barry Estabrook is an amazing writer – I remember reading his Gourmet article a while back. As a consumer I really had no idea of the politics of the plate. Along with a want to support my local growers (because let’s face it… it is your local farmer’s who are spear heading bringing us these beautiful fruits and vegetables and not GMO loaded slave picked produce) his article opened my eyes to exactly what my dollars are supporting. That knowledge has made me a more conscience consumer (not always a perfect one… but at least I’m trying ;) )
YUM! We grow heirloom tomatoes every summer. I love that you give them the simple, beautiful treatment. They should be enjoyed in their beautiful simplicity, just like this!