More good eats

In my last post about freshly made salsa, I mentioned that we are also eating many tomato sandwiches and lots of tomato salad. I adore tomato salad, although I never make it the same way twice. In addition to tomatoes, of course, the basic ingredients are always olive oil, red wine or balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper; the other ingredients that may or may not be added are shallots, red onion, cucumber, feta cheese and Greek seasoning from Penzeys Spices.

Here is the version I made yesterday:


To accompany the tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper, I used shallots grown in James' garden, red wine vinegar, feta cheese and the Greek seasoning. I like to prepare the salad early in the afternoon and let it develop its flavors at room temperature. In tomato season, I often eat some variation of this salad every day, and I never tire of it.

Fresh salsa

I made this!


The tomato harvest from James' garden is bountiful; in addition to eating tomato sandwiches and tomato salads, we are sharing many tomatoes with friends and neighbors. I used some of the plum tomatoes to make Roasted Jalapeno-Tomato Salsa (with fresh cilantro) from Salsas That Cook: Using Classic Salsas To Enliven Our Favorite Dishes by Rick Bayless. Yum!

Both the tomatoes and peppers are broiled until roasted and charred, and the onion and garlic are also roasted. Chop and blend with cilantro, a touch of cider vinegar and salt and ta-da: fresh, delicious salsa. It is not, however, for the faint of heart or digestion because this salsa packs some heat. And the heat doesn't hit you right at the beginning, but gives you a nice burn at the back of your throat.

James and I enjoyed the salsa last night on burritos. I will likely try other salsa recipes as the tomatoes continue to ripen. Good eats at our house!