Tomatoes At Last!

Ah, Tomatoes. Finally. Enough to eat. As many as I want, anytime I want. Tiny ones and great big ones. Orangish ones, red ones, and pinkish ones. I've been waiting for this week, and I don't mind telling you that it has been a long time coming this year. There have been times when it seemed that we would end up totally tomatoless. Thank goodness, that isn't the case. Today I ate a tomato with my breakfast, because it's really a fruit, of course. My mid-morning snack was two tomatoes with some cottage cheese. For lunch I had slices of tomato on my sandwich, and for dinner we had pasta with my favorite fresh tomato sauce. I can't wait to start over tomorrow.

This sauce is the essence of tomatoes. Of course, it's best made with fully ripe tomatoes, ripened on the vine. The tomatoes are chopped and their flavor enhanced by a few other ingredients. There is no cooking involved, except for the pasta. I like to make the sauce as the first step in my dinner preparation so that the ingredients can sit and get to know one another while I prepare the rest of the meal. When you are ready to serve the meal, simply toss the sauce with freshly cooked pasta. I prefer to use a small pasta that will hold onto the sauce. Here is my recipe. I hope you like it.

Susan's Summertime Fresh Tomato Sauce

3 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, minced

10 - 12 kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
1 Tbsp capers, drained of brine
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt to taste
2 - 3 Tbsp fresh basil, sliced

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes. Toss with freshly cooked pasta, adjust seasonings, and serve. If you are a cheese eater, you may also add fresh mozarella or bocconcini.

This is really a summertime sauce.  So easy and so delicious, but vine ripened tomatoes are a must.