We are suddenly overwhelmed by the burgeoning of our half dozen tomato plants. We planted them early in May in the raised garden bed on the side of the house, where they would get lots of afternoon sun. We also planted a row of zinnia seedlings in the front, and another line of hollyhocks behind them, thinking the hollyhocks would provide a colorful background wall, planning ahead for my Instagram feed. We hadn’t planned on Nature running its own headstrong course.
Because of the serendipity of a week of rain, good soil, an attentive neighbor who watered when we were out of town, and a practically weedless growing environment, the tomatoes and the flowers are now enormous. In the two months since they were planted, the tomatoes have spread their wings and fully occupied the small enclosed space. There seems to be competition among the plants to see which can grown the tallest first.
And then there are the tomatoes. The tomatoes are coming in waves. In spurts, in drips, in rivulets, and in quick succession. I promise you, all I did was go out and coo at them a couple of times a week, and now they are the sorcerer’s apprentice of fruit. We have a bowl full of crimson orbs on the kitchen counter, another six or seven resting on the window sill as they ripen, and a bulging paper bag waiting to be delivered next door.
I thought we overplanted last year, when we had tomatoes, beans, peppers and basil all elbowing for space. This year the basil farm lives on the back porch, and we gave up on peppers and beans altogether. The tomatoes are rushing to the sea. The tomato cages are listing under their weight. Now it is time to get practical in the kitchen.
Yesterday I had my first tomato sandwich of the season, thinking fondly of Harriet M. Welsch, (a.k.a Harriet the Spy) the eleven-year-old snoop and scribe who carried a tomato sandwich to school every day. Living below the Mason Dixon Line as I do, I am supposed to slather on the Duke’s mayonnaise – but Hellmann’s is what was on hand. I dusted the slices of juicy tomato with a little Maldon salt and some black pepper and enclosed all that deliciousness between two slices of Pepperidge Farm bread. The result: nectar of the gods. And today I will repeat the process. But that only uses up one tomato. I need to think exponentially.
The eager beavers at Food52 have gone a wee bit overboard, I think, with their tomato sandwich variations: https://food52.com/blog/17722-the-be-all-end-all-tomato-sandwich-4-ways-we-couldn-t-leave-it-alone/
Thursday night we had Tomato Pie.
https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/heirloom-tomato-pie/
https://www.saveur.com/southern-tomato-pie-recipe/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228381/summer-tomato-pie/
On Friday night, which is Pizza Night, we will be grilling some Big Love Pizzas. The dough is rising in a big bowl, and there is plenty of basil wafting in the breeze on the back porch.
Big Love Pizzas
1 pound tomatoes, you can eyeball this, depending on how many people you are feeding – because if you need more, you know where to go.
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
Pizza dough
Flour, for dusting
2 bunches of fresh basil leaves, torn
Pepperoni
Garlic – at least 1 clove for each pie
Seed and chop tomatoes
Oil and then heat up the grill – we used a gas grill which has 3 bars, using the 2 outside bars. The fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. We lowered the heat once the dough was on the grill.
Divide the pizza dough into 2 and roll it out.
Oil the side that goes on the grill.
Toss with care onto the grill.
Grill for 2 to 3 minutes and then flip with tongs.
Cover the cooked surface with tomatoes, garlic, pepperoni and mozzarella, drizzling it with a little oil.
Close the top of the grill to let the cheese melt.
The dough will rise, and when you start to smell burnt bread it is time to take it off the grill, about 3 minutes.
Add the roughly chopped basil just before serving.
Experience matters. We discovered that it is easier to combine the oil and garlic and tomatoes in a bowl first and then distribute that mixture on the pie. Lots of burned fingers resulted when putting all the ingredients on by hand.
And since it is Friday night, a celebratory glass of wine, please.
Don’t forget you can always whip up a batch of bruschetta, or make a panzanella salad, too. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/classic-panzanella-393403.
We seem to have made an initial dent in our ever-growing stash of tomatoes. It looks like it is going to be a nice, long summer of fine eating.
“In this world of uncertainty and woe, one thing remains unchanged: Fresh, canned, pureed, dried, salted, sliced, and served with sugar and cream, or pressed into juice, the tomato is reliable, friendly, and delicious. We would be nothing without it.”
– Laurie Colwin
Robert Hall says
And save one night a week for Fresh Tomato Pasta.
This is another of our favorite dishes, a delightful change of pace for pasta lovers. It is meant to be a “fresh from the garden” taste experience, that does not need the typical overload of garlic, spices and onions associated with the usual spaghetti sauce. Serves 2
3-4 large tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil
4 ounces vodka
4 tablespoons butter (more or less to taste)
½ cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and fresh ground pepper
½ pound angel hair spaghetti
Optional: substitute cream for 2 tablespoons of butter
Optional: If using hot house or not-so-nice-fresh tomatoes, add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste
Peel, core and chop the tomatoes. Roll cut the basil into slivers. Cook the tomatoes (and optional tomato paste) in a sauté pan just enough to break down the chunks (10 to 12 Minutes). Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti.
Add 2 ounces of vodka to the sauce (reserve 2 ounces for the chef) and cook another 2 minutes. Turn off heat and swirl butter into the sauce, then add the basil, cheese, salt and pepper. Drain the pasta, place in individual bowls, and spoon the sauce over the pasta.
Serve with a mixed green salad and bruschetta or crostini. A fruity red wine, like a Beaujolais, pinot noir or a good sirah, goes well with this dish.
Jean Sanders says
Lovely! Enjoy!
Jean Sanders says
Hi, Robert. I wanted to let you know that I tried this recipe last night. I varied it just a wee bit – I added garlic and eliminated the chef’s share of vodka. (Unless it is dessert, we tend to put garlic in almost everything we cook…) This was great! And I used up 5 garden-fresh tomatoes. We are adding it to the pasta rotation. Thanks for sharing! Yours, Jean
Cheryl Kramer says
Sublime!!!! I am going out to buy my tomatoes and make my pizza dough right after this note!!! I can picture your garden, the tomatoes and the wonderful pizza on the grill just as you described it. PERFECT!!!
Jean Sanders says
Hope it was fabulous!