Fresh Vine-Ripened Tomatoes

The joy of gardening…
from nurturing tiny seedlings at spring time, to caring for them throughout the summer, then finally reaping the harvest of fresh vine-ripened tomatoes.  They are juicy, sweet, delicious, and full of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A.

Here’s what I did with the first batch of tomatoes picked from the garden.
A few cherry tomatoes were sliced and added to my sandwich.  For the baguette sandwich I layered the following ingredients; olive spread, sweet onion slices, lettuce, turkey, ham, cucumber slices, tomatoes, salt and pepper, and mayonnaise.
A tasty late afternoon lunch.

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The classic caprese salad made with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Caprese Salad

Ingredients:
8 oz      mini mozzarella, sliced
1½ – 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
2-3        tablespoons basil, chopped
2            tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
3-4        tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper.

In a glass container {mason jar} with lid, layer tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, salt and pepper. Repeat the process until all the ingredients are used.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Cover with a lid and refrigerate.

Occasionally tip the jar on its top to let the olive oil and balsamic vinegar mixture be incorporated throughout the salad.

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A convenient way to store the salad is in a mason jar for traveling or to have it available when needed.

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Bill had combined it with mixed salad greens, the girls just ate it as is, and I snacked on it with toasted baguette slices.   By day two, the jar was almost empty with a few little pieces just sitting at the bottom.

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Any extra tomatoes were set aside in a bowl on a cake stand and in a prominent place in the kitchen.

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On the cake stand I also included a small glass bowl of my favorite citrus-herb seasoning salt {for the recipe click here}, fresh sage, spices and toothpicks.

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 posted by  Kay