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Only two things that money can't buy

The most certain way to get homegrown tomatoes is to grow them yourself. Having a friend or neighbor who grows them is also good. You get a less certain supply, but that's the tradeoff for the zero investment in tomato acquisition. We've stumbled upon a third way: have a neighbor who grows tomatoes and then goes on vacation during the week when they all ripen. She called me into her yard last week and said, "Hey. They're all turning red next week. Pick all you want."

I said, "Okay." Score! She has romas and some beefsteak varieties. Mmm. Also a big pot of basil which I was invited to harvest.

Yesterday Oz said, "Do we need to go buy tomatoes?"

"Just go next door and pick some."

We actually did buy a few Green Zebras at the natural food store when we went there looking for something else. Green Zebras are a green stripy heirloom variety with a tart flavor. Maybe they're not ripe yet? How can you tell? They taste good regardless.

My kitchen is now a festival of tomatoes.

For lunch I made an Italian-style tomato salad:

2 hardboiled eggs, chopped
2 tomatoes (today: one red, one Green Zebra), diced
A few tablespoons each of chopped basil and parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove of garlic, pressed
Some (I didn't measure. A third of a cup, maybe?) diced fresh mozzarella (optional)
Extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste (about a tablespoon and a half each)

Combine all ingredients and eat it up with an appropriate starch (rosemary bread or fresh pasta spring to mind). The egg yolks emulsify the oil and vinegar so there's kind of a sauce effect. You can also combine the tomato salad with cubed boiled potatoes (I use red potatoes and leave the skin on) and have an awesome gourmet potato salad.

For dinner we had homemade gazpacho with cheese and tomato quesadillas. Last week I ran out and got a panini grill (a George Foreman grill, really), so we've been playing with grilled sandwiches. We brush one side of a tortilla with olive oil (I got the cutest silicone pastry brush too) and put the oil side down on the grill. Then we sprinkle grated cheese on half, layer on a few tomato slices, fold over the tortilla and close the grill. Squish! A few minutes later we have quesadillas.

A few years back, my aunt gave me a tomato knife from Warthers. It's getting a lot of use! If you love tomatoes and kitchen tools, I highly recommend getting a finely serrated knife just for tomatoes. It's a pleasure to slice and dice them up and I'm in no danger of mixing my own blood with the salad. (This is not an ad for Warthers, but their knives are beautiful! I love my tomato knife. I got one for my mom. My cousin got a block set of their knives as a wedding present. I'm thinking, Damn, but that would make it worth getting married! That marriage is over, but she's got great knives. Actually, it's cheaper just to buy some knives.)