“Sunshine in a Bowl! We have an abundance of tomatoes this summer!”

“This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: a basket of ripe fruit.”
‭‭Amos‬ ‭8:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We went to the class picnic on Saturday and took a whole bowlful of vine-ripened yellow tomatoes…still warm from the summer sun. I gathered them carefully in a bucket, rinsed them to get off the garden dirt and bugs, and sliced them thick. As I held these golden orbs of sweet juicy perfection, I lifted them to my nose to breathe in the smell of summer. I took out the cutting board shaped like an aspen leaf that was a gift from Brooke Allen and staff…my last real job before I took off in my camper for two years or so.

I placed the warm tomato on the cutting board and reached for the presentation box where I still keep the cutlery set Mr. Virgo was given by the Ritz Carlton as a reward for his hard work and dedication. I held the handle of the chef’s knife in my right hand, feeling the heft and the balance. I admired the beautiful colors of the inlayed handle…reds, browns, yellows. I remembered his sense of awe and pride when he showed them to me. The blade is sharp and made quick work of the task at hand. I carefully rinsed the knife, dried it, and put it back in its presentation case and placed it in the middle utensil drawer.

Yellow tomatoes are pure sunshine. They have less acid, it seems. And they were so pretty in the bowl with the red lid. Everyone oohed and ahhhed over them. The salt and pepper shaker was strategically placed next to the slotted serving spoon.

I stopped at Witten’s Produce Stand Sunday afternoon and picked up four Silver Queen and four bi-color ears of corn as well as four plums and four peaches. I’ll pick up something for the smoker tomorrow so I can try it out before our first big barbecue. There are still lots of tomatoes on so I am going to take advantage of some of the unrepentant ones and make Fried Green Tomatoes. Those are the BEST!

This is my favorite time of year and I am taking full advantage of the many culinary delights this season brings. I hope you are enjoying summer’s bountiful goodness right now. It will be gone all too soon! ❤️