Simple Summer Fare

Growing up we always had a large garden. My dad was an expert gardener and each year he would double down on the tomato crop and we would spend months (California growing season for the win) eating as many tomatoes as we wanted. It was here that I learned that a simple Tomato Sandwich with heaps of Mayonnaise and a touch a salt is a thing of joy. Tomatoes dressed with basil, balsamic vinegar, and a splash of oil is a thing of beauty. Summer meals are such a wonderful affair I think in part because there is an air of plenty surrounding all the fresh produce we get to enjoy.

The way that I’ve been celebrating this abundance is to give our fresh summer finds a simple treatment. I love an easy low, maintenance meal and there is nothing more satisfying than throwing together a simple, five ingredient lunch, dinner, or snack. These sorts of meals have been life to me lately so I thought I’d share a few with you.

I already mentioned this one but do yourself a favor and have a tomato sandwich. Get some nice crusty bread, spread a thick layer of mayonnaise on top, pile on as many tomatoes as you can fit on the bread and top with flaky sea salt. Once I restock on heirloom tomatoes this is all I’ll be eating for lunch for the foreseeable future.

For breakfast you should try peach and cream cheese toast. Toast your bread (Whole wheat or rye is nice here) and spread cream cheese on top and layer on the peaches. This is great as is but a drizzle of honey and balsamic vinegar really sends it over the top.

And finally, for any meal of the day you should try fried eggs cooked over a bed of caramelized zucchini and onions.

Thinly slice half a zucchini, a quarter of an onion, and 1-2 garlic cloves. Cook them in a nonstick skillet over medium heat with some butter (or bacon fat), a few cherry tomatoes, and salt and pepper till they are crisp and caramelized. Divide the zucchini into two piles in the pan and crack an egg on top of each one. Add a splash of water to the pan and put the lid on. Steam the eggs till the whites are cooked and the yolks are creamy and a bit runny.

I hope the rest of summer blesses you with beautiful weather and tomatoes so good that you can’t wait to stand in line at the farmers market in the hot sun with a mask on to bring home even more tomatoes