Gone Fishin’

It’s vacation time! Andy and Travis, our son, have gone trout fishin’ in Missoula, Montana. And I’m figuring out what to do with too many home-grown tomatoes.

We’ll be back on Tuesday, September 9th, with our regular (or irregular) blogs. Meanwhile, I’ve got a super-simple, super-delicious fresh tomato recipe for you to try out, as well as recommendations from past recipes, to make good use of those amazing garden tomatoes (“Champion” has won my prize as the best variety we grew this year). Enjoy them all before the cool days of September arrive.

If you’re bored now that the lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer are about over, this 1000-piece puzzle, “Gone Fishing,” is made by Doodletown and available online.

Andy won’t be bringing home any trout from Montana (it’s all catch and release), but if he did…as my dad did on his yearly fishing trips to Walden, Colorado, I’d try out Martha Rose Shulman’s recipe for Rainbow trout and fresh tomato baked in aluminum foil. And if you’re still looking for ways to make the best use of your tomatoes – other than in a salad – we especially recommend our Sopa de Lima (which is served with a corn and fresh tomato salsa), our Tomato and Basil Pasta, Diane and Grandma’s Tomato Tart, and our B&T Tacos.

Cheesy Tomato Toast

Servings: 4 pieces of toast
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When I first saw this recipe, I was unenthused about the cheddar/tomato combination – but after trying it, I’m a huge fan. It’s so easy and so yummy. Of course, your choice of a good artisan bread matters a lot. And be sure that your cheese is very finely grated. For a variation, you might try goat cheese, rather than cheddar. Adapted from Ali Slagle and the NYTimes.

2 ripe medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
Salt
1/2 c mayonnaise (I’m a recent convert to Duke’s Mayo)
3/4 c lightly-packed (about 2 ounces) finely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices crusty artisan bread, toasted

Sprinkle the sliced tomatoes with salt and let sit for 10-15 minutes (that improves the flavor of the tomatoes). Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, cheddar cheese and a pinch of salt.

When the tomatoes are ready, toast the bread. Immediately slather the hot, toasted bread with the cheddar mayo combination and then top with the sliced tomatoes and serve.

Leftover mayonnaise will keep for several weeks in the fridge.

Recipe brought to you by BigLittleMeals.com and Andy and Ann.