summer food – la tomate

by Sharon Santoni

Summer food… we want fresh, we want healthy, we want quick and abundant and high in colour.  La belle tomate makes an appearance nearly every day on our table during the summer.   Oven roasted, sun dried, puréed in a gazpacho or quite simply sliced and seasoned with olive oil  as a salad.

[blank]Doesn’t take much ….. some good tomatoes, olive oil, olives, basil leaves,
some rock salt, maybe a few anchovies ……[blank]
part of the enjoyment is the beauty of the fruit itself …[blank]
[blank]and what to serve alongside for a quick and easy lunch on a hot day ….
this combination  has been happening a lot here this summer, tomato salad and goats cheese
 baked in the oven on a slice of good bread , a little olive oil and a few sprigs of thyme …[blank]
[blank]it really only takes a few minutes …
 and it looks so pretty it can go straight from the oven to the table[blank]
[blank]
[blank]
[blank]
[blank]

all these great pictures were taken by my daughter Ella, you can see more of her photos  here …. please excuse her for not updating too recently, she is busy living her life!!   🙂

Don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for the last of my august giveaways – this one you do not want to miss!![blank]

26 comments

Sussi / Sussinghurst August 28, 2012 - 9:49 am

uhmmmmmmm, delicious!!!

Reply
sheepyhollow August 28, 2012 - 11:59 am

Oh YUM!!! This is one of my favorite summer-tyme meals (including my farmstead goat cheese!)!! I think I miss my fresh garden tomatoes – warmed by the sun – the most after the growing season had ended! Beautiful photos too… I l.o.v.e. all the 'earthenware' bowls, baking dish!!! What is it???

Reply
david terry August 28, 2012 - 12:03 pm

Oh, Sharon…..Your comment "… please excuse her for not updating too recently, she is busy living her life" reminds me of a very amusing postcard I received a couple of years ago.

The very simple line-drawing depicts (it's pinned to a bulletin board in front of me as I type this) two, completely non-descript, expressionless dogs looking at each other while one says "Oh, I had my own blog for a while, but I decided to just go back to pointless, incessant barking."

I can't help but recall that everytime someone says I should have a blog of my own.

As for updating websites? My very canny & funny webmistress FINALLY (after eight years) recently sat me down and forced me to learn How To Do It Yourself (!). It took her hours and hours and hours….but she just kept saying "You can DO this…".

I did finally learn how to do it (not that I've ever, since then, done it more than once). Her comment was "Okay, David Terry has learned how to manage his own website. Who knows what's next?… Palestinians and Israelis learn how to get along with each other?…Lindsay Lohan learns to keep her clothes on?….anything could happen…."

As I said, she's a very funny woman.

Level Best as Ever,
david Terry
http://www.davidterryart.com

Reply
Veronica August 28, 2012 - 1:23 pm

OOh!! Que apetitoso!
Saludos!
Veronica.

Los Mundos de Nika Vintage

Reply
Susan August 28, 2012 - 1:37 pm

What a yummy looking tomato salad! I love tomatoes, too!

Reply
Debra August 28, 2012 - 2:34 pm

Nothing as nice as fresh tomatoes. I planted 4 different varieties this year…one a stunning purple! I'll have to try them with the goats cheese baked goats cheese toasts. I know my husband would love that. Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Katherine August 28, 2012 - 2:43 pm

This is the kind of lunch I prefer…….. and just add wine.

Reply
Our French Inspired Home August 28, 2012 - 2:43 pm

Yum. We love summer tomatoes also! We grow a variety of heirloom's, of which I see everal in your photograph.

Reply
Amy August 28, 2012 - 3:10 pm

'Tis the season – I just posted about tomatoes this weekend!

Reply
hopflower August 28, 2012 - 3:57 pm

Those little toasts look wonderful,but I am afraid I must be the only one in the world who just cannot get past the smell of goats cheese.

Reply
Nancy August 28, 2012 - 4:12 pm

fantastic! I love the fruits of summer. Good job on the picture taking!

Nancy
powellbrowerhome.com

Reply
Angie Muresan August 28, 2012 - 4:51 pm

This looks so delicious, Sharon. I do believe I will make both the salad and the goat cheese sandwiches today. And your daughter, Ella is a wonderful photographer.

Reply
I Dream Of August 28, 2012 - 4:56 pm

Gorgeous photos from Ella! There is nothing I love more than a perfectly ripened tomato. The goat cheese looks like the perfect pairing, too. I'll have to give that a try before the tomatoes are gone for the season! XO

Reply
The Snowdrop Project August 28, 2012 - 5:01 pm

A delicious simple meal. Definitely one to try!
Great photos Ella!
Hope you both have a lovely day,
Lizx

Reply
Dar August 28, 2012 - 5:18 pm

A delectable show of the tomato. I need to grow LaBelle's. They appear to be heirlooms which have intense, full flavor. Try a dash of balsamic vinegar with the basil and a sprinkle of garlic, a dash of sea salt and coarse black pepper, a mere sprinkle of sugar, all on top of garlic toast. you will not be disappointed.
BlessYa

Reply
Dar August 28, 2012 - 5:21 pm

Oh dear, I forgot the Olive Oil….
BlessYaGirls

Reply
Kristie Franklin August 28, 2012 - 5:27 pm

Oh my, what a delicious menu! We've been eating a lot of tomatoes here too. I love making a tomato, onion, and cucumber salad marinated in a vinegar sugar brine. It is delicious, a recipe my grandmother used to make for us when we were kids. I'm going to have to try the goat cheese on toasted bread with olive oil and thyme. (I bet rosemary would be good too!) 🙂

Reply
WhiteWhispers2u August 28, 2012 - 6:03 pm

Simply Fabulous! xox

Reply
vicki archer August 28, 2012 - 8:22 pm

I am going to miss these when summer passes… Like you, we have eaten tomatoes every day… they make the cooking easy… and delicious… xv

Reply
Vicki August 28, 2012 - 9:14 pm

Oh, Sharon, your tomatoes are things of real beauty. More beautiful photos. My tomatoes did poorly this year; I've decided to grow them in pots next year. See if that works better! We had too little sun in the growing months for this year's crop to thrive in time for summer feasting. I miss gathering them in the hot sun of an afternoon. Nothing like a sun-warmed tomato, eating it right there in the garden off the vine. Your crusty bread with cheese inspires me to make a good bruschetta tonight; yum.

Reply
Anonymous August 29, 2012 - 12:30 am

You are so lucky! Not enough sun in England this year for good tomatoes. But we will soon be back at the Honfleur market. Perhaps we will see you there?! https://honfleurthenandnow.blogspot.co.uk/
x

Reply
The enchanted home August 29, 2012 - 12:59 am

What time do you want me over?? My mouth is watering…your tomatoes are soo beautiful, almost too pretty to eat!! I love nothing more than a sun warmed tomato just off the vine…yum!

Reply
Leslie August 29, 2012 - 6:43 am

This looks delicious! Summer heirlooms are my absolute favorite.. prepared any way.. and the bread.. yummy!

Reply
Cécile August 29, 2012 - 8:42 am

Hummm, delicious! I do the same with the cheese and the bread, but I add honey on it before the oven, have a try, it is wonderful!
Ella's photos are great!
Have a nice day,

Reply
Julie August 29, 2012 - 7:13 pm

Wow – that looks so good. It might just have to be my dinner tonight. I have heritage tomatoes in the garden. I might have to run out for a baguette and some brie. J

Reply
Things That Inspire August 30, 2012 - 4:32 pm

This looks like the perfect lunch!

We planted an organic garden, with the thought of having abundant tomatoes in particular, and it did not work out that well. The first part of the summer, I think we underwatered, so things got to a late start. The garden is located below a retaining wall, so it gets some good quality sun in the morning and the early afternoon, but does not get those strong late afternoon rays. Finally, now that the tomatoes are finally producing, we have had all sorts of issues with squirrels 'stealing' them, and little critters eating them!

We will try again next year – live and learn!

– Holly

Reply

Leave a Comment