Saturday, August 28, 2010

Simple Summertime Tomatoes

Some of us need recipes in order to cook, while others can take a handful of mushrooms, some leftover sweetened condensed milk, a wad of wilted lettuce and somehow magically transform them into dinner.

My sister's one of the latter.

This is her summertime dish, a delightful combination of garden tomatoes, onions, and basil. There are not many specific measurements here as, alas, she does not need them. So just do your best; add ingredients until it looks and tastes right. It's hard to go wrong with this, especially if you're starting with garden fresh tomatoes and basil. Bon appetit.

MATERS
Cut tomatoes into bite-sized chunks. Slice an onion into rings. Cut basil with scissors. Combine all, and add 1 T. sugar. Cover with balsamic vinegar and some olive oil (optional). Let stand a few hours on the counter so tastes blend and onion loses its acidity.

So how about you? Are you a recipe cook? Or do you have the gift?

Labels:

11 Comments:

Blogger Farm Girl said...

It looks yummy and since I am the only one in my family who eats tomatoes, I guess I would have to eat the whole thing, which I just might. I am a recipe kinda gal, the first time. Then the next time I add to get the flavor I like. I never can leave stuff alone until I finally get it the way I like. Some things like my bread recipes, I don't change because its taken 30 years of trial and error but for the most part I always tweak,and no I am not like your sister I can't take a few ingredients and make something good.
Mine would just turn out to be yucky.
Thanks,

August 28, 2010 at 3:04 PM  
Blogger Carpool Queen said...

I used to be a recipe girl and never strayed. It delights me to no end that I can take a recipe and make adjustments now without panicking, or make a cream sauce without consulting sixteen recipes on the Internet.

I'm not there yet, though. My goal is to make pancakes like my grandmother did - using a coffee cup to carelessly scoop the flour and a regular spoon to measure the baking soda. It was magic.

August 28, 2010 at 4:38 PM  
Blogger Joanne said...

I'm mostly a recipe cook but it depends. I can be quite versatile if necessary :P This sounds great! I can't believe it was an on-the-fly meal!

August 28, 2010 at 4:59 PM  
Blogger Barb said...

What a delightful combination! I love the idea of just tossing everything together and letting it sit until you are ready to eat!

There are some things that I make without a cookbook, but, if I want it to turn out that way it should, I follow the instructions . . . most of the time :0)

Barb!

August 28, 2010 at 5:06 PM  
Blogger teresa said...

mmmm, what a lovely dish! i'm a recipe cook, but i do love to deviate from the recipe when i can.

August 29, 2010 at 6:03 AM  
Anonymous Sandra said...

Bruchetta (sp?)without the bread? I may not know how to spell it right off-hand, but I do know I love it. I'll try this! :)

August 29, 2010 at 8:44 AM  
Anonymous Faith said...

I think some of the best recipes are thought up on a whim and this recipe looks like one of them! What a beautiful way to make tomatoes.

August 29, 2010 at 10:17 AM  
Blogger Mimi said...

I could eat tomatoes like that.
Mimi

August 31, 2010 at 8:54 PM  
Blogger Heather S-G said...

mmmm...this looks gorgeous and sounds amazing. Love it! Now, wehre in the world does the sweetened condensed milk come in?

September 2, 2010 at 3:39 PM  
Blogger theUngourmet said...

I don't know if I have the gift but I do love to take a recipe and change it around and add to it or to come up with things all my own. Fun! I just adore fresh ripe tomatoes. They really can't be beat. Great recipe!

September 4, 2010 at 9:37 PM  
Blogger Karenpie said...

Sadly, I don't have the gift. I wish I did - does that count? LOL! I can adjust things in recipes but just looking in my fridge and combining what's there into a fab dinner? Nope. I sit in adoration at the feet of those who do.

September 16, 2010 at 8:51 AM  

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