You Say TOMATO

August: Tomatoes This is their time to shine. Summer's  wane is when they are at their sweet, abundant peak and you'll want to find a way to sneak them into just about every dish you eat for the next few weeks.

Can em. Roast them on a sheet pan and add them to salads, sandwiches and pasta.Turn them into salsa or a tart. Use thick tomato slices instead of a bun the next time you eat a burger. Eat them out of hand like an apple with some fancy salt. (remember: if you can't finish an heirloom tomato, place it cut-side down on a plate on your kitchen counter and cover it with a cotton cloth to keep fruit flies away. Cling wrap will make them slimy and refrigerating them will render them tasteless.)

Whenever my mom would find herself with extra tomatoes on hand, she'd make "tomates a la provencale" - oven roasted open-faced tomatoes  that have been topped with garlic and herbs and bread crumbs. So simple and yet, few dishes in my mind have coaxed the flavor out of a tomato as this one does.

These were the perfect accompaniment to a grilled piece of steak or fish. My mom always added more minced herbs from the garden than the recipe calls for. Always a good call.

This week's recipe is Julia Child's Stuffed Tomatoes Provençale
 from “The Way to Cook,” makes 8 servings.

For fun, you can add some crumbled goat cheese from Painted Goat Farm. Champagne Kombucha Tea is gracing us with an extra visit this 5-Saturday month: take advantage!

Check out this post from The Guardian for more tomato inspiration. You might have to look up some simple conversions but the recipes are worth it...especially the "tomato party" or Israeli couscous salad made with a mix of roasted and raw tomatoes.

Scribble ART will be at the market this week to entertain your kids!

See you at the market!

Pascale