I've always been proud of my home State's (Maine) motto, "The Way Life Should be". Today marked a day I've longed and waited for all Winter, the first day of Farmer's Market Season. I just love the tradition of spending an hour on Sunday walking through the various stands, picking up interesting in season vegetables. It truly feels like the way life should be. Chores placed on hold it's a nice time to relax for a bit. Dogs are out greeting each other in passing, and people are smiling. In the air there are amazing smells of food vendors cooking all kinds of amazing taste's.
It's one of those moments that pleases several senses at once. You pass a bee keeper telling a crowd about the ease of home kept hives, while smelling peppers and onions being fried on a grill, all while looking at colorful fruits and vegetables. It's also a true sense of community and you feel it. You feel part of it. Talking to the local farmer who grew the food your holding, or the chicken keeper who collected the fresh eggs you're pondering, even if they are $7 a dozen, you feel excited and a sense of belonging. These are your people.
Today along the journey I spied boxes of Heirloom tomatoes. 10 Pounds for $20. I quickly did the math, ashamed at the number of times I paid $6.99 a pound for them at a large Health Food store. Today's purchase was a no-brainer. The box was filled with multi-colored twisted tomatoes. One box was all bright red-orange. I could hardly contain myself as my hand stretched out holding a $20 bill to the vendor.
The only thing left to decide on, was what to make for dinner, though clear what the main ingredient would be. TOMATOES.
The problem with Heirloom tomatoes is that they will ruin you. No other tomato can really compare, and disappointment will soon follow when you bite into anything else. I can't help but image that these are the varieties that grew in gardens hundreds of years ago, not yet spoiled by our own actions.
Dinner tonight consists of an easy to make staple, Pasta but with a fresh and simple Heirloom tomato sauce. This is one of those sauces where the less ingredients you use, the better. After all, the star attraction is the tomatoes.
1. Saute the onions and garlic in about 2 TBSP olive oil until translucent.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Using a hand held blender, pulse the sauce but still leave chunks of tomatoes. Not quite a puree.
3. Simmer for 30-40 Minutes until thickened and reduced sightly.
Serve on top of any pasta! Freeze leftovers in Mason jars.
