Summer is in high gear and my garden continues to deliver copious amounts of delicious tomatoes.  Normally, I would prepare salsas full of tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and cilantro but, I find myself treating the tomatoes more seriously this year.  I desire Italian cuisine.  That might explain my recent post on Chicken Parmesan.  Love comes unannounced and unexpectedly sometimes.

Enter the “love apple”, the tomato.  Fresh from the vine or cooked down to a sauce, the tomato is indescribably delicious.  What other fruit, or vegetable, if you wish, can balance sweetness and acidity like the tomato?   

A wonderful way to celebrate the garden-ripened tomato is to serve it an antipasto. As I see it, antipastos are like the first movement of a symphony.  They are presented to the table quickly and briefly.  Antipastos showcase a variety of fresh vegetables, seafood, cheese or cold meats in their simplest forms.  Each item of the antipasto stands by itself, but together, they resonate in harmony.

Ingredients:

Two large fresh tomatoes

2 ounces anchovy (packed in oil)

¼ cup red onion, diced

1 tsp capers

1 lime (cut into wedges)

1 slice lemon

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Arrange sliced tomatoes, anchovy, lemon and lime on a serving platter, according to your sense of style.  Dot tomatoes with balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle capers across the platter.  Place the platter in the center of the dining table and ask your guests to sit.  Remove the dish from the table when there is a lull in the conversation or when the plate is empty…which ever one comes first.  Trust me, this is the best way to start a meal with friends or family.