Farewell to my Favorite Fruit

Fall is nearly here. Although it's my favorite season, I am sad to say goodbye to my favorite photogenic fruit, the tomato. From now on I will be stuck with eating grape tomatoes by the pint.

I wrote a haiku
to fully express my love
of the tomato.
Worst haiku ever.

The Art of the BLT

The BLT is my favorite summer meal, but it's also one of the more misunderstood sandwiches. How can a sandwich be misunderstood you ask? Well, if you think that bacon is the "meat" of the sandwich, that's the first misconception. You might be tempted to pile 6 slices of bacon on your sammich, but don't do it! (2 per sandwich is enough). The bacon is only there to lend a smoky saltiness to bring out the flavor of the tomato.

The tomato is the "meat" in this case, so slice it thick like a steak, and try to find a tomato that's almost as large as the bread. Don't be tempted by those slightly pink, crunchy, tomato look-a-likes in the store. Very few tomatoes are worth this leading role. That's why we only eat BLTs in the summer.

Don't forget salt and pepper and mayo, your trusty sandwich lubricant! Often all a good tomato needs is a little salt. That's why the bacon is so harmonious. But adding a little extra seasoning helps compensate for the lettuce, which adds crunch and texture, but not a lot of flavor.

The BLT is a lesson in simplicity: how certain combinations just work together without any "clutter," and at the heart of it, the importance of quality ingredients.

Last of the Summer Peaches

One of the perks of going home to Virginia for the summer is the big, juicy, sun-fed, Sounthern peaches. Virginia is no Georgia, so I can only imagine how good those taste, but it's closer than, say, Ohio. When I lived in Chicago, the closest peaches came from Michigan, which are small and flavorless in comparison.

We let the peaches ripen for another week after buying them. When the skin starts to shrivel, that indicates that there is less water in the fruit than when it was picked, meaning maximum sweetness and concentrated flavor. Anyone who has ever tried to eat a ripe pear knows that fruit is often the best just before it goes bad.

My aunt is famous for her baked goods (something I didn't really inherit) and every summer she buys bushels of peaches to make pies. For the most part, I prefer my fruit unadulterated. This peach tart recipe is a nice compromise because it's simple (and lends itself well for my impatience with baking).

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2-3 peaches, sliced
2 Tbsp sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a knife, score a 1-inch square border around the puff pastry (don't cut all the way through).

Arrange the peaches within the square and sprinkle entire area with the sugar.

Bake until pastry is golden brown.

Yes, that's bacon. No, I wouldn't recommend it.