Any Way You Slice It

This Spring I’m going to try to grow tomatoes again.

To me, the incredibly versatile tomato is one of my favorite comfort foods that doesn’t have to be deep fried to make me happy.

The things you can do with a tomato!

What’s a summer without a juicy flavorful BLT– with rich creamy mayo on your bread of choice?

Or, just a few fresh slices mixed with cucumbers and sweet onion?

My favorite menu item at some restaurants is the humble chicken quesadilla with Pico de gallo and avocado.

I don’t recall one visit to My Grandma Carroll’s house that didn’t involve a tomato, to go with a pan of biscuits that sat on the stovetop or on the vinyl tablecloth, next to a jar of molasses and whatever fruit she had recently canned.

No more tomatoes in the garden?

No worries.

Just check out her pantry and you will find quite an inventory of tomato- packed Mason jars.

I really miss all that.

I never learned the art of canning, but I continue to plant seeds and hope for one of Nature’ s most beautiful fruits to ripen in the midst of a land area often trashed and neglected and unappreciated.

This Spring, I choose to hope again, even if it’s only in a single tomato vine.

Something that’s good, any way you slice it.