I found the most beautiful tomatoes at the market today. Each one looks like a Murano glass paper weight.

[1-2. c. lynn]

This past weekend A and I visited the Portland Nursery to pick out some tomato plants in anticipation of the summer growing season. We have a nice amount of outdoor space on our terrace, so we were able to fit these gorgeous, sturdy cedar planters into the unused space beyond the doors on either side.

Since this is our first year growing tomatoes, and our first foray into gardening as a whole, we decided to mix things up a bit and experiment with several different varieties. We chose chocolate cherry, brandywine, early girls, and cherry.

[1-2. c. lynn]

Heirloom tomatoes have made their way to the market and so I decided to whip up a simple spaghetti dish with heirloom tomatoes, toasted bread crumbs, and mozzarella cheese. All A had to say was, and I quote, "this is fantasy pasta." The fresh tomatoes simmer down to a velvety sauce and the addition of the bread crumbs gives the pasta the comforting feel of a crunchy baked outer edge. I worked off a recipe from Sunday Suppers at Lucques.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1. Put a large pot of heavily salted water on to boil over high heat.
2. Toss about 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs with a teaspoon olive oil, spread them on a baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown.
3. Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and add a sprig of rosemary, 1 tablespoon of thyme, and let them sizzle. Add 3 chopped shallots and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium and add 5 smashed garlic cloves and cook another 3 or 4 minutes.
4. Drop pasta in the water and cook until al dente.
5. Turn up the heat on the onions and add 2 cups of chopped ripened heirloom tomatoes with 2 pinches of salt and a couple turns of the pepper mill. Stir the tomatoes often and cook about 8 minutes until juices of tomatoes are released.
6. When pasta is al dente, drain reserving about a 1/2 of the pasta water and add both the pasta and the reserved water to the tomato sauce that has reduced. Toss well and cook over medium heat for another 2 minutes until the pasta water boils off. Turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup chopped basil, 1/2 cup cubed mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs. Toss to combine and transfer to a warm pasta bowl.



[1-4. c. lynn]