Last week, the first 3 tomatoes of the season were picked from the backyard. I initially thought that I would slice them up and drizzle a bit of olive oil and toss some fresh basil their way. Maybe a dash of balsamic? What a quick, fresh and simple way to enjoy ripe tomatoes from the garden! I let our niece pick them a couple of days early, which was no problem. They only needed a little more time in the kitchen window to finish ripening. I later realized I shouldn't do anything except run them to Huntersville to share them with the person who would appreciate them most, my Granny.
Granny has always loved fresh tomatoes. No recipe, aged balsamic or extra virgin olive oil is required. Ripe tomato, salt and pepper are all that she needs. She was really tired when Sara and I stopped by, but when I sliced them up and sprinkled on salt and pepper, I had her attention. I fed her a few slices and asked her how they were. She answered, "good, better and best." You don't need to know much about "good, better and best" except that when she uses it, all is good. This is one of her many, many sayings that she still has at the tip of her tongue at the age of 94. Even though I had a simple idea in mind to enjoy the first homegrown tomatoes, there was one even simpler. It required half the ingredients and preparation, but I'm absolutely sure it produced 10 times the joy. Keep in mind that sometimes for "good, better and best" moments, no recipe is required.
Great story!
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