summer sauce

Every August, I look forward to what I refer to as a taste of pure sunshine. The anticipation of that first taste as the aroma fills the house while the tomatoes are cooking. But there is so much more than that. There were the first chilly months of March and April, when I tucked those tomato seeds into a small peat pot of soil and cared for them in my warm home. I diligently watered those baby tomato sprouts until they were ready to be planted in my garden, that I had lovingly prepared for months.

The first few flowers start to bloom on the tomato plants in about June, and I know there are still many weeks until the tomatoes will be ready for picking. Every day when I water them, it's a constant reminder of all that I've put in, and all that I will surely enjoy.

When those tomatoes start to turn yellow, then orange, and finally red I grab the closest basket, bucket, apron (or dress), and gently twist the tomatoes off of the vine and gather all of the ripe ones. Most recently, 18 ripe ones. My first batch of summer sauce, of the year.

Preparing, planting, watering, picking, chopping, cooking. The brief time line of the journey... all the while dreaming of this very moment. The first bite, of summer.

While all of my other tomatoes hang out in the garden and ripen, I can only imagine how they'll end up.... salsa, sandwiches, bruchetta .... and my mouth waters with anticipation.

<- what was left over after dinner! Head over to my cooking blog to get the recipe.