Real tomatoes

While I did not take any photos of today's meals, I figured I should still blog a bit...and add random information about myself etc...

Well, I live in a small college town called Davis. UC Davis is a great university and I have had an amazing time here so far. One of my favorite things to do is visit the local Farmer's market.

It's right next to campus and the downtown; it's open twice a week, Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings.

http://www.davisfarmersmarket.org/

I do most of my shopping there because...1) the food tastes better, 2) I just have to bike across campus (why not save some gas money?), and 3) I really enjoy the general vibe and feel of the place.

The farmers and sellers are also very friendly and they often let you slide a bit when you don't have the exact change for groceries ;) But don't worry! I remember this; I show them some customer loyalty the next weekend.

Here is a quick "dish" I made myself after purchasing some tomatoes at the Farmer's market last weekend. I'm not sure if you can actually call it a real dish because there wasn't any tremendous effort or planning put into it. There are very few ingredients...but I guess I'll call it a salad then.

WAY-TOO EASY FARMER'S MARKET TOMATO "SALAD" (1 serving)

-1 heirloom tomato
-small handful of cherry tomatoes
-1/2 cp (aka small chunk) sharp cheese or mozzarella (your preference for the type of cheese and amount)
-2-3 basil leaves
-olive oil
-balsamic vinegar
-sliced almonds (optional)
-pepper (optional)

1. Slice the heirloom tomatoe into wedges
2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half
3. Crumble on some cheese (slice if it's mozzarella)
4. Drizzle on olive oil and vinegar
5. Shred basil (make sure to bruise the leaves to get an awesome aroma and taste!)

*Optional: I diced up 5-6 almonds to add a little texture

This was a very delicious snack that Saturday afternoon, so try it out! Farmer's market tomatoes are very different from those chain-grocery store ones. They're 10x sweeter and more tender. The stores often sell mealy, bland, and tasteless tomatoes. Heirlooms have a lot more meaty flesh instead of those typical watery/seedy store ones. You should try a fresh one...you will be WOW-ed by the difference.

Unfortunately, this post is kind of late... heirlooms are falling out of season. Apples will soon be the new tomato. At least they're both a red fruit.

Well, I will leave you now with a picture of the worst tomato-mozzarella (aka Insalada Caprese) salads I've ever had.

This is twiffler-entangled's WTF face. Two slices of tomato and 2 slices of mozzarella for $14?! I think I can now see your WTF face through the computer screen.

TIP OF THE DAY: Don't eat by the Boardwalk in South Beach, Miami. They give you rip-off crap like this! Don't be swayed by the cute hostess either...like I was ;)








Caprese salads are my favorite thing to order in Italian restaurants. I judge restaurants a lot by this salad and the quality of their bread. hehe...

What's your standard "they-better-not-screw-this-up" dish at a restaurant??