Tomatoes!  Home grown, plucked from the vine, warm and heavy in the hand.  I have fond memories of my dad's tomatoes.  Although I didn't like picking the green beans he grew in our Somerville garden, I did love the tomatoes.  I remember one year, he grew tomatoes that were as big as softballs...one slice is all you needed for a BLT. 

  Now, many years and many attempts later, I have a decent crop of tomatoes.  Not a bumper crop.  I'm not overwhelmed by tomatoes (unfortunately).  Grown in one pot and one tv-glorified Topsy-Turvy, my crop is satisfying and sufficient.

   Any you know what I ate first?  A BLT...to me, its the epitome of summer.  One bite and I'm back in the kitchen of my New Jersey childhood.