wisdom and tomatoes

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; 

wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

as a kid, i would not eat tomatoes.

i would not eat them sam, i am.

hated the texture, acidity, flavor, sliminess, everything

about tomatoes.

then while living in chile, as a missionary for the lds church,

i discovered the wonder of the flavor that is a vine ripened, sun warmed tomato.

ladies and gents, i had a tomato-gasm. 

(and yes you read that right.)

seriously good tomatoes are grown in chile.

chileans also eat a lot of bread and it's sooooo good. bakeries on every corner.

so with fresh from the bakery, warm bread waiting on the counter for the perfect mate,

take a fresh tomato from the feria, slice it up, add a little salt.

on special occasions add a little diced onion, cilantro and olive oil 

for the perfect ensalada a la chilena.

take your tomato concoction and spoon it onto fresh baked bread

and eat it. enjoy it. let the flavors invade your mouth.

mmmmmmm, heaven. 

and i've been searching the world over, okay just washington, dc, to find good tomatoes.

eastern market has one family farm that sells seriously good tomatoes of all sorts.

sorry, can't remember the farm name at the moment, 

but the young guy who sells the tomatoes always throws in an extra whenever i smile at him.

they're the closest i've found to what i remember them tasting like in chile.

now if i could just find a bakery that makes pan asada.

photo