The Start of the Annual Tomato Bender

The only really good thing about stupid hot weather is that in Illinois it usually happens at the same time as tomato season. I grew up eating proper tomatoes which means I'm picky about them and only want real ones (real = not well traveled, smells right, possibly dirty and best if hot from sun). However, when they are around it is about all I want to eat.

My first box of cherry tomatoes was purchased at the first sign of availability. They were very cute, but it was little early to get the really full bodied tomatoness. I am happy to report that we seem to have turned the corner though and are in the throes.

Mmm, grillings.

At a yard sale this summer I found a $3 mini Weber and it figured it was meant to be. I realize there are people in the world who insist cooking on a gas grill or under a broiler is the same thing as grilling over charcoal.

They are wrong. So far some of my favorites include:

A Cornish hen split down the center, backbone cut out for broth and flattened. Then done up with a glaze of olive oil, herbs, dijon and black buckwheat honey. The project also taught me my new favorite word "spitchcocked" which means to grill\broil\fry after being split down the middle. It apparently used to refer primarily to the cooking of eels but I would really like to see it enter wider usage.



Salmon marinated Japanese style (soy, marin, sesame oil) and then wrapped in a banana leaf package and thrown on until the leaf dried out.