Meet my new best friend, Tony Tomato.  Tony and I have been following each other on Instagram for a while, that’s how I first found out about him.  He has amazing produce that he farms and delivers to local restaurants, most notably, tomatoes.  You can follow him on instagram like me (@tonytomato_tomatotony) or look at his website by clicking here.  He will also deliver to homes sometimes.  I believe you can get together with a neighbor and split a flat of blackberries, for example.  Blackberries are how Tony and I came to meet in person.

A few weeks ago he posted a pic of beautiful blackberries on Instagram with a suggestion… he would provide the blackberries, a home cook would make the jam and we would split the jars.  I was one of the people who answered his call.  Not only did Tony drop off blackberries, he gave me an insane amount of absolutely delicious heirloom tomatoes.  Heirloom tomatoes happen to be my favorite and he gave me both large and cherry size.  We were in tomato heaven.

I made the jam that very night and was able to keep several jars for myself.  

We ate tomatoes every which way for over a week.  It was glorious:
Summer Tomato Sandwich √
Ina’s Summer Garden Pasta √
BLT √
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart √Deconstructed Caprese Salad √

Before Tony came to pick up the Blackberry Jam he let me know he had some blueberries on the way. I am all about the Blueberries! He offered the same deal, he provides the fruit, I make the jam and we split the yield. Well boy did Tony deliver! 10 pounds of the most delicious blueberries I’ve ever had!!!

I did make jam but I also made blueberry pancakes for my kids the morning before they left for camp, I made mini pies for husband and I for dessert one night and we had to eat some fresh because they were fabulous!

And what did Tony drop off when he came to pick up the blueberry jam? He left me some more of those delicious cherry heirloom tomatoes and chanterelle mushrooms!

These mushrooms are destined for a pasta or maybe a cheesy mushroomy toast… maybe both, I think I have enough. And the tomatoes, we will just keep eating them. They really are the best tomatoes ever. Even my 10 year old can’t stop raving about them and wants me to make sure to let Tony Tomato know they are the best she’s ever had!  What is your favorite way to enjoy summer tomatoes?

Deconstructed Caprese Salad

Serves a Crowd

Ingredients:
2 lbs Cherry Heirloom Tomatoes (or Grape Tomatoes)
6-8 oz Fresh Mozzarella
Salt & Pepper to taste
6-8 large Basil Leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Good Balsamic Vinegar or Balsamic Glaze

Slice the tomatoes in half and place in your serving bowl.
Tear the mozzarella into bite-sized pieces with your hands and sprinkle around the bowl.
Season everything with salt and pepper.
Use kitchen shears to cut the basil into thin strips right over the bowl. (You can also julienne with a sharp knife or tear the basil if you don’t have kitchen shears.)
Drizzle the olive oil over the bowl then drizzle some balsamic over the bowl.

This dish is best served at room temperature. You can serve immediately or make it a couple hours before you are planning to serve it. You just don’t want to refrigerate the tomatoes, they will lose some of their flavor.

You can easily increase or decrease this recipe to suit your needs. I make a single serving size for myself all the time when I have good tomatoes!