August in Our Kitchen

This is how August looks in our apartment. We collect tomatoes a few at a time during the week, and invariably we have a pile that builds up on the kitchen countertop or a section of our table. These beautiful fruits then await their weekend date with a sauce pot.

With the exception of the three tomatoes pictured in the front (an unknown variety that was given to us by our plot neighbor, Albertino), most of what we have here are San Marzanos. They are an ideal type of tomato for making sauce.

For my husband, Michael, tomatoes are the ultimate prize of the garden -- they are his favorite thing to grow. He grew all of the tomatoes this year from seed, nurturing them from the tiniest of seedlings and providing periodic feedings of bone meal and fish emulsion. His efforts have paid off well, and we are now being rewarded with these magnificent fruits.

At some point during this weekend, our apartment will be perfumed with an intensely aromatic combination of garlic, herbs, and these ruby red jewels of the August garden. I can't wait.