Each year, I wait patiently for tomatoes to come into season. When they finally arrive, I indulge in them as often as possible until I (almost) grow sick of them. But I can never really tire of tomatoes. (Summer squash, on the other hand, well that's another story.)
There's a kind of wistfulness to tomato season. I wait for so long and then, in a moment, it's gone. That's the challenge with seasonal eating: the waiting, the bliss, the letting go. But the transience of these fruits and vegetables makes them that much more delicious when their window arrives.
I have to admit I'm not militant about the seasonality of my eating. It's more of a loose guideline rather than a strict regimen. I cheat. Often. (Those Northeastern winter months are pretty rough going as far as produce is concerned.)
When tomatoes finally arrive, I savor them simply at first: sliced and sprinkled with sea salt and nothing else. I follow that with savory sandwiches and crisp salads. Toward the end of the season, I ease into cooking -- roasting them in the oven and sautéing them into sauces. And finally, I preserve them for winter.
This recipe pairs ripe tomatoes with crisp corn, rich avocado, zesty cilantro and tart lime. Given the heat wave we've been having, the best part of this recipe might just be that there's barely any cooking involved. You simply cut the ingredients and toss them together. And enjoy it while the tomatoes last.
Tomato, Corn and Avocado Salad
Ingredients:
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ear of corn, cooked, kernels cut off the cob
1 avocado, diced
Handful cilantro, chopped
Lime juice, to taste
Olive oil, to taste
Steps:
1. Gently toss together tomatoes, corn, avocado and cilantro in a large bowl. Drizzle the salad with olive oil and season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper.
CSA share box 9 from Mountain View Farm
Other dishes made with this farm share box:
- Classic caprese salad
- Quinoa salad with cucumbers, peppers, corn, parsley and lemon
- Kale chips
- Grilled beet salad with labneh and za'atar
- Simply grilled squash with thyme