The Grape Tomato Conundrum

A couple of summers ago, I had a record-breaking year with my tomato plants which yielded, in addition to some quality heirloom tomatoes, zillions of little grape tomatoes. I had bowlfuls of the little red orbs scattered everywhere in my kitchen. What do I do with all these tomatoes?

I spoiled myself with bruschetta made with grape tomatoes, and grape tomato pasta, and grape tomato salads. They were so sweet and so tasty that the words "grape tomatoes" became synonymous with summer.

Last year, since I couldn't have a garden, I started buying grape tomatoes from the grocery store. Seriously? How good could these really be? I mean, they weren't watered and talked to and encouraged to grow by their home gardener who painstakingly watches every inch of their growth with awe and wonder. But I was desperate so I bought them anyway.

Garden overflowing with tomato plants

I needed some tomatoes for a bruschetta that I was going to make as an appetizer for a dinner party, and at the time the grape tomatoes were the best looking tomatoes in the store. Surprisingly, they were delicious! The smell while I was cutting them, their juiciness, and their sweetness all reminded me of last summer's grape tomato feasts.

Since that time those little packages of grape tomatoes have become a staple at my house. They have an incredible shelf life (don't put them in the fridge!), they're good for you, and they're inexpensive.

My favorite pre-workout meal? Grape tomato bruschetta.  Here's the recipe for one serving:

Toast up a piece of whole-grain, rustic bread (or several smaller pieces). The drier the bread the better so I toast this up well ahead of time.
Slice up 10 grape tomatoes (not 9, not 11 ... 10!), first in halves, then half the halves, then half the quarters, and put them in a bowl.*
Add about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, or enough to make it saucy.
Then add a couple of pinches of salt and a couple grinds of pepper.
To that, add in 1/4 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic (more if you like it more garlicky)
Is "garlicky" a word? No red squiggles so I guess so.
If you have it, which I usually don't, add in a few fresh basil leaves, prepared a la chiffonade (which means you roll up the leaves and then slice them thinly). If you don't have fresh basil, I use dried basil (a few pinches) and fresh parsley. Dried herbs work too.
Add in some grated parmesan cheese, about one tablespoon or a good sized pinch, eyeball it.
Lastly, add about 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar (more if you like it more vinegary).
Vinegary is a word too!  Who knew?
Stir it all together an let it sit while you take the dogs for a walk.  Oh wait ... you don't have dogs? Well then let it sit for about 30-45 minutes.
Place toast on plate, place tomato mixture on toast, consume while making yummy sounds.

My other grape tomato go-to? Grape tomato pasta. Click on the link to get there as this is not my recipe. Okay ... the real reason for the link is I don't feel like re-typing it. 

You will find it is surprisingly good for something so simple to make. Instead of cherry tomatoes I use, of course, grape tomatoes.  Also, instead of draining the pasta I add it directly to the pan from the water, and then add a bit of the pasta water to the pan as well. This will create a lovely sauce once the starchy pasta water mixes with the olive oil. To add another dimension add some red wine to the sauce (let it simmer a few minutes) before you add in the pasta.

Okay enough typing -- time for eating!

* This reminds me of a joke: Do you know why elephants wear tennies?  Because elevensies are too big and ninesies are too small! Love that one!  :)