NOT My Mother's Blondies

My husband loves hazelnuts. I have a historic love for Blondies.

These are the Blondies With Dark Roots from the Food Network Magazine and my Mother would have never made this recipe. Too many ingredients.

My mother made Butterscotch Squares on a regular basis when I was a kid. This new recipe was a hit, but...

Since I have Executive Power in my kitchen, I will be going back to Mom's recipe.
Forget the coconut, chocolate chips, cream cheese and hazelnuts.
Use more butter, brown sugar and pecans instead.

There were, however, no complaints.

Heartbreaking Failure

It had such great potential... 2 Cherokee Purples (they are the ones looking a little green in the picture - they are actually dead ripe they just grow that way!) and 2 German Johnson tomatoes fresh from the Farmers Market. I had been dreaming about the return of my favorite tomatoes for weeks.

The looked so big and beautiful when they were sliced. Juicy and warm tomato-ee smelling...

You could have used them as stunt doubles for real tomatoes! Just don't put them in your mouth.

It has been a long time since food disappointed me this badly. They sucked.

Total mealy mush in the mouth feel department. My close friends will immediately cry "texture issues!" but really these were bad. So bad.  So so bad.

I am currently debating if they are even worth cooking into a spaghetti sauce. sucks.

Tomatoes

My favorite thing about summer.

Fresh ripe heirloom tomatoes. Still warm from the sun.

Sweet onion slices

Fresh mozzerella (the soft creamy kind)

Freshly torn basil leaves

A crushed and minced garlic clove

Maybe a little cracked black pepper if you are feeling spicy

Dress with olive oil and red wine or balsamic vinegar

I could eat these all day every day. I use them as a side dish, as a salad, as the basis for a spectacular mozzarella BBT sandwich (bacon, basil, tomato), and I have been known to toss them with leftover spaghetti for a snack.

Summer is the only time of year that I eat uncooked tomatoes and I intend to make the most of it.