For as long as I can remember, my parents have abstained from eating tomatoes unless it’s summer.
“Oh, we’d never buy a tomato in the market,” my dad says, year after year.
“We wait for dad’s tomatoes — they’re the best,” my mom always adds.
My dad starts his summer tomato crop from seed — in little, tiny containers that sit on a tray on an antique stove until they’re ready for planting. He transplants these beautiful baby plants to the ground, variety by variety — each with great care.
In my parents’ house, this Tomato, Red Onion and Pesto Open-Faced Sandwich is presented at the dinner table a few times a week every summer. My mom makes the pesto with their homegrown basil, while my dad picks the tomatoes. (I love it! No wonder they’ve been married for 48 years! 
)
My proud “farmer” dad with his gorgeous tomatoes!
How could I grown up in this environment, and not love whole, organic, fresh foods?!
Stay tuned for Summer Tomato Gazpacho, coming to you Friday!
Recipe
1 English muffin, sliced in half and toasted
2 tablespoons of your favorite pesto (my favorites: Spinach Kale Pesto and Lemon-Caper Pesto)
4 very thin slices red onion
4 slices of a large garden tomato, about 1/4-inch thick
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of the pesto on each half of the toasted English muffin.
- Layer 2 slices of red onion and 2 slices of tomato on top of the pesto, on each one.
- Drizzle the top with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea alt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pin It
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Valentina,
This recipe looks amazing! I’m going to try it tonight! I love that Jim and Carole have made pesto and grown tomatoes for so long! Love to all of you! And Happy Birthday (late) to you!
All my fav things in a stack!
Look at that garden, how lush! I always have good intentions at the beginning of summer, only that I kill all my plants by the end of June. I am sure I am missing some gene or particular skill because I just realized my fresh mint is dead. The herb everyone says you can not kill it.
Enjoy your sandwich, it looks gorgeous. I will head to the farmer’s market to get bunch more tomatoes.
A really tempting bite! I know you learned a lot of plant love from your dad too. GREG