Food Thread: Ripe Tomatoes, Dust Safety, And Chewy Meringues!

Ah...it's that time of the year, when tomatoes are mature and ripe and very, very, tasty! I can't think of many other foods with such a short-lived window of opportunity. Asparagus is one, and I guess there are some fruits that ripen in a three week window, but frankly I don't care much about fruit, and I never have!

But tomatoes? Yeah, I do care about them, although there is a small voice in the back of my mind that is telling me that lovely ripe tomatoes are merely a vehicle for fresh mozzarella, good olive oil, a dash of Balsamic vinegar, and a few snips of fresh basil!

What about you? Do you believe, as all right-thinking people do, that tomatoes are best served with mozzarella still warm from the water bath? Or do you serve them in some weird way. like on Skyline Chili dipped in Canadian Whiskey?

Fess up!

******

What to do with the six egg whites left over from the six egg yolks I used in the coffee ice cream? Remember...I am a cheap bastard, so tossing them was never an option.

So meringues it was! Except I was lazy and didn't want to pipe them, so I just heaped them onto a single sheet pan. Yup! Those are big ones! And tasty, though soft in the middle, which is an interesting twist on the classic crunchy meringue. But fun, and once I figure out what to do with them besides eat them plain, I'll make some more gargantuan ones! The chewy middle was quite pleasing!

******
I am a big fan of minimalist, simple cooking. Recipes do not have to be complicated, with endless steps and dozens of utensils and dishes to be delicious.

But... there are some shortcuts that decrease the overall quality of the dish. Here is a good example, and I am not picking on "The Spruce Eats," because it is one of the better and less fussy cooking sites out there.

Chicken Parmesan can be a fantastic dish if the chicken is crispy and the sauce is delicious and the mozzarella is fresh and just melted without being desiccated. But that requires a lot of work and several steps.

This version, Easy Chicken Parmesan, is easy! And tasty, but it is a far cry from the one that requires a lot more work. Have I made something like this? Of course I have. Sometimes cooking is simply a vehicle to get the meal on the table in the quickest way possible, and that is perfectly okay, and in fact is probably the default for most people.

But if you have the time and the inclination, give some of those great recipes a try...

******
The folks at Fallow are classically trained chefs with imaginations and senses of humor. That makes for good videos, and more important... good food! I have eaten at one of their restaurants a couple of times and was very pleased. They are not inexpensive, but I think we got good value.

Anyway, they love bacon! The Best Way To Cook Bacon is a meandering trip through lots and lots of different techniques, and some surprising results. It's worth a watch.

******

Why yes, that is a slice of mozzarella with a chunk of fried chicken skin on top. And don't you dare scoff! it was delicious!

******

This is the coffee ice cream with chopped heath bars that I mentioned in the FWP thread. It was excellent, especially considering I haven't made ice cream in many years. I should have chilled the custard down almost to freezing before I put it into the machine, because it wasn't quite as creamy as I wanted. The longer it takes to freeze, the larger the ice crystals are, and that is the enemy of creaminess. But next time I will be better prepared! And there will definitely be a next time, because it was fun as well as tasty!

******
From Dust Safety Science comes a fascinating article: What is the Giacomelli's Bakery, Flour Dust Explosion in 1785?

I might have to recertify for my Dust Safety Certificate soon!

******
The great garlic experiment of 2025-2026 was a resounding...meh. Send all of your excellent home-grown garlic to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

About the Bourbon Bubble...I think it has burst, but the category is also suffering from the inflation that affected everything else (Thanks Biden!). I think the sweet spot is still $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.

The problem...or the solution...is to buy lots of bourbon, take tasting notes, and eventually arrive at your favorites! It should take forty or fifty years, but it is worth it!

Posted by: CBD at 04:00 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Food fight

Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026 04:01 PM (Ia/+0)

2 Wait. What?

Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026 04:02 PM (Ia/+0)

3 what?!

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 16, 2026 04:02 PM (XJ22o)

4 Didn't plant tomatoes this year, but did get bacon for BLT' tomorrow

Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026 04:03 PM (Ia/+0)

5 Our tomatoes are just getting ripe and a varmint is taking bites out of the good ones...Husband thinks it's rats so out go the traps tonight.....

Posted by: It's me donna at August 16, 2026 04:03 PM (FtULh)

6 Today’s Brunch was thick sliced applewood smoked bacon, sliced cherry tomatoes in a nice corn and wheat wrap. Leftovers can be fun.

Posted by: epador at August 16, 2026 04:04 PM (FOFsU)

7
Someone called Nood downstairs and I was sitting there at #1.

Anyhoo, I'm also frugal and I use egg whites to make meringues. I add chopped toasted pecans to them. I used to make angel food cake, but I really don't like that stuff unless I smother it in pricey toppings of some sort.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 16, 2026 04:04 PM (XJ22o)

8 >>lovely ripe tomatoes are merely a vehicle fro fresh mozzarella, good olive oil, a dash of Balsamic vinegar, and a few snips of fresh basil!

There are two best ways to eat tomatoes. That is one. The other is the T in a BLT 3-way on sourdough with extra mayo. And extra bacon, of course.

Posted by: JackStraw at August 16, 2026 04:05 PM (viF8m)

9 Our local supermarket was selling heirloom tomatoes. Beautiful in presentation, a fat zero in taste.

Sigh.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent, STEM Guy at August 16, 2026 04:05 PM (iIyc0)

10 Chicken Parmesan we make sans breading, or if breaded, marinated in buttermilk, breaded, and then air-fried without oil. Comes out great.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at August 16, 2026 04:05 PM (JvZF+)

11 You could have made pavlova if you wanted a reason for big ‘ol meringues!

Posted by: Piper at August 16, 2026 04:05 PM (ZdaMQ)

12 I smoked a brisket yesterday (well, we ate it yesterday) and tried something which is now all the rage in the brisket world: tallow. I rendered it from the fat I trimmed off the brisket, which was an absolutely beautiful Prime brisket from Costco. I was skeptical about the tallow, but wanted to see for myself, so I took it to the stall at about 175F, and then poured the tallow over the top of the meat before wrapping.

The short answer is that it was probably the best brisket I've ever made. It makes me crazy when I think about all the fat trimmings I've just pitched over the years.

Posted by: Archimedes at August 16, 2026 04:06 PM (Riz8t)

13 Put strawberries and whipped cream on your meringues..

Posted by: It's me donna at August 16, 2026 04:06 PM (FtULh)

14 The RMBS Mom's garden is full of beautiful tomatoes. Tomato sandwiches and a lot of Greek salad are happening (proper Greek salad with no lettuce mucking it up).

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at August 16, 2026 04:06 PM (5LIEJ)

15 Meringues, vanilla ice cream, strawberries and freshly whipped cream on top. If you are so inclined some dark chocolate sauce or liquor included.

Posted by: epador at August 16, 2026 04:06 PM (FOFsU)

16 There are only two ways I eat tomatoes, raw, sliced and in a sauce meant for a pasta dish. Pizza gets a pass, but it's usually lousy.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at August 16, 2026 04:07 PM (tvdD1)

17 Meringues? Make a pavlova!

Posted by: Otto Zilch at August 16, 2026 04:07 PM (Ws2ua)

18 Eating loads of fresh Sonoma tomatoes always method #1 but lots of fresh pepper added. We had BLTs last Thursday.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at August 16, 2026 04:08 PM (JvZF+)

19 As soon as i get off my butt and go out back, i will harvest my first tomato.

Posted by: Diogenes at August 16, 2026 04:08 PM (2WIwB)

20 Meringues? Make a pavlova!
Posted by: Otto Zilch at August 16, 2026 04:07 PM (Ws2ua)
======

Да, конечно!

Posted by: San Franpsycho at August 16, 2026 04:09 PM (JvZF+)

21 Store bought 'maters are often disappointing. I do get some cherry tomatoes that are very tasty, but many of the larger varieties are very bland.

Sometimes I'll get a good one, and will slice it, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Dad and Grandpa taught me that.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, aka Agent Frank at August 16, 2026 04:09 PM (0aYVJ)

22 >lovely ripe tomatoes are merely a vehicle fro fresh mozzarella, good olive oil, a dash of Balsamic vinegar, and a few snips of fresh basil!

I'm not a fan of big chunks of mozzarella, but everything else you mention is just delicious. I've now received 4 bottles of high quality vinegar (sherry, champagne, cabernet, and white wine). The difference between them and the lower grade stuff I used to use is just amazing. The brands are O, and Napa Valley Naturals. Get you some.

Posted by: Archimedes at August 16, 2026 04:10 PM (Riz8t)

23 4 Didn't plant tomatoes this year, but did get bacon for BLT' tomorrow
Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026 04:03 PM (Ia/+0)
---
And if you want to make it gay, add guacamole.

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at August 16, 2026 04:11 PM (cWLG3)

24 I'm not a fan of big chunks of mozzarella, but everything else you mention is just delicious. I've now received 4 bottles of high quality vinegar (sherry, champagne, cabernet, and white wine). The difference between them and the lower grade stuff I used to use is just amazing. The brands are O, and Napa Valley Naturals. Get you some.
Posted by: Archimedes at August 16, 2026 04:10 PM (Riz8t)

Use Burrata instead of hard mozzarella..

Posted by: It's me donna at August 16, 2026 04:11 PM (FtULh)

25
Chicken cracklin is reason enough to buy a $4.99 rotisserie chicken.

Posted by: Auspex at August 16, 2026 04:12 PM (Y8DZL)

26 It’s just the kid and me, J is gone for the week. We are going to do veggie sandwiches with fresh mozzarella and a little balsamic. It will get most of the veggies used before the new batch arrives mañana. It’s really been a boring food day here. We had plain Greek yogurt, blueberries and raw honey for breakfast. Then the kid got a unicorn Frappuccino abomination on the way to church. It looked like it would glow in the dark. For lunch we ate some veggies raw while we stared in the fridge concocting dinner ideas.

Posted by: Piper at August 16, 2026 04:12 PM (ZdaMQ)

27 impressed with your ice cream!

Posted by: cherries in season at August 16, 2026 04:13 PM (AJajd)

28 When great tomatoes come along, my two go to recipes are Marcella Hazan's Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad, and Fuchsia Dunlop's Fried Eggs with Tomatoes. Of course there is also Caprese salad.

Great tomatoes are on the short list of things I miss about California.

Posted by: Splunge at August 16, 2026 04:14 PM (JpUeg)

29 Our tomatoes started coming in about a week ago. I like them with mozz too, but the best thing is a thick slice between two slices of bread with a swipe of mayo. I never do that with store tomatoes but it is a little slice of summer heaven.

Also, best tip I ever got was to pick your tomatoes at first blush. They are basically done with growing/sweetening and picking them at that time does no harm in regards to flavor. Ripen them on the counter. Saves em from being eaten by bugs, animals and whatever other creatures you may have lurking around your yard (like the Amazon driver who helped himself to a few cherry tomatoes right off the plant).

Posted by: DangerGirl - what SanityProd??? at August 16, 2026 04:14 PM (yjPLJ)

30 Then the kid got a unicorn Frappuccino abomination on the way to church. It looked like it would glow in the dark.

The coffee in such a thing is a trace constituent.

Posted by: Archimedes at August 16, 2026 04:14 PM (Riz8t)

31 I am a big fan of sherry vinegar. I read that it's the secret ingredient in gazpacho, tried it, and was convinced. I use it a lot in dressing because it's a softer note than red wine vinegar. Champagne vinegar is good, too, but sherry seems to come in handy more often.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at August 16, 2026 04:14 PM (H8nu1)

32 Our local supermarket was selling heirloom tomatoes. Beautiful in presentation, a fat zero in taste.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent, STEM Guy at August 16, 2026 04:05 PM (iIyc0)

Mine too!

They are absolutely.gorgeous...an amazing testament to commercial agriculture. And they suck!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 16, 2026 04:15 PM (l4RKn)

33 27 impressed with your ice cream!
Posted by: cherries in season at August 16, 2026 04:13 PM (AJajd)
---
Speaking of things in season... are Vidalia onions in season? I noticed my local Walmart had Vidalias the past 2 weeks.

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at August 16, 2026 04:15 PM (cWLG3)

34 "and I guess there are some fruits that ripen in a three week window,"

Strawberries are one crop that have a very short window to pick them. As were the cherry trees we had in our yard when I was a kid.

There was a couple of week window to get them picked before they rotted and fell on the ground. We had the entire extended family over to pick cherries when they got ripe. My great grandmother would climb the trees and pick basket fulls of them to hand down to the kids.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at August 16, 2026 04:16 PM (cpFbA)

35 Also it sounds like your meringues would make perfect personal Pavlovas. Make some sweetened whipped cream and macerate some berries in sugar and a bit of brandy and you're set.

Posted by: DangerGirl - what SanityProd??? at August 16, 2026 04:16 PM (yjPLJ)

36 @30 At Starbucks the other day I was shocked to learn I needed to ask for a "coffee frappacino" if I wanted it to contain coffee.

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at August 16, 2026 04:16 PM (cWLG3)

37 Had a nice crop of tomatoes this year. We eat some fresh with sliced onions for breakfast. Most I use to make tomato sauce. Easy recipe: slice them in half, put them face down in a large pan. Blanch till soft (ten minutes). Toss into blender for 1 minute. Pour into a pan with a clove of oregano (battuto), half a sweet onion and a stick of butter, salt and pepper. Simmer on low to thickness.

Posted by: Ted Torgerson at August 16, 2026 04:17 PM (R86kT)

38 I see I am not the only one with Pavlova on the brain.

Posted by: DangerGirl - what SanityProd??? at August 16, 2026 04:18 PM (yjPLJ)

39 Supper tonight is meatloaf, mashed taters and green beans.

Posted by: DangerGirl - what SanityProd??? at August 16, 2026 04:18 PM (yjPLJ)

40 36 @30 At Starbucks the other day I was shocked to learn I needed to ask for a "coffee frappacino" if I wanted it to contain coffee.
Posted by: Chairman LMAO at August 16, 2026 04

Maybe the mocha one does. The unicorn one definitely does not.

Posted by: Piper at August 16, 2026 04:19 PM (ZdaMQ)

41 Texas' late, great Guy Clark wrote a melodic tribute to Homegrown Tomatoes.

https://tinyurl.com/4hkdkf79

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at August 16, 2026 04:19 PM (H8nu1)

42
Ditto on big tomatoes and taste.

Switched to Romas but it's not like the old days.

Posted by: Auspex at August 16, 2026 04:19 PM (Y8DZL)

43 Tomatoes are fruits.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at August 16, 2026 04:19 PM (UdoE/)

44 Pour into a pan with a clove of oregano (battuto), half a sweet onion and a stick of butter, salt and pepper.

------------

A clove of garlic? Or oregano? Or both?

Posted by: DangerGirl - what SanityProd??? at August 16, 2026 04:20 PM (yjPLJ)

45 CBD, what is your cream ratio to the mix? There is a practical limit to how much pure whipping cream can be used , if I recall. Half and Half alone makes a pretty decent Ice Cream, though it is not as rich as the maximum.

I spent a small fortune on a White Mountain electric, it was a nice unit, but they outsourced the motor to you-know-where, and it died after one or two batches. Fuckers.

Posted by: Common Tater at August 16, 2026 04:20 PM (H50PN)

46 "... lovely ripe tomatoes are merely a vehicle for fresh mozzarella, good olive oil, a dash of Balsamic vinegar, and a few snips of fresh basil!"

Well, that's good, but replace the basil with some sliced cucumbers and it's even better.

Posted by: Ralph at August 16, 2026 04:21 PM (8WZD4)

47 Just off Carnival's cruise ship...ate so well all week, even with my allergies.

Exhausted, so tonight is bagged meatballs with fresh tomatoes in a jarred sauce (killing all the cherry tomatoes that are ripe and overripe from our bush), air fried green beans, and raspberries and green grapes - aka, all th cheap veg from the store trip that was half of my restocking. The other half is delivered to my door tomorrow.

No dessert, b/c somehow, amazingly, I've finally found a business that can cook for my allergies as well as I can...Chocolate melting cake is dangerous when there's no actual cake, but there is peanut butter on the side...pure dark chocolate ganache and peanut butter out of a fridge is sinful...and perfect vacation dining.

Posted by: Nova Local at August 16, 2026 04:22 PM (tOcjL)

48 Well, that's good, but replace the basil with some sliced cucumbers and it's even better.
Posted by: Ralph at August 16, 2026 04:21 PM (8WZD4)

We'll do sliced tomatoes and Armenian cucumbers with Italian dressing...

Posted by: It's me donna at August 16, 2026 04:22 PM (FtULh)

49 Saves em from being eaten by bugs, animals and whatever other creatures you may have lurking around your yard (like the Amazon driver who helped himself to a few cherry tomatoes right off the plant).
-----

A pellet gun works great for varmints! Quiet, and difficult to trace to the source. No smoke.

Posted by: Common Tater at August 16, 2026 04:23 PM (H50PN)

50 39 Supper tonight is meatloaf, mashed taters and green beans.
Posted by: DangerGirl - what SanityProd??? at August 16, 2026 04:18 PM (yjPLJ)

This is going in my plans this week!

Posted by: Nova Local at August 16, 2026 04:24 PM (tOcjL)

51 went to the mountains to see the Perseid shower last week, no luck breaking my streak of picking locals that have rain the night of the shower.

However, we we stopped at a brewery and I had a great smash burger, Buns baked daily and jalapeno poppers, with cream cheese of coarse and an 6oz well smashed burger.. It didn't need any condiments!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at August 16, 2026 04:24 PM (NnhvP)

52 Posted by: Common Tater at August 16, 2026 04:20 PM (H50PN)

One to one ratio of cream to milk. Lots of egg yolks.

I may not have cooked the custard enough...that might explain the graininess too. I will have to investigate!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 16, 2026 04:25 PM (l4RKn)

53 Hmmmm. Tomato grows from a flower and holds seeds. A fruit?

BTW, I've gotten away from the traditional tomato plant and gravitated towards growing climbing Vines on tall pyramid wire mesh. Keeps the tomatoes off the ground, much easier to see what's ripe and pick, and keeps some of the animals from helping themselves. Also, easier to cover with mesh to protect against too much sun or frost.

Posted by: Orson at August 16, 2026 04:25 PM (dIske)

54 We'll do sliced tomatoes and Armenian cucumbers with Italian dressing...

Posted by: It's me donna at August 16, 2026 04:22 PM (FtULh)

------------------------------

With a bit of feta and chick peas, one of my favorite easy lunches.

Posted by: DangerGirl - what SanityProd??? at August 16, 2026 04:25 PM (yjPLJ)

55 In a cooler climate so our tomatoes are beginning to ripen. I have a nice batch of Romas that should be ready to use in the next week, luckily they survived the hail we had on Friday. Just don't care for jarred sauce anymore and I will cook these in the oven and make them into a simple pomodora sauce. Plain or with a bit of meat added over a decent pasta.

Posted by: neverenoughcaffeine at August 16, 2026 04:26 PM (2NHgQ)

56 This is going in my plans this week!

Posted by: Nova Local at August 16, 2026 04:24 PM (tOcjL)

------------------------------------------

Quick, easy and tasty!

Posted by: DangerGirl - what SanityProd??? at August 16, 2026 04:27 PM (yjPLJ)

57 Hello Foodies,

L&T makes a tomato cheese pie that is absolutely killer. Bisquick crust.

Very seasonal. And now is the season.

Posted by: Pete Bog at August 16, 2026 04:29 PM (txN/r)

58 Mine too!

They are absolutely.gorgeous...an amazing testament to commercial agriculture. And they suck!
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 16, 2026 04:15 PM (l4RKn)

For whatever reason, we decided not to do any backyard gardening this year and now we're paying for it.

On the brighter side of things, unless circumstances interview, the wife and I plan to take a trip on over to Alan Benton's "Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams & Bacon" and at a minimum, bring back a couple of packages of bacon. Maybe a ham, depending on size. Theoretically the place is in Madisonville but in practice, considerably closer to Vonore, TN. Taking I-40 and 75 on out and US 411 back through Maryville to get home.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent, STEM Guy at August 16, 2026 04:29 PM (iIyc0)

Processing 0.01, elapsed 0.0087 seconds.
15 queries taking 0.0035 seconds, 67 records returned.
Page size 51 kb.
Powered by Minx 0.8 beta.