Tomato Days

Just when I thought my enthusiasm for tomatoes was easing, and I could relax ( and having just last night reduced another 15 pounds of multi-colored toms into sauce ), I came across this article in this morning's NYTimes : http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/dining/22appe.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
It's worth checking out just for the gorgeous tomato picture !
So, now I must make the confit, the tarts, and possibly more soup. The recipes look easy to veganize...the confit is already vegan, and the tarts I'll just not spread the marscapone, or use some substitute...perhaps Better Than Cream Cheese, or some whipped firm tofu, seasoned with basil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar?
We have a volunteer Sungold Cherry tomato plant that is climbing up a sturdy sunflower...it's fruits ought to make a gorgeous confit ! we also have homegrown garlic and rosemary....I'll get started on that today !

The next day : I didnt get to the store to buy any puff pastry, didn't make the confit ( yet ), but I DID make a nice, though somewhat juicy, panzanella to take to Stitch Club. We had some left over ciabatta bread from a party last weekend ( I froze the bread till this morning ) and I thought that that would be a good way to use up bread and tomatoes. A few of my neighbor friends make vegan things to have at the meetings also, which is really sweet. Today we also had a fantastic bean salad that S pulled from her freezer ( and defrosted ! )...she had made it a few weeks ago, and you would never know it had been frozen. L made some salsa with guacamole and brought sushi, too...I pulled out the "crab" from mine and gave it to her. Now I want to make some veggie kind...with the shredded carrots, avocado, green onion.... I love the food sharing...what a wonderful thing to take part in :>

Our tomato plants continue to thrive...the recent rains have really revived them. I've only seen one smallish tomato hornworm, and the usual diseases that end the tomato extravaganza havent arrived yet, so I'm still hoping to make the tarts !