What do you do with your first ripe tomato?

[MissS]

What is it you do with your first ripe tomato? Eat it with salt? Plain? BLT it?
How do you savor yours?

I had mine on a BLT this year. Usually I eat it like an apple. I grow beefsteaks of course.

[Deborah]

Rinse, salt, devour !

[cecilsgarden1958]

Have my first 2 finally ready. A Pink Beauty Hybrid and a Gregori's Altai will cut into chunks or quarters, salt and eat.

[newatthiskat]

Well I took my first tomato (cherry) took it off my plant and put it on my counter. It then disappeared. I found it on the dining room floor all squished. Apparently the kitten thought it was her ball

[habitat_gardener]

My plants are at several community garden sites, and I usually pick them at first blush to cut down on damage and predation (mostly human). But I hadn't been to this particular garden since Thursday night, and when I got there this morning to water the garden, a couple huge Pruden's Purple had turned fully ripe! So I picked one and ate it, right there in the garden. I didn't want to pick the others and let them sit in a hot car all day, so I went back later and picked the rest.

For a late supper, I had seedy sourdough spread with baba ghanouj, sliced red onions (picked a couple months ago and still juicy), and thick slices of more Pruden's Purple and Black from Tula. It's tomato sandwich season!

I never rinse my tomatoes, and I don't salt my food at all.

[Alfredo]

For the first ripe tomato each season, I slice it up and it eat just as it is, no salt, pepper, oil or bacon, etc. It feels so long from one gardening season to the next, that I really can't wait to just try a freshly harvested home grown tomato. I don't want to eat that first one with anything else.

~Alfredo

[jmhammRN]

Originally Posted by Alfredo

For the first ripe tomato each season, I slice it up and it eat just as it is, no salt, pepper, oil or bacon, etc. It feels so long from one gardening season to the next, that I really can't wait to just try a freshly harvested home grown tomato. I don't want to eat that first one with anything else.

~Alfredo

Well said Alfredo. That's what happens to mine, au naturale.

[jerryinfla]

I eat it while in the garden straight off of the vine. If there's more than one I bring that one into the house, slice it and eat it plain with lunch.

[shelleybean]

Wash, slice, salt and eat.

[PaulF]

Rinse, cut into chunks, salt, eat.

[TNTiger]

Rinse, slice, taste then maybe add salt and pepper and finish it off. I don't necessarily add the S&P unless it needs it.

[joseph]

My first ripe tomatoes go immediately from the vine to my stomach. No rinsing, salt, or sugar for me. During the growing season, my garden provides breakfast and lunch directly from the field: Unwashed root crops, palatable weeds, whatever is producing from day to day. I pick and eat as I'm working.

[camochef]

My first ripe tomato this year was just shy of a pound and a half Cowlick Brandywine and simply sliced it into 1/2 inch thick slices and tasted them Au Natural. Then on the remaining slices I tried a little shallot salt, a little Fleur de sel, and of course some Zatarain's Creole seasoning on successive pieces. Decided to finish it up with the creole seasoning.
The second one went onto A BLT with mayo on lightly toasted white bread.
Which was better?
I'd have to say the tomato without the bread or mayo was the better, but I wouldn't reject any of the taste sensations. Eventually I got around to making a salad with some walnut oil and white balsamic vinegar dressing on it and that really entered a world of its own. Conclusion: There's no wrong way to eat a vine ripened heirloom tomato!
Enjoy!
Camo

[Redbaron]

Usually the first to ripen is a cherry. Not always, but usually. This year sungold F1. I just pop it in my mouth straight from the vine and enjoy.

[MissS]

Camo, I just love your way with words! You write so very eloquently. Gosh, I think I can almost taste your meals.