Broiled Tomatoes with Cream
Went to Pike Place Market with the kids this morning. Yancey's at the station, and a passerby offered to take a photo of us. After 14 years as Seattle residents, this is our first picture with the pig. When Wyatt and and his best friend Oscar were toddlers, Yancey took them to the market on Fridays. They'd wander through, get fawned over, and fill up on berries. I worked downtown for 7 years, and stopping by Pike Place is one of the things I miss the most. I've heard lots of Seattle folks moan about the tourists, but love the crush of people with cameras and the distinct feeling that I'm not a tourist.
When we got home we were starving (are you picking up on a pattern in my life?), and I made a "before vacation" lunch. We're leaving for 3 days, so there are bits in the fridge that need to be eaten--pasta from 3 nights ago, two lone tortillas in danger of drying out. And we supplemented with carrots and English peas from Pike Place and these tomatoes. When I was pregnant with Loretta (and before I knew it) I was on a silent retreat. The convent served broiled tomatoes and cottage cheese for lunch, and I ate an obscene amount. Nothing ever tasted so good in my life. Hello?! Hormones!. I craved broiled tomatoes the rest of my pregnancy and could still eat them every meal. I've written about oven-roasted tomatoes, and of course I love a platter of sliced fresh tomatoes in the summer. But I think this is my favorite way with them. They sizzle on top but are just warm in the middle, and I'm salivating remembering them. I saved a few on a plate for my 3:00 snack. I'm out of cottage cheese, so ate them today with crackers and leftover blue cheese hazelnut spread from book club last night.
A trip to Pike Place, the Link Light Rail opening today (2 blocks from our door!) after 5 years of hype and construction--it's a good day to be a Seattleite.
Broiled Tomatoes with Cream
Serves two for lunch or 4 as an appetizer. You can definitely makes these without cream. The cream was a new addition that was part of my "use-it-up-before-vacation" scheme. It added a wonderful touch, though.
8 medium tomatoes (not giant beefsteak or tiny cherry tomatoes)
2 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
1/2 ts. sugar
fresh herbs (I used thyme and chives)
2 Tb. heavy cream
Halve the tomatoes and put them in a baking dish cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle salt, pepper, sugar, and thyme. Broil on high for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, dribble a little cream over each tomato, and scatter sliced chives. Broil for one or two minutes more, until bubbling but not burnt.
July 18, 2009
Reader Comments (21)
We rode the light rail today! It was awesome - the boys went nuts over being on a train. When I was pregnant with my second (and before I knew it), I found myself in a 7-11 thinking that the nacho cheese sauce looked delicious. Right then and there I realized I was probably pregnant! :)
Can't wait to hop on the light rail with my two grankids, and head dountown! Sounds like such a fun day. The picture was well worth the trip. Give them big hugs for me!
Growing up in Portland, we went to Seattle for the weekend a lot and Pike Place Market was always one of my favorite places to go (there and the Children's Museum!)
I really wish I had a broiler...these look delicious! I just have to settle for oven-roasted tomatoes.
looks so yummy! I love the photo of the three of you. I am that passerby. My teenage children are often embarrassed (when aren't teenagers embarrassed of us) and groan when they here me say..."Can I take your photo?" I get so sad when I see families/friends on vacation and someone is by necessity capturing the moment and not in the photo. Just last week at Lake Wenatchee, I met the sweetest couple celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary. Hope your vacation is wonderful!
I was at Pike Place today too! I am a Seattle resident and I find that Pike Place is one of my favorite places to visit in the city. I just love the energy. All of the people, the food vendors, the smells of pastries and fresh fruit, oh I love it all. Your tomatoes look lovely. Simple yet delicious. Thank you for sharing! :)
what a beautiful picture of you three. i love it. i also love that it's SO quick to go downtown from you house now. can we do that together soon? when i find local tomatoes i will do this to them....YUM! oh, and i made your lemon lickin' green beans with beans from my csa box, this yummy anchovy vinaigrette over boiled potatoes (in 4 different colors) that i dug from my garden, and grilled radicchio (which i had never done before but LOVED) with that same vinaigrette and it was all so delicious. i thought of you as i was finishing my 14th helping of green beans. Thank You for such wonderful recipes and such inspiration to try new things in my kitchen. my confidence has shot through the roof because of this blog. you're the best. xoxox
this has absolutely nothing to do with broiled tomatoes,but I have to admit i keep coming back to this post and pull up the photo of those cute kids and smile big. sorry I'm more interested in the family photo than the tomatoes,although i'm sure they are as good as they look!
That picture is absolutely adorable. Fridge worthy, for sure. Can you believe I've never been to Seattle? My impression of most big cities, like NYC, San Fran, etc, is that it's nice to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. However, Seattle (and Vancouver) has always been the exception in my mind. I'm betting it's nice to visit, but even better as a local. I'm just itching for tomato season; last summer I hit my morning sickness stage right at tomato season and developed a total (but temporary) aversion to my beloved love apples. So this year (unless the stork is announcing another surprise waaay earlier than planned) I'm ready for my own personal TomatoFest, and this will definitely be on the menu.
The tomatoes sound delicious! They are so good this time of year, aren't they? Beautiful picture of you three :)
These are my favorite kinds of meals, simple and fresh. Plus I'm a sucker for a good tomato.
When I was in high school, in small town/rural Kansas, my parents sometimes had me stay with Dorothy while they were gone. She was probably around 70 at the time, went to our church, lived down the street, and had known me forever. I remember her server fresh tomatoes and cucumbers for lunch. Just sliced and plain... we may have used a little salt or perpper. She had lived on a farm for oh... 40 years or something before moving into town. She knew something about growing tomatoes, and the Kansas sun helped. I doubt I'll ever have tomatoes and cucumbers that good every again.
PS - We went to the Museum of Flight yesterday, and we saw the light rail train go by on its first offical day as it was about to pass over I-5 just South of Boeing Field. With people on it and everything! Not just a test run. :) I'm glad you had a good day at Pike Place!
If you are ever in need of company on Saturdays because Yancey is working, give me a call! We'll always be out to play in the morning, as usual.
I know this is a family blog and all, but this has been killing me. I am on a laptop, and when I scrolled down to view the family pic, it looked like you were giving The Finger.
I know you'll delete this if you find me horribly vulgar. But seriously... that's the first thing I thought.
Your version sounds delicious! Microwaving tiny cherry tomatoes and mixing it with cottage cheese WAS my version. I used to eat this all the time and haven't for a while. Next time I will definitely try broiling...
pds, I almost photoshopped Sarah's photo so she really would be giving the finger, to send to her, because it would have been to easy. I didn't notice this the first time I saw it, but maybe the 2nd or 3rd. Not that I'm obsessed with checking my friends blogs or anything...
PS (Sorry, I'm always full of PS, so to speak)
Or, Sarah, I could photoshop it to look less that way if you want. :)
LOL! That was the first thing I thought too, but didn't have the guts to post it!
Cute pic of you 3. I miss Pike Place. Used to walk down there on my lunch breaks when I worked downtown. Tomatoes look delicious. Looks like an instant tomato spread. Mmm.
We can't wait till you are back from vacation, we miss your postings!!!!!!!!!!!1
ditto mfm's comment. i know you don't have computer access, yet i still find myself swinging by multiple times a day thinking, "well, maybe..."
ditto the last two posts! you are one of those sights i check to get my fix!