Mosca’s tomato rule.

[Mosca]

It’s a simple rule, and I should have decided on it long ago. Better late than never though.

Have you ever cut a new tomato for a sandwich, or a burger, and taken that slice or two out of the middle; then put the two tomato halves together, wrapped them in plastic or in a baggie, and either 1) used then the next day, all soggy, or 2) 6 days later looked at them and thought, "Ugh, that’s disgusting!" And thrown them away?

Mosca’s tomato rule: IF YOU CUT A TOMATO, EAT IT. ALL OF IT. RIGHT THEN.

That’s it. Simple. Take that slice out of the middle? You’re committed, pally! Cut the rest into wedges and snack on them, or have them as your side vegetable. None of that, "Oh, this will be great tomorrow!" Because it won’t be. It will suck tomorrow.

Count it as the cost of eating a great fruit (vegetable, whatever). God gave us tomatoes to enjoy, not to tolerate, not to endure. Eat the tomato.

[Jfrosty27]

You hit it on the head. Couldn’t agree more. Sometimes I will just slice up a tomato, hit it with S&P, maybe a drizzle of EVO, and dig in. Yummy.

[Bkhuna]

My Dad was a man of simple tastes. He would often have as a side a sliced tomato with salt and pepper. Didn't like that as a youngin' but when I grew up I discovered just how wonderful they are.

[Finster]

Bkhuna
I still eat them that way.
My pop pop used to grow rutgers tomatoes. I can remember as kids plucking them right off of the plant and eating them like you would an apple...
Of course, as kids we were less concerned about a tomato stained shirt than Mom was...lol

[Andrrr]

I'm the only one that eats tomatoes in my house and this is precisely the reason I stopped buying them. I grow grape tomatoes to snack on instead.

[Mosca]

Do you get those Kumato tomatoes where you live? They might be a good compromise. They’re smaller than a regular tomato, and reliably as sweet as grape or cherry tomatoes, with a better meat-to-skin ratio. One of them will give you 3 or 4 slices that make a sandwich, with only a little leftover.

This is the time of year when many heirloom tomatoes get mealy, and when I start buying Kumatos.

https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Kumato_Heirloom_Tomatoes_3699.php

[Andrrr]

Can't say I ever looked for them but I doubt it. I'll have to keep my eye open Mosca

[WayneT]

I’m not a huge fan of eating slices of tomato except in sandwiches, salads or in other dishes, but I completely agree with your rule.

[FireMan]

YEAH!

[Stuey1515]

If it is a good tomato it is hard not to just inhale the leftovers with a little S & P

[Huskee]

Sounds like an infomercial, and yes! I am guilty of exactly what you say. I'm ordering whatever you're selling now without delay!!

[DaveD]

But wait! There's more!

[Mosca]

For example.

[Jfrosty27]

Yup. That’s the ticket.

[Oak Smoke]

There goes my hot house, turned red by some noxious gas, grocery store tomatoes. I normally get a slice or two out of the middle and chunk the rest right then. I sliced into one Saturday that was white inside, not green or red. I chunked all of it. It’s the time of year when good tomatoes get hard to find.

[Mosca]

Ugh. Look for Kumatos, they come in a sleeve of 4 or 5.

[texastweeter]

Freeze it and after you get enough make some salsa maybe?

[Michael_in_TX]

I have nearly switched over to grape/cherry tomatoes for nearly everything. I can easily slice up as much as I want and I'm not wasting anything. I also think the smaller tomatoes seem to have more tomato flavor than the big huge greenhouse ones.

[Mosca]

I do that sometimes, I’ve chopped them into 8ths and they almost "spread" onto a sandwich or burger. But during the summer, tomatoes in NEPA and in New Jersey are like peaches in Georgia. My sisters take them back to Florida like we take oranges back from there.

[Bkhuna]

The commercial tomatoes in Florida are drek. We grow our own (couldn't tell you the type) when we can and seek out Farmer's markets as often as possible.

[rlozinak]

Yep, I agree

[Finster]

I'm more of a chop it up with some onion, jalapeno, and garlic and scoop it up with tortilla chips kind of guy....

[Wedunne]

I cut up half of an heirloom tomato for a salad last night, and was about to put the rest back in the fridge (where our leftover tomatoes go to die), then I remembered Mosca’s rule. I sliced up the remainder and sprinkled it with some Tuscan Salt (a salt and herb blend from a winery in Amador County- good stuff) and some quality olive oil, and it made a damn good snack. Thanks for this piece of wisdom, Mosca.

[Santamarina]

Dice it, along with some white onion, Serrano, cilantro. Add some lime juice and a little salt…BAM…pico de gallo!