Gardenist: Ripening in the Dog Days

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Aug 14, 2007 6:00PM

Lately our Gardenist project has taken a back seat to other priorities. We've done some weeding and pruning, but nothing out of the ordinary. The peppers are even showing signs of blooming, which pleases us to no end.

Until we feel the peppers are ready for their close-up, however, we wanted to show you the first ripe big boy tomatoes we picked the other day. When we first snapped photos of these, they were as green as envy, and probably as tart, too. We were in the backyard Sunday checking out the tomato plants and were shocked to find some of them rich in color and ripeness. A couple days prior they were showing signs of ripening, but we thought that the time would be at least a week away.

The tomato pictured and the handful of others we picked are going to be used for two things: sandwiches and grilling. You cut a few thick slices of these big boys, lightly brush them with a marinade of brown sugar and tequila, and place them over some foil on the grill for 60-90 seconds on each side. It brings out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and softens them for use as a side garnish for steaks or as a salsa.