It’s August and the tomatoes are in full ripeness. Go get some along with fresh basil garlic, and whip up a big batch of Grandpa Tom’s tomato salad. We’ve done so for tonight’s dinner.
Grandpa Tom’s Tomato Salad (click link for recipe)
I was 7 years old in the winter of 1950 when my maternal grandfather disappeared from my life. In my childhood memories, he was big and loud, gregarious and full of laughter, and when he died I missed him greatly and still do, all of these years later.
Grandpa Tom
Grandpa Tom owned the Maple Grove, a hotel/boarding house inAtlantic Highlands, NJ. We used to visit him every summer and sometimes at Christmas, from what I can recall. On the summer trips my parents would usually stay for a week and then return to NYC, while I would stay on for several more weeks with my cousins. Getting to Atlantic Highlands from the Inwood neighborhood of Northern Manhattan, without a car, was quite an adventure during the 1940’s, and to my 5 and 6 year old mind, seemed to consume…
View original post 473 more words
The Literate Chef 
My granda used to make the same salad (without garlic though) and we loved it. Such a simple yet special dish!
Thanks for your comment Francesca, now is the time of the year for this salad. As you said, simple and delicious. Grandpa was from Sicily, where I’ve been told werewolves are plentiful, hence the heavy garlic load.