In Praise of the August Tomato

Hallelujah! Tomatoes...red, yellow and green zebra...my weekly pickup at First Root Farm, our local CSA (community supported agriculture) farm in Concord, MA, yielded a rainbow of August tomatoes today. This has been a hard year for our finicky tomato friends, too cold, too hot, too wet, too dry, falling victim to fungi and hornworms; so these August jewels seemed even more precious as I carried them home.  Each year I am reminded that freshly picked August tomatoes, still warm from the sun, taste like nothing else in the world.  I sliced the tomatoes, tossed them gently with fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil and a touch of freshly ground black pepper. The epitome of a mindful moment; all five senses heightened.  I am again reminded that life is delicious.