Tomato Glut and Freedom

 Freedom! I have reached the end of self-isolation, and my husband hasn't developed anything so freedom calls! I haven't actually left the house, as the big food delivery covered everything we needed for several days and the cupboards will be undergoing a slightly less panic-stricken review at the weekend as I don't think this will be the last time. Should one of us get sick tomorrow we would have enough food to tide us over, but I now fear being caught out again. Also I drank the wine so definitely need to stock up on that properly or I'll have to use my "saving for a special occasion" wine when I just want to slump and eat crisps with a glass of something (pleasingly, crisps were not something we needed to buy in the Panic Shop - well done to my husband for ensuring stocks were high).

I am concerned that this is just the first time though. Although I've only been into the office a few times since it became possible to go, I feel a certain level of trepidation about it. Public transport is only going to get busier (although I intend to brave the cycle commute soon), and I work in HE. My cynicism tells me that students are a risk, and it makes me nervous. Still, I can limit how often I go in at the moment (and do big bursts of handling archives when I'm there) so it's alright at the moment. It has been warm and summery instead of autumnal, and I have a lot of ripe tomatoes.

My tomato growing is enthusiastic, if inexperienced and haphazard, so I have many different kinds and colours. Several have already been roasted and shoved in the freezer for future use, but as it's been so warm I decided to use this batch to make a salad. It's a recipe from Persiana and is incredibly simple, but with a nice fancy touch of pomegranate molasses. I halved it, as it serves 6 normally. We have leftovers.

350g-ish of tomatoes, halved when cherry, cubed for the bigger ones

Half a red onion, thinly sliced into half moons

A red pepper, cut into thin strips (it's meant to be a green Turkish one, or a green bell pepper, but red was what I had in)

Prep veg, put in bowl, make dressing - 1 tsp sumac (add sumac to shopping list), 2 tbsps pomegranate molasses, decent pinch salt, slosh of extra virgin olive oil. Stir, pour over salad, mix gently. The book says to layer it up carefully, drizzle the dressing over and serve it on a plate, but I just chucked it in a bowl because it was easier. The dressing is a wee bit brown, but it's tasty. We had it alongside salmon and sugarsnap peas, and I got to feel smug that I had grown some of dinner myself.