Living in New England I enjoy the changing of the seasons, something that isn’t as dramatic in Hawaii. While I don’t care for the winter I hold on to the promise of summer and its bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables. At this time of the year it’s hard to limit my purchases at the farmer’s market but no matter what, I always have room for fresh tomatoes.

I love eating heirloom varieties raw in salads. It’s where you can most appreciate the differences in flavor and texture. They also make a dramatic presentation.

I equally enjoy hothouse tomatoes (early summer) and field tomatoes (mid to late summer). There is nothing like a summer tomato. Unlike tomatoes you find in the grocery store in the middle of winter, summer tomatoes smell like tomatoes. You just know they will have great flavor and texture.

I learned a super simple recipe from a friend to use the bounty of field tomatoes. It involves just a few ingredients plus salt and pepper – tomatoes, feta, garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, and thyme.

Everything is assembled in foil packets and baked in the oven or on a grill.

The tomato and feta stacks are served in a dish that will hold the juices created during the cooking process. Grilled or toasted bread is served along side to sop up the juices.

On a 95 degree day I will opt for a fresh tomato salad but on other days when I can have the oven on for a short time, this is a great summer dish.

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