Fried tomatoes

It's fun to write about family history and days gone by, but even better to connect with real live family.
We've just spent a couple of days with Betty and Shirley, two of our Niewand cousins who travelled over from Minyip to visit.
My sister and I played tourist guide - our landscape is very different from the flat Wimmera country - and showed off the Art Gallery, Buda Historic Home & Garden, and the Aladdin's cave that is the Restorer's Barn. Three of my daughters lunched with us at Skydancers Cafe & Nursery, also making connections with rellies we don't see so often. A lovely couple of days!

Now it's Friday, so time to interrupt the family saga with a recipe -

In one of the Little House on the Prairie books (can't remember which one) Laura Ingalls Wilder described the early settlers serving tomatoes for dessert, with cream and sugar. I've never tried it myself, and it sounds a bit odd, but I have had tomato salad with a creamy dressing, and that definitely works.

This serves to remind us that tomatoes, like many of our 'vegies' are indeed fruit - think capsicum, zucchini, or pumpkin - and sometimes they are improved by adding a little sugar to the seasonings. Tomato sandwiches are definitely more 'tomatoey' with a sprinkle of sugar, ditto grilled tomatoes.

This is worth remembering now that the weather is warming up,and the tomatoes are ripening - lots of tomatoes!

Maybe you plan to make sauce, and tomato salad is nice these warm nights, but here's another idea - you could make Fried Tomatoes.

This couldn't be simpler, and makes a good Sunday night supper dish.

You'll need a large, high-sided frying pan (or a big pot). Slice a large brown onion, and soften it in a little oil. Then add chopped tomatoes, lots and lots of them - they will cook down considerably. Season with salt and pepper, a pinch of mixed dried herbs and a spoonful of sugar.
Simmer until reduced by at least half, and beginning to caramelise. This takes a while, and requires regular stirring so they don't burn. When you reckon they're done, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve on toast.

You could fry some bacon with the onion, and add some crushed garlic, and basil or other fresh herbs, and maybe some chopped capsicum if you have some, but it's delicious with just the tomatoes and onion.