The next morning Mrs. Welsch asked "Wouldn't you like to try a ham sandwich, or egg salad, or peanut butter?"
"Tomato," said Harriet, not even looking up from the book she was reading at breakfast.
"Stop reading at the table." Harriet put the book down. "Listen Harriet, you've taken a tomato sandwich to school every day for five years. Don't you get tired of them?"
"No."
Last weekend in the country I started reading an old favorite, Harriet the Spy. I thought about it because of the dreamy tomatoes we got at the farmer's market. I think Harriet's family had a better source for tomatoes than my childhood home. I didn't like tomatoes until I was 20. But once I had real fresh tomatoes, I understand her commitment. There are many reasons besides tomato sandwiches to love Harriet--her spy notebook for one. And she reads at the table.
My current favorite summer lunch is grilled haloumi and fresh tomatoes. I learned about haloumi, a traditional Cypriot cheese made from sheep and goat's milk, from my friend Lisa, whose husband Nick is from Cyprus.
Just slice it, pop it in a hot skillet until it's golden, chop a tomato and you are good to go.
