You say Tomato, I say Tomato

Brenda's Tomatoes in my Kitchen Windowsill

My whole house smells like an Italian kitchen. Or what I imagine an Italian kitchen smells like ...

Garlic, Basil, Oregano, olive oil and of course, tomatoes.

My neighbor Brenda moved last week and her parting love gift was permission to continue harvesting her plump juicy tomatoes into the fall.

It's sad to have a friend and neighbor move. But, for the last five years it's been our reality. We've grown accustomed to saying these kinds of good byes. We also know that friendships can be maintained despite distance. So, we helped in little ways we could, and then wished them well. We remember them when we walk past their former home, two doors down; and when we harvest their tomatoes. This winter, when I pull deliciously slow roasted tomatoes out of my freezer for pizza or panninis I will remember my friend and neighbor.

These slow roasted tomatoes are so good I want to share them with you too ....

Pour olive oil on a pan (about 6 TBs)

Generously sprinkle Italian dried herbs

Add course salt and freshly ground black pepper

Slice meaty tomatoes in half and place in the oil/herb mix

Slow roast @ 200 F for 8 hours (yes .... 8 hours of Itailian aroma wafting through your home)

Here's a more specific recipe from Smitten Kitchen: {http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes/}

It appears she uses smaller tomatoes and roasts them sliced side up. I roast sliced side down. After eight hours, let them cool. Peel them. Freeze them. (I put 6 to 8 halves per bag ... perfect for a pizza). And, for heaven's sake, sample a couple of them as you bag them!!

Of course if you want to have some fresh tomato delisciousness more quickly consider this great recipe from Ina (aka the Barefoot Contessa):

Ingredients

• Good olive oil
• 2 cups (1/2-inch diced) bread from a French boule, crusts removed
• 16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/scalloped-tomatoes-recipe/index.html

looking back {saying good-bye}

There is great emphasis (in almost all the literature we've read about leaving and international post) about the importance of saying good-bye.

It helps form closure ... for kids and adults.

It helps validate and justify the experience.

We did our good-byes corporately and privately, as a family and as individuals.

Bei Bei and I took one last trip to Polar Ocean World where we said goodbye to all the polar creatures (and I grimaced, for the last time, at animals performing to Micheal Jackson tunes).

We said goodbye to favorite restaurants, haunts, neighbors and friends.

We had last coffees and last dinners. Last conversations. One such evening was so hard to end that we ended up walking home together just to prolong the last moments. Our private sayings of good bye were more intimate, but the corporate ones ended up being equally emotional.

We held a party for (as my friend Dr Julie described) "75 of our closest friends" (She, amused that it could reach that number, teased me for being a social butterfly.) But I reminded her: we've been here five years, and we have three kids with sweet friends ...

It was a special afternoon with a simple meal of pizza and Greek salads, a keg of Tsingtao and made replete with a misspelled cake. We had friends from Russia, The Netherlands, France, England, Korea, Australia, Denmark, China, Taiwan, Italy and the US. We took pictures of each family who came (except, unfortunately, our own) to insert in the album they all signed.

Dr Julie hosted a luncheon for ladies I've known and loved in Qingdao, and her neighbor, and our friend Q, a stay-at-home dad, fearlessly joined the estrogen energy.

Mr Johnson's co-workers held a going away party at work with cheese cakes and speeches and very few dry eyes.

At school MGJ brought in Taiwanese bubble teas to share with her Jr High classmates at their break, and the left over misspelled cake for after lunch.

True to her original request, EHJ opted for an early birthday party instead of a going away shin dig. She used the Shrek party plates she picked last summer and brought in sugar cookies for her class to decorate as a sort of craft cum snack.

On the same day in Bei Bei's classroom I brought in our giant mitten, read and re-read Jan Brett's The Mitten whilst her classmates took turns being the various animals that climbed into the mitten like the creatures in the story. She gave a pair of tiny mittens to each friend. Her friend from the Czech Republic had earlier told me that he loved to kiss Bei Bei on the playground (and her guilty grin assured me it was true.) At her going away party her little Italian friend showed his amore as well.

Each of the The Three passed out their own photo with their US mailing address, our family's Skype handle and their email addresses. It wasn't just saying good-bye, after all, but also the promise of continued communication. This the bitter sweet part of the expat experience. Saying good bye, but always with the promise to stay in touch. And there is great satisfaction in knowing that we now have friends scattered all over the globe, from the bottom of Australia to the Western coast of Canada ... postcards and emails and phone calls still come.

looking back {december in qd}

The last month has been a whirl wind...

packing up,

moving out,

long sad good-byes

Then ....

five days together as a family,

on the beach,

away from it all

Before heading out...

arriving for the last time @ Qingdao Luiting International Fei Ji Chang

lingering over our last meal in the Sailing City... from the our 21F vantage point above the harbor where in 2008 the world's best sailors convened for the Summer Games, and where later our Sailing Sisters learned the ropes (literally) of this aquatic sport

The last morning...

5:30 wake up call

Pick up by our "entourage" which included our former and current drivers and another colleague of their's that we have known from the beginning

Caravanning from the InterContinental to our home, one last time, to collect our remaining boxes ... then on to the home of our sweet Dutch friends who kept Miss Guinness for us in the final weeks ... and finally arriving at the airport with one way tickets to Chicago via Seoul .... Watching Mr Johnson and our three driver friends check in a mountain of luggage whilst the girls and I were joined by our sweet Saturday night ayi who created French braids down that back of each of head while dabbing away tears.