TASTES MONTHLY - January Edition

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Fresh Tomba Sauce

Got yah didn't I? Tomba Sauce? (smile) Tom = tomato, ba=basil

So, how's the New Year been treating you so far? Very well I hope.

College re-opened today so it's back to work. I really do like the Semester system! I stretched out on the lounge chair in the patio as I watched others scramble to get themselves back to work on January 3rd. My best friend, Susan had to travel back to Seattle on New Year's Day! My mom spent a few extra days with me and then returned to Guyana this past Friday.

This time of the year in the Caribbean is absolutely perfect. It's our version of "winter". The days are sunny and bright but the breeze is constant and cool. The nights are nippy enough for you to pull the sheet up to your neck and the mornings are dark and lure you to sleep in. Pure bliss.

One of the nice things about living in a tropical climate is that you get certain things all year round even if you have to pay a few more dollars because it is not in abundance. However, these cherry tomatoes, I bought back in October and made some fresh tomato and basil sauce then, that I am now sharing with you. We all strive to use the freshest and best quality ingredients at all times but more so when making something with few ingredients and in a state as fresh as this sauce. You want only the best.

This sauce is rustic. You want to make it using a mortar and pestle - wooden, granite or whatever you have. Or, take a bowl and a muddler and have at it. Sure you can use a food processor or blender but if you do then it becomes a homogenous, non-discript mass. It will lose its character.

Use it on pasta, use it as a chunky dip, ladle it lavishly over some toasted bread and let the bread soak up all the juices. Boil some ground provisions and pour this sauce over it. Fry a piece of fish and douse it in this sauce or... there are lots of things you can do with this sauce. There's really no recipe, but I do appreciate that some people need to be told quantities and directions.

FRESH TOMBA (TOMATO-BASIL) SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 pound fresh cherry tomatoes (if using other tomatoes, chop them roughly)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup torn basil leaves (use more if you like)

Salt to taste (use sea salt if you have)

1/2 teaspoon minced hot pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil (use your favourite)

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all of the ingredients except the oil into the mortar and mash, squishing the tomatoes and mixing it with the other ingredients. It does not have to be completely smooth.
2. Add the olive and stir in vigorously into the mixture. Taste for seasoning (salt) and adjust if necessary.

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Your Word, Your Worth

Ever since I was a child, I would always hear older folks talk about living by your word. They explained that for all one may achieve in life, the one thing that we take with us, is our word. Our word is what defines us; it is what people will always remember about us. It is what people will refer to when they talk about us as we go about our daily lives. You are a person of your word.

You are a person of your word says that you are genuine; you are honest; you mean what you say. You can be relied on. Each day, I strive to be a person of my word.

Each morning, I recite the Serenity Prayer - God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. I also recite a quote from the Book of Proverbs: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

2011 has been a year in which I have found myself repeating these prayers not just as my regular morning ritual to start my day, but I've been saying them all through the day as I've encountered so many people and situations what warranted me stopping, holding my tongue, and keeping my emotions and frustrations in check. I have found myself living these words just so that I can remain positive, not give up and to keep plodding along, both in my personal and professional life. Don't get me wrong, there have been countless moments of celebration and genuine happiness, and while they do outweigh the negative encounters and experience, I have learnt to make the few simple, yet powerful lines I repeat each day, a part of my life, a part of who I am and who I aspire to be.

One of the main reasons I chose to talk about being a person of your word, as we close one year and begin another, is because this is the area in which I encountered most difficulty in dealing with people, particularly this year (2011). The scenarios and situations ranged from the highest levels of government, organizations, corporations and entities to everyday situations and interpersonal interactions. People are saying all the right things but there is no genuineness. People are saying what they think others want to hear, or, in many cases, they are saying what suits their personal agendas and those of their organizations, funders or donors. It is pitiful. It is shameful. It is dishonest.

Often I've stopped to wonder if the problem lies with me. Am I the one that lacks the capacity to understand? Am I being naive? Perhaps. But if that's the game, I'm doomed. It is my personal belief that life is way too short and precious to be spent being disingenuous. While I know that I cannot escape it, I will strive to continue seeking out people of their word as I continue to work on being a person of my word.

Happy New Year Everyone!

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