You say “Tomato”, I say “Kumato”

The thing about dogs is that they don’t understand when you say “it’s too hot for a walk.”

When I tell him that, I’m met with a head-tilt to the right and then to the left.

So off we go. I wear the only shoes I can bear to wear in this heat. Much better for walks than flip-flops but not as hot as sneakers. Yes, they are TOMS. Yes, they are kind of ugly. But they are stupidly comfortable and I suppose I’m almost approaching that point in life where I accept comfort over style. Almost.

I read this face to say “come on lady, quit taking pictures… let’s go!”

Of course we stop at every hydrant/telephone pole/STOP sign for a sniff around.

When we made it home, both panting, I needed sustenance and remembered these “brown tomatoes” I picked up the other day.

Kind of weird or kind of cool? A Kumato, developed in Spain, is often referred to as a “gourmet tomato”. It is sweeter than a regular tomato due to a higher level fructose. The Kumato also has a longer shelf-life than a regular tomato.

Buying these on a whim, I had no idea how I was going to use them. After some consideration, I went with a simple salad.

I couldn’t have picked a better way to showcase these tomatoes, I mean “kumatoes”.

{Cold Kumato Salad}

• 6 Kumatoes, quartered and then quarters cut in half
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 2 oz goat cheese crumbles

Whisk olive oil and vinegar together. Add Kumatoes and scallions to a bowl. Pour olive oil and vinegar mixture over them. Mix together. Gently mix in goat cheese crumbles. Chill salad for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.

*Serves 2-4 as a small side

Have you ever seen/cooked with Kumatoes before? How are your pets fairing in this heat wave?