When I spoke with Victor at lunch, he asked if I had planned anything for dinner. I said I hadn’t, but he could take anything out of the freezer and I would figure out dinner when I got home.

It’s kinda fun when we do this – it’s like Iron Chef, or something. I come in, not knowing what my ingredient will be, and get to create a dinner from it. Granted, we have a well-stocked larder, so I don’t have to think too hard, but it is fun, nonetheless.

So into the kitchen I walked, and the dinner basics were already there! Victor had taken sauce out of the freezer, along with a packet of Italian sausage, and had it simmering on the stove. How sweet it is!

I was jonesin’ for tomatoes – I can’t wait to get the plants in the ground – so I broke down and bought a few, along with some fresh mozzarella cheese. Caprese salad. Fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. As basic as basic can be. And delish!

I diced the tomatoes and the cheese to make it easier on Nonna. She can handle her knife and fork, but, it’s easier when things don’t need to be cut. And in our house, it’s all about easy.

It was a definite success. Nonna went back for seconds on the salad – which is always a good sign. I made burgers for lunch the day before and put slices of yellow heirloom tomatoes on them. As much as she likes tomatoes, she pulled the yellow ones off.

Learning experience. She eats red tomatoes.