When family comes to visit, you get to eat your usual food cooked in different ways. Nigel's parents are here from England and what a blessing they are. They completely watch over him, bring him cups of tea, glasses of milk, bubbly water and bits of food as often as he can eat. That constant attention is something I just cannot give him. There is so much to be done, so it is really wonderful having this kind of help. One of the things Thora has made that I have fallen in love with is pan cooked tomatoes. During the summer months, I usually just slice them, sprinkle on a little lavender salt and eat them raw, quick and easy. But she gently cooks them up in a pan, which changes them completely. The nice thing about this dish is it really brings the sweetness out of the tomatoes and drops the acid a bit.
For this dish, you can use any tomatoes. Cut Cherry Tomatoes in half or for larger tomatoes use thick slices. In a pan, add Sunflower or Safflower Oil (you want to use an oil that doesn't have much flavor), a knob of butter (1 or 2 TB), and heat over medium. When the oil/butter is heated, add sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the bottom is soft then flip them over, or as Thora says, "toss them about a bit!". Cook until they are nice and soft the whole way through. The juices will thicken with the butter and oil and tastes delicious! We enjoyed the cooked tomatoes as a side dish to some Dover Sole she cooked in a bit of milk and butter. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, put in a pan with some milk and butter and cook until done.