“Will you make this for lunch, Mommy?” Anna asked as she held a magazine photo in front of my face.

She couldn’t have made a better choice.  It was the Monday following Hurricane Irene and I had been rendered carless thanks to the flooding that occurred in the parking lot of our building.  We were planning a walk to the grocery store later on, but for lunch I needed to work with what I had.  And what I had, thanks to a day before gift from my sometimes-farming boyfriend, was a beautiful little assortment of fresh red and yellow grape tomatoes.

Into my favorite 50¢-at-a-yard-sale cast iron skillet went some olive oil and chopped garlic, followed a few minutes later by the halved tomatoes.

Basil, of course, would have been the herb of choice, but having only parsley on hand, we went with that.  A generous shower of parmesan finished things off.  Voilà – Anna’s lunch!