By September 2025. Noah starts eighth grade. He is the last one at home and the dynamic of the household has shifted completely into something smaller, quieter, more spacious. I find myself cooking for three most nights, which after twenty years of cooking for five and six feels like a different genre of meal-making. The portions are different. The planning is different. The kitchen has a different rhythm when there are only three places at the table.
Noah has moved into the kitchen more fully in the space left by his siblings. He makes breakfast on weekends. He has started coming to the farmers market with me on Saturday mornings, which none of the older children ever wanted to do, and he walks through it with curiosity and budget-consciousness and the notebook he's been keeping for two years. He takes notes on what's available and what it costs and sketches out meals from what he sees. At thirteen, he is doing what I do. He doesn't know that's what it is. He thinks he's just interested in the vegetables.
Mason sends photos. Every day, something from CIA — a consommé clarified to transparency, a sauce that required six hours, a bread with a crumb structure that would make any baker cry. He is thriving. His Sunday calls are longer each week and more technical and I take notes I don't always share with him because some things you just need to hold until later.
The third book proposal goes to publishers next month. Susan is excited. I'm calm, which is its own kind of excitement — the calm of knowing the work is ready.
The Saturday we finally made something from Noah’s notebook, he had written “tomatoes — still good, get them now” in his careful handwriting, and he was right — late September at our market, the heirlooms were still coming in and the vendor had fresh mozzarella wrapped in paper. This marinated mozzarella and tomato appetizer was what came out of that morning: a recipe sized for a smaller table, bright and unhurried, the kind of thing that tastes like paying attention to the season before it closes.
Marinated Mozzarella Tomato Appetizers
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes marinating | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes or slices
- 1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes (heirloom or roma), sliced or cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Crusty bread or crackers, for serving
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Combine mozzarella and tomatoes. Arrange the mozzarella and tomatoes in a wide, shallow dish or on a serving platter, alternating or layering as you like.
- Marinate. Drizzle the marinade evenly over the mozzarella and tomatoes. Scatter the torn basil leaves on top. Let the platter sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Taste and adjust. Before serving, taste and add a pinch more salt or a small drizzle of olive oil if needed. The tomato juices will have mingled with the marinade — spoon that over the top.
- Serve. Bring to the table with crusty bread or crackers for scooping up the marinated juices.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 6g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 320mg