Crave Wednesday: Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes with Mustard and Dill

Last Monday I realized it was May.  May sneaks up on you, doesn't it?  I also realized that Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May, happened to fall on a Friday this year.  Which seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.

I texted Thatboy - "What do you think about having people over for Cinco de Mayo Friday night?"   He thought it sounded like a great idea, so I texted some friends to see if they were available.  As luck would have it, the J's were available!  Well, 3/4 of the Js.  Since Mr. J was going to be out of town, Thatboy decided he should make himself scarce, so he didn't end up stuck in a house with 2 women and 4 boys.

On Friday, I threw up some flags for some festive, easy "decorations" and set the table.  One of the amazing things about me is that I have just about every color of paper plate and napkin there is.  Which I used to my advantage.  I also picked up some Cascaron - confetti filled eggs for the boys,

One of the perks of living in Southern California is that we have no shortage of amazing Mexican food.  I went easy and picked up tacos, rice and beans.  I threw together some guacamole and margaritas and we were good to go.

Our local bakery also was celebrating Cinco de Mayo with these colorful "pinata cupcakes."  In general, I hate the idea of the pinata - there's always the one kid who doesn't know how to do it and the other kids are pretty much stomping each other on the head to get at the candy.  But pinata cupcakes - filled with sprinkles, I can definitely get behind.  While the boys ate those, Mrs. J and I had churro cupcakes.

I'd love to blame the sugar in the cupcakes for the craziness that was going on in my house, but really, that's just what happens with four boys.  In an attempt to calm them down, we sat them down for some yoga in their pajamas.  While it worked NOT AT ALL, it did result in some pretty cute pictures.

Eventually the J's packed up and went home and I got my boys tucked into bed, right as Thatboy returned home from his night out.   The entire evening was a burst of color, from the flags, to the confetti - which covered my floor, to the sprinkle filled cupcakes.  The main meal, however, was a little lacking in color.  My fault.  It's easy enough to get vibrant color in food - if not in the main course, then in sides.

I don't know if it's a current trend, but I'm noticing vegetables come in a whole host of different colors than they did when I was a kid.  And I'm taking advantage of it!  Purple carrots, green cauliflower, purple potatoes - I love adding color to my meals.  If the idea of that sounds a little scary to you, lets talk about an entry level rainbow - the tomato.  Thatboy loves heirloom tomatoes, and I love that they come in so many colors - reds, oranges, yellows, greens... Toss them together and you have a vibrant and colorful salad that rivals anything that came out of those eggs.  Or cupcakes.

Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes with Mustard and Dill (From Cooking Light)

1 Tbsp chopped dill

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 lbs heirloom tomatoes cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

1. Combine dill, mustard, lemon rind, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
2.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add tomato slices, tossing gently to coat.  Let stand 15 minutes.