The summer before my junior year of college - what now seems like lifetimes and galaxies away - my best friend Sofya and I studied abroad in Paris for one month. Our class, where we surveyed the literature of 1920′s American expat writers, took up only a few hours each day, leaving us the rest of the time to stroll through Jardin du Luxembourg, picnic on Champ de Mars, drink tequila-flavored beer at sidewalk cafes, and mingle with French boys. It was my first time in Paris, an event I had excitedly awaited for years. The trip exceeded all my expectations; it was nothing short of magical. Bring 19, in great company, and reading Hemingway and Fitzgerald in Paris, was the most perfect month I could ask for.
Our school offered a meal plan that would give us three meals daily at the cafeteria, which we, of course, declined. Who goes to Paris and gets the campus meal plan…? No. We were going to explore every single brasserie, bistrot, cafe, restaurant, boulangerie and patisserie that city had to offer. But, being young and not entirely forward-thinking, we didn’t realize how quickly this tour de France would eat into our modest summer budgets. Though we did enjoy a fair share of meals in restaurants, many days we’d buy cheese, a pint of cherry tomatoes, a baguette and a bottle of red to enjoy in our room. I even modestly documented this ritual in this ancient blog post. (We hid the leftover wine in our closet since it was a dry campus. Classy, I know. Sorry, campus administrators!)
It goes without saying that Paris boasts some of the world’s best cheese, bread and produce, so although we were eating on a budget, those meals were thoroughly enjoyed. Besides, what does it matter what you’re eating when you’re a 19-year-old frolicking around Paris with your best friend?
Every summer since, I am flooded with Paris memories and long so badly to go back. I feel so lucky to share this month of memories with Sofya, and try as we might to retell the stories, no one will ever know what it was like to be us the summer of 2010.
Since then, this bread-cheese-tomato meal is my go-to no-cook dinner - though I did graduate from supermarket cherry tomatoes to the local heirloom kind. It’s the perfect après-work meal for a hot summer evening when using the stove is out of question. It’s simple, satisfying, and perfect for sharing with someone you love. Bon appétit.
The Perfect No-Cook Dinner
Ingredients:
- Heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 gorgeous baguette
- A stinky soft cheese of your choice
- Dry red wine
Procedure:
1. Arrange tomatoes on a serving dish. Drizzle with some oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Enjoy your no-cook meal.
What are your favorite food memories?
wildbill says
Yes….this post brings back many great college memories. The tomatoes, sourdough and vin ordinaire was on the slopes of Mt. Tam or other great spots around San Francisco Bay in the early 1970′s. Still my favorite and on the deck for tonight with my own tomatoes and local cheeses. The wine might be from anywhere. Thanks for the memories……….
This meal looks good and so easy to make. Perfect for weekdays especially when you just want to have a rest after work. - Regine
Yes yes all of the yes this is my favourite meal of all time!!!!!!! Can’t wait for summer.
Love meals like that! I’d add olives and salami and maybe a dip of sorts and use white wine instead of red