It's been a late, late tomato season this year. It's already the end of August, and my cherry tomatoes have yet to reach peak production while my always reliable Stupice have only just begun to ripen in quantity. But today I picked my first ripe beefsteak tomato.

And quickly ate it.

It was a Pruden's Purple, a Brandywine-style heirloom tomato that I had good luck with last season, so I decided to give it another try. It probably could've waited another day or two, but I couldn't, and well... it was delicious. I laid thick slices on a seeded baguette with some Brie, basil leaves, and a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The weather can get iffy from here on out, and once the rains come again the tomatoes can suffer from blight, crack, and other indignities. That's the risk one takes growing tomatoes—particular beefsteaks—here in the cool, short-seasoned, Pacific Northwest. But when you're slicing a beauty like this one, it's worth all the effort.