Thanks be to Paul for his contribution:
Why a tray of tomatoes to be roasted? These are the basic ingredients for a homemade tomato sauce (+ garlic & torn basil leaves) and this for me represents a number of aspects of home. The heat from the oven warms the kitchen. There is the zen moment while you prepare the food and do nothing else – just being in the moment. There is the glorious smell of the tomatoes as they cook with the garlic. Most of all there is the sharing of the spoils with the family. I have grown these tomatoes myself and I always make more than I need so that we can share with whoever arrives at the house first in the period after their preparation. The warmth and the smell brings back memories of home from the past and memories of those now dead who shared their food with us. It also conjures up thoughts of the future and what might be prepared for those yet to visit and those not yet born. Preparing and cooking food is one of the basic elements that makes a home and as a family we spend an inordinate amount of time talking about all aspects of food and probably less time eating it. Sharing a meal is, of course, about eating but it is also about warmth, connecting, communicating and developing relationships. That’s what home and family is about as well.
