I'm out of lettuce.

Normally, that wouldn't be such an ominous statement, but I'm ME. I LOVE lettuce. I have salad every night with dinner. Sometimes, I have a salad for lunch AND a salad with dinner. But asinine "oh I'll trust my FEELINGS" me turned down the temperature on refrigerator because it FELT warmer than it should. And then sane "don't screw with something that isn't broken" me woke up the next day to frozen lettuce.  This whole therapy / learn to trust my feelings thing is SO not working for me. At least in the lettuce department. So now, I have no salad for dinner. But I DO have fresh tomatoes, and I do know how to make lemonade out of lemons. Er, caprese salad out of tomatoes....

I can't take the credit for the basic idea; I saw it somewhere and it lodged in my noggin. It is rather clever. The hearts are my own personal touch. Mainly to hide the fact that my FRESH BASIL ALSO FROZE. In the Great Freeze of 2012. Really, I am trying to cope with this. :sigh:  Anyhoo, a fresh, hot house tomato, perfectly ripe, sliced and stuffed with mozzerella slices. Drizzled with olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, and sprinkled with fresh sea salt. Really, it's love on a plate.

The main course isn't as pretty, but it is a classic American casserole. Tuna casserole. Up-scaled a bit with leeks, celery, onion, and garlic in a bechamel with half and half; and white albacore tuna.  And peas. Yum! And low-carbed with gluten-free pasta, which makes for a slightly less pretty dish (especially if you leave it on the stove and fuss with tiny little cheese hearts for twenty minutes while the casserole dries out on the stove. (I blame it on the fact that I really need a vacation.  Seriously, how important where those hearts???)

Oh, how I love the American classic dishes. <3