Written by Thought I’d doodlewash another of my summer favorites to bring to the #DoodlewashDinner, homegrown tomatoes with fresh basil. Since I’m not a fan of the extreme heat that summers here can often bring, this delicious combo makes it all worth it! Just as exciting as the arrival of fresh tomatoes is for me, it’s also bittersweet to see them go again. Hot house tomatoes just don’t taste the same and during the rest of year, tomatoes lose their allure. I assume this is why I find this time so amazing and were tomatoes always available, then I would lose much of my devout appreciation for them. But I really wish they could hang around much longer.
A member of the deadly nightshade family, tomatoes freaked early Europeans out because they assumed they were poisonous. The leaves are actually a touch poisonous, but you’d have to consume about a pound and a half to notice any adverse side effects. Regardless, the shiny fruit is where the party is and it’s loaded with Vitamin C so eat up! Basil isn’t a slouch either as they contain compounds that are know to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial qualities. Put the two together and you have a heck of a healthy snack that actually tastes great!
Tonight, I’m heading to a real life Doodlewash Dinner hosted by my friend Aesha. This is only the second time we’ve tried this, but it’s tons of fun! Basically, you just invite people over, eat, drink and break out the paints instead of Pictionary after dinner. There’s always someone new to painting which makes it even more fun, and also proves that anybody can paint, it just takes a brush. Painting really well, of course, takes a lot of practice and painting after a few glasses of wine can have its own challenges, but anything done with friends and laughter is way more fun! That’s why I’m so happy many of you are joining me for dinner this month, and there’s many days ahead if you haven’t yet. I hope you’ll join in! I’ve never liked to eat alone.
You’re all invited to a Doodlewash Dinner Party during the month of May! Just tag your food or drink image #doodlewashdinner and I’ll feature you and your culinary creations in a delicious Doodlewash Gallery at the end of the month!
About the Doodlewash
M. Graham watercolors: Pyrrol Red, Azo Orange, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Green Pale, and Neutral Tint. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon black ink in a 5″ x 8″ 140 lb. (300 gsm) Pentalic Aqua Journal
YUM-a-doodle-doo!!! 🙂
Hehe!! Thanks Eric!! Glad ya liked it! 😃
This looks good enough to eat, but it begs the question….. Where’s the fresh mozzerella and olive oil? nice job!
Thanks!! 😃💕Hehe…I actually started this series with that version. My favorite!!
Tonight’s actual doodle wash dinner sounds like fun! What a great idea. Tomatoes out of the garden, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with fresh basil??!! I am salivating just thinking about it. Enjoy your party. 🙂
Thanks, Susan!! 💕😃 The party was a blast! Hoping to post a few pics today at some point! Highly recommend doing it! It’s so fun!
Absolutely mouth watering, a gorgeous Doodlewash, Charlie. The shine on the tomatoes, the soft shadows, the delicate leaves, all so perfectly delectable. Careful if you decide to hang this one on the wall – you may find guests coming by and trying to lick it!
Thanks Sharon!! 💕😃 Now I just have an image of people liking the walls and it’s hilarious!! Too funny!! Glad you liked this!!
Keep an eye out for guests throwing salt at your walls.
lol! Will do!
Wonderfully done, Charlie! Looks good enough to eat! YUM! 😄
Hehe! Thanks!! 💕😃 So glad you liked this!
😀👍☘
That is amazing, Charlie! I did one today. You’ll be lucky if you know what it is lol. I’ll post it Monday.
Thanks Catherine!! 💕😃 And yay…can’t wait to see yours…I’m sure it’s lovely!!
Those tomatoes are to die for! Who could turn down such a prospect? Hmm, now I find myself desperate for some tomato and basil pasta – perfect (well, until I realise I’ve no dish in front of me!)
The real Doodlewash Dinner sounds like a lot of fun. I wonder if you could combine two good things and do Doodlewash Pictionary – hmm, perhaps not!
Thanks Jacob! 😃 Yeah…tomato and basil is soooo good!! Hmmm…Doodlewash Pictionary sounds like a fun challenge! Would be funny to watch at least! Lol
Yum! Charlie fresh homegrown seasonal tomatoes are delicious I love and homegrown them too and I looooove basil I put fresh basil in everything it taste amazing! I also make tea out of it! Your doodlewash is beautiful and vibrant! Wish you a great real doodlewash dinner tonight! How fun would be if we all get out of our virtuality and magically appearing in the same place it would be amazing! <3 😉
Awww thanks Carolina!! 😃💕 So glad you liked this. Basil is amazing, isn’t it? So good in so many things! And the dinner was a blast! Would be amazing to have a Doodlewash meet up one day and all have dinner for real!!
That would be really amazing and fun! 😉 <3
Homegrown always taste so much better! Have a great dinner! And if a little wine gets painted with, all the better 😉
Thanks Jessica!! 😃💕The dinner was fantastic…I ended up just urban sketching my wine glass. It’s was getting dark out. Philippe dunked his brush in his coffee at the very end, but that happens even without wine to us! Hehe
Wow real life doodlewash dinner sounds great fun! Love your concept! This tomatoes are so fresh and mouth drawling 🍅 have fun at your dinner party👍🏼
Thanks Snehal!! 💕😃 It was a blast!! Totally fun to do a real doodlewash dinner. Even had a person who had never painted before! Fun!
Yeah I could see from your photos and post! You made us jealous 😛 😃Kidding! Love your idea of real life doodlewash dinner 🙂
Eat tomatoes for the C
with fork and knife
to live a long & healthy life
If you’re not garden savvy
and eat the leaves
a pound or more
my advice will be
stick to the grocery store
You are so funny! Love your pomes!
Hehe…nicely paired pome, Judy! Love it! 😃💕
Wonderful…..look good enough to eat. I love home grown tomatoes as well
Yay! Another fan! So glad you liked this one, Terry. 😃💕Homegrown is the only way to go!!
What a great idea if only I had other artists close-by! your sketch looks very yummy and very well done, if I might add! I think I need to learn from you! 🙂
Thanks so much, Margaret! 😃💕 And you don’t need other artists for a Doodlewash Dinner…one guest had never painted before in his life! Hehe… Anyone can try and enjoy painting for a little part of an evening, so it works perfectly. Just need people who are willing to play! It’s so fun!! 😉
Oh right! it would be fun 🙂
nice job, Charlie. I love the highlights. and plate shadows.
Awww thanks Rachel! So glad you liked this one! 😃💕
I just bought some fresh basil to plant outside along with a cherry tomato plant. I agree there is nothing like fresh tomatoes! I like mine drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar! 🍅💕🍴 Hope you are having a fabulous doodlewash dinner – sounds so fun! Cheers! 🍷
Thanks Jill! 💕😃 Yeah…balsamic is a definite requirement!! Yum!! Hehe… And the dinner was super fun!! Always a good time when a group is painting and well…enjoying a little wine of course!! 😊😉🍷🍷
Sounds great !! 💕🍷✨
Charlie, last year I was blessed enough to visit Corfu, Greece. We picked basil right off the plant and ate it with fresh tomatoes and local feta unlike any I have ever eaten. Creamy, rich, and not salty at all. Topped with local olive oil, it was a lunch that I will never forget. Amazing! Thanks for helping me to remember the local pleasures of Greece. This year I am growing my own basil and tomatoes, hoping to replicate these simple pleasures 🙂
Oh wow…what an amazing trip, Carol!! 😃😃Your descriptions are making my mouth water!! Yum! I’ve never been to Greece but have always wanted to go someday. Sounds fantastic!
Yea for Greek tomatoes, the best in the world! I agree – if you taste sun-ripened tomatoes anything else is tasteless
Sooooo true!! Nothing beats the real thing! 😃🍅
Hi ya, I hope you all had a great time painting, sounds like a lot of fun. I agree fresh home grown toms are the best, not to forget that gorgeous smell they have, which I think hits one of my tops, infact it could equal that smell you get on fresh wet ground after it has been dry.
Thanks Rebecca! 😃💕 All these descriptions of tomatoes are making me want them right away!! Hehe…so good…the smell IS amazing. Ugh…I just ate breakfast and now I’m hungry again! 😊Lol
I’m lovin’ how well you doodle the greenery in these food posts, Charlie! Over here you can get the wionderful cherry tomatoes — pecarino, solanato — all so sweet and delish. That’s what I usually buy. Your real dinner sounds like great fun!
Awww thanks Janina! 😉💕 Glad ya liked my greenery…hehe…and also that you’re a tomato fan. Yay! The dinner was fantastic…painting, wine and friends? What’s not to love about that! 😉😃
Those tomatoes are so vivid!
Awww thanks Kim!! Appreciate it! 😃💕
Gorgeous! Have fun!
Thanks, Jodi!! 😃💕We had a blast!
Charlie, you just keep getting better and better! Absolutely love this painting! You could give all of us lessons on shading in color. Wonderful work!
Awww thanks, Laura!! 😃💕hehe… I just use a few layers of color when I can stand to wait a bit for drying. In this case I couldn’t so I just swirled the orange and red together. 😊 I did these like I’d done apples before…used Ultramarine blue to add darks and dimension and then went back over the whole thing with Pyrrol Red and Azo Orange because they’re super transparent. But not sure that really a technique or anything, but that’s what I did! 😉
It worked beautifully, Charlie! So you did this all in one layer and just swirled them? Holy heck! Amazing work, bro!
I managed to let one layer sort of dry on the tomatoes while I painted the basil. But could have dried more. And the second just got swirly! Lol thanks!!! 💕
Wow Charlie, I love your doodlewash. I miss having home grown tomatoes. I agree with Laura!
Awww thanks Sharon! 😃💕 I just told Laura how I shaded. I think I should do a course, “watercolor for people who lack patience”! Lol I’m sure there’s a much more elegant way to get to the finish if I could wait for things to dry properly!😊hehe
Haha yes creating dies take patience with ourselves.
Oops I meant does take patience.
Another awesome job on this painting. Great light and shadows.
And love this combination tomatoes and basil.
Thanks so much Teri!! 😃💕 Glad ya liked this one. It’s such a yummy combo!!
Awesome Charle! You really captured these ripe tomatoes. You can feel what it would be like to cut into one! Your painting party sounds so fun!
Thanks Eileen!! 😃💕You should totally try a painting party. It’s so fun and doesn’t matter if people can paint or not. It’s just adults being kids again!! Hehe…only with wine.
Fresh and vivid !Love them 🙂
Awww thanks!! Glad you do! 😃💕
You art makes me feel hungry!! thank you for sharing!
Awww thanks! That’s a great compliment!! Appreciate it! 😃
Ah… tomato and basil. I also like the soup!
Yes! The soup is amazing! I guess I just love this combo any way it comes! hehe
Homegrown tomatoes or bust! I cannot wait until my vines start producing and meals al fresco will start to feature fresh toms, basil and burrata. Hurry up summer!
And I just really hungry again!!! Yes please! That description makes me super impatient!! Thanks Rowena! 😃💕
Definitely a taste of summer! (K)
The best part of summer! Can’t wait! Thanks Kerfe! 😃
Delicious, the fruits of summer! Beautiful painting, makes me smile and think what lays ahead of us all summer long!
I know… it’s the best time of the year for fresh food. Thanks so much Cathe! Glad ya liked the doodlewash! 😃💕