Tomato Time

And after a busy summer weeding and watering and waiting, it's finally time for tomatoes. Hurrah.

I'm hoping that later this week I'll have time to add a few individual tomato portraits, but since it's going to be VERY busy, it might have to wait till next weekend.

Until then, I'll share my five favorite ways to eat fresh tomatoes:

- Whole, like an apple fresh from the garden and still warm from the sunshine.

- Sliced in half-inch slices and layered on fresh warm rolls.

- Sliced in half-inch slices and layered on toast with mayo.

- Roasted in the oven and tossed with pasta.

- Sliced and layered with chevre, then drizzled with olive oil.

These are in no particular order, since it's totally impossible for me to choose a favorite.

Later,

b

PS, I do know that one of Phil's chocolate peppers sneaked into my photo. What a card.

September???

So I woke up, rolled over and looked at the clock this morning and was completely floored to discover that it's September. I feel like Ripina van Winkle. Where did August go? Between having kids arrive home from their globetrotting and starting back to school and work, somehow the month disappeared. Never fear, I'm back. Or should that be, I'm ba-ack?

Whatever.


Of course there's still lots going on outside, but today I'm going to indulge myself and talk about our little vacation in the hills.

Phil and I spent a week in the Black Hills of South Dakota recently. It was in celebration of our 10th anniversary. (I'll pause here for general expressions of amazement and unbelief.) He found a little place on a quiet road back in the hills about 20 minutes from Sturgis. The cabin was wonderful, all open ceilings, polished hardwood floors, trees and deer in the back yard and a hot tub on the deck.

We spent an unbelievable amount of time at the cabin, tanning and hot tubbing and relaxing, but did manage to tear ourselves away most days. While we were away, we hiked. We hiked around Sylvan Lake; we hiked around Dalton Lake; we hiked the Centennial Trail, we hiked the Mikkelson Trail; we hiked from Deadwood to Lead and back again. Of course the upside was that even with lovely meals and bottles of wine, my jeans still fit when we got home again.


The point, however, is that we saw some lovely wild things while we were hiking. Some I've identified, and some I have not. If you recognize any of the beauties scattered throughout today's post, please let me know what they are.

Thanks.


This one should have reproduced as a MUCH deeper purple -- think royal purple.

Later,
b