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.

Tomatoes and Peppers and Sprouts, Oh My!

After returning from a weekend spent with my sister, I was happy to return home and find that sweet Phil, helpful Phil, wonderful Phil of the green thumb had taken advantage of the spring weather and planted the garden. After dropping my bags in the house and petting the dogs, I headed straight for the backyard to admire the straight rows of lovely green plants. There were rows of tomatoes, peppers, brussel sprouts, squash and onions; all of which will provide fabulous ingredients for summer supper experiments.

We planted the usual varieties of tomatoes -- some early girls and sheyennes for eating tomatoes and romas for salsa and cooking. And we're trying Mr. Stripeys, an heirloom variety that is yellow with red vertical stripes. It's written up as fabulously sweet. It was irresistable. We added a few Lemon Boys to round out our plates with lovely sweet yellow tomatoes. If they're as good as advertised, I'll save a few seeds and try out a few new varieties next year.

Phil always grows a wide variety of peppers for his salsa. We have sweet peppers and hot peppers and super hot peppers that he'll enjoy trying in different combinations. We always do several types of squash, summer and winter, that we'll grill and saute and bake and eventually give away to our friends when we're all squashed out.

The really new thing on our list is the brussels sprouts. About a month ago we bought some baby sprouts and sauted them in butter and ate them straight out of the pan. They were wonderful. We're hoping to recreate the experience and try a few adaptations this summer when they're REALLY fresh -- just from the garden. I'm open to recipe suggestions if anyone has a favorite.

I'll share recipes and pictures if they work out.

More later,
b