Picking Crops
One of my favorite times of the year is harvesting. This is the result and reward of the fruits of my labor. One year I had so many plants that I would pick hundreds of ripe tomatoes, dozens of cucumbers, peppers, radishes and arugula every week! Also, fresh helpings of herbs were always on hand to season my meals.
Cooking Crop
One of my biggest challenges is what to do with those baskets of vegetables before they spoil. Slow roasting tomatoes concentrates the flavors. Roasting can make a mild tasting vegetable remarkably tasty. You can roast many of these freshly picked tomatoes and store them in oil in the refrigerator for several months or freeze them.
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Greek Salad Create a lovely flavorful salad with your ripe tomatoes, juicy cucumbers, crunchy peppers, fresh basil, oregano and parsley. Tomatoes Cucumbers Peppers Red Onions (thinly sliced) Kalamata Olives (pitted) Feta Cheese (cubed) Vinagrette Dressing Mix together the following ingredients: 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil, parsley, and oregano. Pinch of kosher salt and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste. Wisk in 4 tablespoons olive oil.  |
Grilled Summer Vegetables Grilled vegetables make a wonderful addition to a summer meal. Cut vegetables lengthwise and lightly brush with olive oil. Grill until browned. Peppers Zucchini Yellow Squash Eggplant 1 Lemon, 1 Orange (cut in half, grilled) Citrus Vinagrette Dressing Mix together the following ingredients: juice from half the grilled lemon and orange, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil, thyme, parsley, and oregano. Pinch of kosher salt and pepper, wisk in olive oil.  |
Pasta PrimaDonna This makes a simple and very tasty dinner. Roasted Tomatoes Cooked Penne Pasta Kalamata Olives (pitted) Italian Sausage (cooked and sliced) Pecorino Romano Cheese (coarsely grated) 1-2 Cloves Garlic (finely chopped) Basil (coarsely chopped) Salt and Pepper to taste Saute the garlic in olive oil until lightly browned add all the other ingredients except cheese, cook 10 minutes until everything is heated. Serve and sprinkle with cheese.  |
Picking that first tomato is the fruit of all your labor.