My first "Early Girl" tomato of summer 2012.
She's got a bit of character, doesn't she?
Showing posts with label Tomatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tomatoes. Show all posts
Monday, July 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Savoury Summer
I just enjoyed a little breakfast surrounded by my newly planted garden on my treehouse deck. (I can't take credit for these tasty chocolate croissants, but boy were they good.)
These sprigs of dill came up all on their own from last year. Their appearance - whispy and delicate and shivering in the wind - belies their obvious heartiness.
We just wrapped up the Victoria Day long weekend, the traditional start of the gardening season here in Canada. And since fresh herbs are an essential part of my summer recipes, I got busy planting.
In the morning, my back deck looked like this. Just a mess of old dirt and empty pots and dead plants from last season.
About 5 hours later, the transformation:
Not as ambitious as last year, when I started everything from seed, but maybe even better, because I've got an instant oasis.
I planted three varieties of tomatoes
each with a name more whimsical than the last...I'm sure they'll all be stars! (excuse the dirt)
And then inspired by the creative naming, I grouped my herbs into their own loosly themed pots...it also helps me remember what's what.
On the left...1/2 of Scarborough Fair (parsley sage rosemary thyme).
On the right... a problem and a solution...(garlic and chives paired with two kinds of mint!) A close up of my "after-dinner mint" below.
Then the lean mean greens ...tarragon, rosemary and lemongrass. (I said loosely themed...I only half thought this through. I don't wany anyone asking why rosemary wasn't up there in the Scarborough Fair pot...)
And finally, the Italian Job (oregano and two types of basil - sweet and dark opal.)
I also threw in some pickling cucumbers, and some zucchini. We'll check back later to see how they do.
Happy days are here again!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Summer's End
Oh hello...are you still there?...thanks for hanging in there. I've been cooking up a storm in the past few weeks, but sadly I have had no pictures because I dropped and broke my camera at the end of the summer (taking pictures for the blog).
Luckily, I snapped some good ones of my little deck garden as it was just getting to harvest time, so I have some photographic proof that my efforts bore fruit.
The tomatoes were really lovely - all nearly perfect with such bright flavour.
Even now, as the days are getting shorter and the evenings crisp, I am still heading outside to grab some chives or parsley or basil. Tonight I noticed some new yellow flowers on the tomatoes. Hopefully the mild fall days will last. I feel sad thinking that some of them might not make it. Gardening...we had some good times this summer. See you next year!
Pictures or not, I'll be posting some recent recipes soon. And then when the camera is back in business...I'm planning a posting on my favorite kitchen items. I received a gift card to a large, luxurious kitchen store from a generous friend and I can't wait to get some new gadgets!
...Stay tuned.
Luckily, I snapped some good ones of my little deck garden as it was just getting to harvest time, so I have some photographic proof that my efforts bore fruit.
The tomatoes were really lovely - all nearly perfect with such bright flavour.
And this all happened despite a little friend who tried, throughout the year, to stop me.
Yes, those are mini green peppers in there, too.
For some colour on the deck, I planted some dwarf phlox...they were so cheerful and they continue to bloom.
Even now, as the days are getting shorter and the evenings crisp, I am still heading outside to grab some chives or parsley or basil. Tonight I noticed some new yellow flowers on the tomatoes. Hopefully the mild fall days will last. I feel sad thinking that some of them might not make it. Gardening...we had some good times this summer. See you next year!
Pictures or not, I'll be posting some recent recipes soon. And then when the camera is back in business...I'm planning a posting on my favorite kitchen items. I received a gift card to a large, luxurious kitchen store from a generous friend and I can't wait to get some new gadgets!
...Stay tuned.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Garden Improv
I ventured into new territory this year, starting some of my garden from seed. I learned a lot and things seemed to be going well. But in the middle of July, in the heat of the summer, I was set to go away on holidays for more than a week. I watched the long term forecast for weeks in advance, worried that my little plants, left on their own, would shrivel in the hot sun and die of neglect. I hoped for a prediction of rain, but summer was in full force...7 days of sun and 30 degree temperatures were expected.
Our neighbours were away; family and friends lived too far away for me to reasonably ask someone to do daily watering duties. So, I started asking around and researching self-watering systems online. I didn't like any of them and didn't want to spend the money on something I could probably make myself. The Internet was full of good do-it-yourself ideas, but many involved initially planting in self-watering pots and I didn't have the time or resources to re-pot.
One family member had a good suggestion - to put trays of water under the plants, so they could draw the water up through the drainage holes in the pots. So, I bought some extra large aluminum roasting pans ($1.99 each at the dollar store) and tested this method one night. But the water only lasted a day in the heat.
My deck is very sunny and I think the reflection off the aluminum just made the water evaporate even faster. So, my next step was to shade the pans with some old rags, essentially creating a skirt around the pan from the edge of the plant pot. This would shade the water and the aluminum pan, hopefully stopping some of the evaporation.
It was a good start, but I knew it would only extend the water supply by maybe one day. Since tomatoes need daily watering I had to do more.
I had seen watering globes at the dollar store - but they were small and only held a few cups of water. They were also made of glass - possibly a bad idea on a windy and high outdoor deck. But, I wanted to do something using the same idea. So, I purchased several 4 litre plastic jugs of spring water ($1.29 a bottle). I poked a hole in each lid using a small nail so that just a tiny drop of water could come out when the bottles were inverted. Then, I poked another tiny hole in the bottom of the jug to let air into the bottle. (I'm not sure if this step was necessary, but I imagined the bottle collapsing in on itself, eventually preventing the water from dripping out.) Then I screwed the upside-down bottles into the soil of the plant pots, until they stood up on their own.
Finally, I wanted to create a bit of shade for the plants, without blocking any rain that might come unexpectedly. The deck is small and the plants share the space with a bistro table and two chairs. I simply tied a plastic table cloth to the backs of each of the chairs and stretched it over the table creating a little banner of shade that sat beside the row of plants. If it rained, they'd still get wet, but for a couple of hours a day, when the sun was at the right angle, they'd be sheltered from the hot sun.
Then I crossed my fingers, told the plants to "hang in there" and left for 8 days.
**********
We came back from our lovely vacation late one evening. It didn't rain once in the time we were gone. We unpacked the car before I went out to check on the plants. I was relaxed and happy after my vacation and I didn't want to rush out to see them in case my experiment had failed.
I opened the door and peered around the corner to see a beautiful sight.
Not only were the bottles either empty or nearly empty, but the soil was moist and the plants had nearly doubled in size over the week.
(pictures were taken the next day, when it was light out and once I'd cleaned the deck up so I could move around)
The tomatoes had flowered....
More than 100 grape tomatoes are on the way....
The peppers are coming along...
The basil's booming...
The dill is divine...
The rosemary is still the underdog, but it's still hanging in there...
Stay tuned for some fresh tomato recipes...send me your favorites!
Our neighbours were away; family and friends lived too far away for me to reasonably ask someone to do daily watering duties. So, I started asking around and researching self-watering systems online. I didn't like any of them and didn't want to spend the money on something I could probably make myself. The Internet was full of good do-it-yourself ideas, but many involved initially planting in self-watering pots and I didn't have the time or resources to re-pot.
One family member had a good suggestion - to put trays of water under the plants, so they could draw the water up through the drainage holes in the pots. So, I bought some extra large aluminum roasting pans ($1.99 each at the dollar store) and tested this method one night. But the water only lasted a day in the heat.
My deck is very sunny and I think the reflection off the aluminum just made the water evaporate even faster. So, my next step was to shade the pans with some old rags, essentially creating a skirt around the pan from the edge of the plant pot. This would shade the water and the aluminum pan, hopefully stopping some of the evaporation.
It was a good start, but I knew it would only extend the water supply by maybe one day. Since tomatoes need daily watering I had to do more.
I had seen watering globes at the dollar store - but they were small and only held a few cups of water. They were also made of glass - possibly a bad idea on a windy and high outdoor deck. But, I wanted to do something using the same idea. So, I purchased several 4 litre plastic jugs of spring water ($1.29 a bottle). I poked a hole in each lid using a small nail so that just a tiny drop of water could come out when the bottles were inverted. Then, I poked another tiny hole in the bottom of the jug to let air into the bottle. (I'm not sure if this step was necessary, but I imagined the bottle collapsing in on itself, eventually preventing the water from dripping out.) Then I screwed the upside-down bottles into the soil of the plant pots, until they stood up on their own.
Finally, I wanted to create a bit of shade for the plants, without blocking any rain that might come unexpectedly. The deck is small and the plants share the space with a bistro table and two chairs. I simply tied a plastic table cloth to the backs of each of the chairs and stretched it over the table creating a little banner of shade that sat beside the row of plants. If it rained, they'd still get wet, but for a couple of hours a day, when the sun was at the right angle, they'd be sheltered from the hot sun.
Then I crossed my fingers, told the plants to "hang in there" and left for 8 days.
**********
We came back from our lovely vacation late one evening. It didn't rain once in the time we were gone. We unpacked the car before I went out to check on the plants. I was relaxed and happy after my vacation and I didn't want to rush out to see them in case my experiment had failed.
I opened the door and peered around the corner to see a beautiful sight.
Not only were the bottles either empty or nearly empty, but the soil was moist and the plants had nearly doubled in size over the week.
The tomatoes had flowered....
More than 100 grape tomatoes are on the way....
The peppers are coming along...
The basil's booming...
The dill is divine...
The rosemary is still the underdog, but it's still hanging in there...
Stay tuned for some fresh tomato recipes...send me your favorites!
Friday, June 3, 2011
My Herb Garden
My summer herb garden is underway - I'm hoping these little beauties will make an appearance in some late summer recipes. I'm limited to what I can grow in containers on the deck, but I've expanded my tiny garden since last year. I have a wider variety of plants, and I even started some from seeds for the first time.
Despite a spring full of cloudy days, what I have so far was looking good...until this morning when I discovered that my dill had been dug up by our resident squirrel. And I do mean resident. We've had a family of squirrels living in the roof for the past year. Now they're living rent free AND they've got a free buffet. What a life! I think I'll have to buy some chicken wire this weekend.
Look at the difference between the left and right sides...
I'm hoping for a salad or two by the end of the summer...Mr. Squirrel permitting.
Despite a spring full of cloudy days, what I have so far was looking good...until this morning when I discovered that my dill had been dug up by our resident squirrel. And I do mean resident. We've had a family of squirrels living in the roof for the past year. Now they're living rent free AND they've got a free buffet. What a life! I think I'll have to buy some chicken wire this weekend.
Look at the difference between the left and right sides...
On the left, the dill was dug up and is almost completely gone, except for a few tiny sprigs that survived Mr. Squirrel's tiny paws of destruction. (I'm hoping I can re-plant...it's supposed to be fairly easy to grow.)
Interestingly, he didn't touch the cilantro. (Hey Mr. Squirrel, I didn't like it much at first either. Lucky for me, I like it now and you don't.)
And, he didn't get to anything else I've got outside...including chives, oregano, tarragon and some parsley and lavender waiting to be planted.
I love the chive flowers...if he touches those, "It's ON!"
Safe and sound indoors, I started a few different plants in a little dome...as you can see the results have been so-so. Some didn't come up at all. There are some sad looking peppers and some wispy thyme.
And, there's one lonely shoot of rosemary. I read that it's notoriously hard to start from seed.
But, there are a couple hearty sprigs of basil...
And, the tomatoes look promising.
I'm hoping for a salad or two by the end of the summer...Mr. Squirrel permitting.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Fettuccine Alla Norma
Baskets of tomatoes...
So, it may seem as though we're eating a lot of pasta, but I've been making my way through the huge basket of grape tomatoes I bought at the farmers' market. Tonight's dinner is an adaptation from a recipe in Jamie Oliver's book "Jamie's Italy".
Fettuccine Alla Norma
Serves 2
1 medium eggplant
olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes, chopped in a food processor or blender
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
whole wheat fettuccine
Chop eggplants and place in colander in the sink. Sprinkle them with salt and let them rest for 30 minutes until they start to 'sweat', then rinse. This will draw out any bitterness.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a large cast iron pan and sauteé the eggplant until golden on all sides. Add the chopped oregano and cook for another 2-3 minutes. If you like your sauce spicy, add the dried red pepper flakes. Turn heat down, add a bit more oil if needed and add the garlic and the basil. Cook and toss occasionally for another 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and the tomatoes and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Cook fettuccine according to package directions, drain, and then toss with sauce over heat. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
So, it may seem as though we're eating a lot of pasta, but I've been making my way through the huge basket of grape tomatoes I bought at the farmers' market. Tonight's dinner is an adaptation from a recipe in Jamie Oliver's book "Jamie's Italy".
Fettuccine Alla Norma
Serves 2
1 medium eggplant
olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes, chopped in a food processor or blender
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
whole wheat fettuccine
Chop eggplants and place in colander in the sink. Sprinkle them with salt and let them rest for 30 minutes until they start to 'sweat', then rinse. This will draw out any bitterness.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a large cast iron pan and sauteé the eggplant until golden on all sides. Add the chopped oregano and cook for another 2-3 minutes. If you like your sauce spicy, add the dried red pepper flakes. Turn heat down, add a bit more oil if needed and add the garlic and the basil. Cook and toss occasionally for another 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and the tomatoes and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Cook fettuccine according to package directions, drain, and then toss with sauce over heat. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Brown Lentil Pasta with Tomatoes & Peppers / Macaroni with Tomatoes & Pesto
Fast and fresh...
My weakness when shopping for food is vegetables. I have a habit of buying too much produce and then frantically whipping up three different kinds of soup on the weekend in order to use everything up before it spoils. Lately, I've been trying to buy less, use it up sooner and get creative with what's in my fridge, rather than feeling the need to have everything on hand all the time.
This weekend I shopped at a farmers' market. It was a fresh, sunny day and the veggies were colourful, shiny and all very tempting. Luckily I could only take away what I could carry...a useful limiting strategy. And, this week I've tried to make fast, easy meals with just a few flavourful ingredients. It's amazing what a basket of fresh grape tomatoes can do for pasta.
Brown Lentil Pasta with Tomatoes and Peppers
Brown Lentil Pasta with Tomatoes and Peppers
Serves 2 + leftovers
brown lentil pasta*
1 white onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 red pepper
2 carrots, peeled and chopped thinly
1 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes
olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
Bring water and salt to boil in a medium pot. Add pasta, bring to a boil again and cook for 2 minutes only. Remove from heat and allow to sit in hot water for 10-15 minutes until tender. In the meantime, make the sauce.
Sauteé the first three vegetables in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Add tomatoes and cook until they look swollen and ready to burst. Turn off heat and very carefully pierce tomatoes releasing juice.
Drain pasta and add to sauce. Toss with sauce, a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
*Brown lentil pasta is not widely available, but a real treat if you can find it. It has a similar texture to rice pasta, so it's essential that you don't overcook it, or it will be sticky. It's got a slightly nutty flavour, is a good source of protein and has exactly one ingredient: brown lentil flour. I bought mine at Maria's Home Made Noodles.
Macaroni with Tomatoes and Pesto
Serves 2 + leftovers
1/2 box (170 grams) of dried whole wheat macaroni
2 cups of grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons of basil pesto*
1/3 cup of cheddar rice cheese ^
sea salt and black pepper
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Microwave tomatoes in a casserole dish with a lid for about 4-5 minutes. Very carefully pierce tomatoes to release juice – be careful not to burn yourself. Drain macaroni and add to tomatoes. Toss and add pesto and cheese. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.
*My pesto had basil, sunflower seeds, and garlic. But choose any pesto you like.
^ I don’t eat cheese, so occasionally, I buy cheddar rice cheese when a recipe needs a little something. It melts well, tastes and feels much like cheddar, and is soy, dairy and gluten free. If you eat cheese, choose your favourite.
My weakness when shopping for food is vegetables. I have a habit of buying too much produce and then frantically whipping up three different kinds of soup on the weekend in order to use everything up before it spoils. Lately, I've been trying to buy less, use it up sooner and get creative with what's in my fridge, rather than feeling the need to have everything on hand all the time.
This weekend I shopped at a farmers' market. It was a fresh, sunny day and the veggies were colourful, shiny and all very tempting. Luckily I could only take away what I could carry...a useful limiting strategy. And, this week I've tried to make fast, easy meals with just a few flavourful ingredients. It's amazing what a basket of fresh grape tomatoes can do for pasta.
Brown Lentil Pasta with Tomatoes and Peppers
Brown Lentil Pasta with Tomatoes and Peppers
Serves 2 + leftovers
brown lentil pasta*
1 white onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 red pepper
2 carrots, peeled and chopped thinly
1 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes
olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
Bring water and salt to boil in a medium pot. Add pasta, bring to a boil again and cook for 2 minutes only. Remove from heat and allow to sit in hot water for 10-15 minutes until tender. In the meantime, make the sauce.
Sauteé the first three vegetables in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Add tomatoes and cook until they look swollen and ready to burst. Turn off heat and very carefully pierce tomatoes releasing juice.
Drain pasta and add to sauce. Toss with sauce, a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
*Brown lentil pasta is not widely available, but a real treat if you can find it. It has a similar texture to rice pasta, so it's essential that you don't overcook it, or it will be sticky. It's got a slightly nutty flavour, is a good source of protein and has exactly one ingredient: brown lentil flour. I bought mine at Maria's Home Made Noodles.
Macaroni with Tomatoes and Pesto
Serves 2 + leftovers
1/2 box (170 grams) of dried whole wheat macaroni
2 cups of grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons of basil pesto*
1/3 cup of cheddar rice cheese ^
sea salt and black pepper
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Microwave tomatoes in a casserole dish with a lid for about 4-5 minutes. Very carefully pierce tomatoes to release juice – be careful not to burn yourself. Drain macaroni and add to tomatoes. Toss and add pesto and cheese. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.
*My pesto had basil, sunflower seeds, and garlic. But choose any pesto you like.
^ I don’t eat cheese, so occasionally, I buy cheddar rice cheese when a recipe needs a little something. It melts well, tastes and feels much like cheddar, and is soy, dairy and gluten free. If you eat cheese, choose your favourite.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)