Tomatoes From the Garden

ripening

window ledge ripening

hairy stalks!

It's nice to grow tomatoes in your own garden as they taste so different -- much more sharp and tangy -- and of course watching them flower and bud is very interesting. For instance, I had no idea how hairy the tomato stalks are and I assume that's to stop bugs crawling up to get at the flowers or fruit.  Also, the yellow flowers turn out to be very pretty and you can see how the centers become the fruit and how they get that little star shape at the top.  I generally pick mine once they start turning white to yellowish and then finish the ripening process on my kitchen window ledge so as to avoid feeding critters or birds that might spy them glowing in the garden. This year I've had over 30 tomatoes already so we've had super salads, crock pot stewed tomatoes and tomato snacks for a while. They make a great extra snack to pack into lunches to go to work with (with a little salt added!). And once when I had 5 tomatoes all ripe at the same time, I put them on home-made pizza. Such bounty from the Creator!

Bragging About the Rhubarb

It's not often I brag about my plants but the rhubarb is one I am proud of growing. I had ordered a small rhubarb root a couple of years ago and just threw it in the ground in the middle of the yard not really sure of what I was doing but having some vague idea that it would grow okay without too much attention. My favorite plants are those that don't require too much attention all the time as who needs gardening to be a chore? The only exception is roses for which I am compelled to prune and fertilize and deadhead and feed and water and adjust the soil near them or whatever as they are just plain needy plants --  and I do love their flowers. But back to the rhubarb, each summer it grows bigger and bigger with lovely thick stems that I can pick and cook and put into desserts. I've made sure it got some water if there was a heat spell and if I'm adding plant food to anything else (like those greedy roses) I'd throw some near the rhubarb too.  This summer I've made Rhubarb Betty, Rhubarb Crumble and also put diced rhubarb in a meat dish and rhubarb puree in muffins.  My favorite way to cook them is to slice them up and let them cook slowly in a crock pot with some lemon juice, butter and water and hey presto, an hour or so later, there's dessert!   I recently discovered that the leaves are noxious with oxalic acid so you can't eat that part of the plant. There's nothing like growing your own food in the back yard!

Winter Beef and Fruit Soup

Today I got creative in the kitchen with some leftover and already cooked sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots, asparagus tips, cauliflower florets, and a cup of home made sweet apple sauce. Most of these were left over from Thanksgiving dinner and not really very large portions. So, I added a teaspoon of curry powder and a dash each of the brown spices (black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cloves) and some soy sauce to color it for some extra flavors.  Then I pitched in some cut-up leftover sirloin tips and shredded beef slices. This stew was left to cook on the crock pot high setting for a couple of hours while de-hoarding the garage.  About two hours later we were ravenous and I served this Winter Stew with a little bread, and it was delishus!  Thank God for leftover vegetables, bits of beef and spices!