Jersey beefsteak tomatoes get big and the grape tomatoes are plentiful. We often give them to our neighbors every year.
What’s your favorite dish using what you’ve grown
in your garden or purchased from local farmer's markets?
Happy summer!
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MADDIE DAY: So many recipes, so little time! I always grow Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and oregano, and often make this simple, delectable Greek salad. I realize I've never shared the recipe, because all it is is tomatoes, cukes, feta, Kalatmata olives, fresh oregano, and olive oil.
And then the fruits! Blueberries, as in the trifle I shared recently, plus peaches, strawberries, and so much more. I really live for summer produce, and it never disappoints.
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But when those plants start producing far more fruit than you and all your neighbors could possibly eat, you can preserve those glorious tomatoes for winter eating by making this slow-roasted tomato jam.
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LESLIE BUDEWITZ: So many wonderful choices here! As befits a woman writing a series set in a farmers' market, the Spice Shop series, and another set in a local foods market, my Food Lovers' Village mysteries, I love sharing recipes with fresh herbs or seasonal fruits and vegetables. One of my favorites is this Roasted Mushroom, Tomato, and Herb Salad. And since I'm willing to bet your green beans and tarragon are going as madly as mine, here's our Green Beans with Tarragon Vinaigrette, the taste of summer no matter when you make it!
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Dill as high as the mystery writer's eye
Bounty from Sue's garden |
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With which I made this
But nothing beats a fresh tomato and here's my favourite way of cooking with tomatoes when they are at their best:
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CLEO COYLE: Lovely topic, Tina! My dad grew up during The Great Depression when his father impressed upon him the importance of having a food source for his family during tough economic times. With that end in mind, he was a serious backyard gardener, who provided our family with baskets of gorgeous produce and homemade wine from his grape vines...
My father Tony
(in his Army Air Corps uniform)
with his mother Grazia (Gace)
(in his Army Air Corps uniform)
with his mother Grazia (Gace)
I miss those days and my dear parents, grandparents, and Aunt Mary, all of whom have since gone to heaven, where they now wait for me to join them in the most beautiful garden of all. Thanks, Tina, for reminding me of those delicious memories. And I’m happy to share how our family made our FRESH GARDEN TOMATO SAUCE in a step-by-post post that also shares a little more about the background of my beloved Italian family. ~ Cleo
To be entered in this week's drawing
for the 5 terrific mysteries below,
join us in the comments.
What’s your favorite dish using
what you’ve grown in your garden or
purchased from local farmer's markets?
Join the
conversation!
Include your email address,
so we can contact the winner!
Holubchi, using our cabbage, and rhubarb salad with the rhubarb. We also grow asparagus, onions, tomatoes, kohlrabi, radishes, peas, and beans. The hard part is keeping the deer and rabbits from eating everything first.
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
I like asparagus and try different recipes every year. I have one daughter who likes it, too, and another who won't touch it. Teenagers!
DeleteThere are two dishes we make using our garden tomatoes. The first is a simple cherry tomato (using both gold and red cherry tomatoes) sauce for pasta. Coat the tomatoes in a bit of olive oil and stir in thin slices of garlic (also from our garden), salt, pepper, and a pinch of hot pepper flakes. Then roast them until the tomatoes burst and are a little charred. The other is tomato slices topped with fresh mozzarella and basil (home grown) with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. lroth(at)pcext(dot)com
ReplyDeleteOooo....this sounds delicious! Thank you!
DeleteI make a simple cucumber salad. That’s always a hit. I also can beets.
ReplyDeletebmedrano34 at yahoo.com
I enjoy cucumber salad with oil and vinegar. Our cucumbers are growing like mad and we will be making this soon.
DeleteLove to market burgers with the meat, bread, and lettuce we get from our farmers market.
ReplyDeleteKitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net
Who doesn't love a good grilled burger with all the fresh veggies as toppings? Sounds delicious!
Deleterhubarb slush for beverage
ReplyDeleterhubarb sorbet
ReplyDelete@Vicki--"freeze whole tomatoes to use over the winter." How do you freeze whole tomatoes?
ReplyDeleteI have childhood memories of corn from my father's garden (hm, silver gentleman or such white corn), warm tomatoes, and honking big, juicy peaches chock full of flavor.
Ooops libbydodd at comcast dot net
DeleteOur local farm stand sells tender corn. We often pick this up whenever we drive by.
DeleteI've also frozen whole tomatoes when we have more than we can eat or share with neighbors. The tomatoes you freeze should have unbroken skin. I put several in plastic freezer bags and use them for soups or sauces in the winter. They're not suitable for cutting an eating as is. Defrost them before you use them so you can easily peel the skin. The flavor is much stronger than canned tomatoes from the supermarket.~Maya
DeleteI learned freezing whole Roma tomatoes from my fellow-gardener sister, Libby. As MaryAnn says, pop them in a zip-lock bag and freeze. Run under cold or warm water in the winter and the skins just melt off!
DeleteI have a garden every year. A lot of the times I make up a quick veggie stir fry for dinner with the veggies from my garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance!!
jarjm1980(@)hotmail(dot)com
Veggie stir fries are the best!
DeleteI’ve had a bumper crop of cucumbers this summer so I’ve been making lots of cucumber salad. sgiden at verizon(.)net
ReplyDeleteUs too! Fresh cucumbers taste so much better than the those from the supermarket in the winter.
DeleteGuacamole with fresh tomatoes! So amazing. Or corn on the cob. I don't have a garden, so these are sourced from family, friends, farms market or roadside stands. khpinelake (at) gmail (dot) com Thanks for the ideas!
ReplyDeleteYou had me at guacamole and corn, lol.
ReplyDeleteGrowing you own tomatoes and basil is my favorite by far. I make a beautiful, tasty and delectable salad on a hot summer day. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI do too!
DeleteSomehow, even as the granddaughter and niece of multiple farmers, that gene bypassed me! When the farmer's market has fresh tomatoes, chilis, onions and cilantro, I make a yummy fresh salsa that's good for dipping and topping all kinds of dishes (eggs of all kinds, taco salad, etc.) Back when I had space and was still fighting a losing gardener battle, I would grow and can dilled green beans. makennedyinaz(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHey, farmers' markets are your friend!
DeleteFarmer's Markets are always a delight. We buy eggplant, cucumber, tomatoes and kale. I create a roasted vegetable salad. when I do get ambitious I prepare a garden filled with basil, tomatoes, zucchini and peppers. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteAll the best of local produce!
DeleteA BLT with fresh tomato is hard to beat! However, I do love a casserole with yellow crookneck squash. Sour cream, plenty of cheddar, onion, and other goodies. patdupuy@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! A BLT with a fresh garden tomato. Perfect summer sandwich. Count me in, Pat!
DeleteJust fresh, home grown, RED tomatoes, just as they are (rinsed off, of course!) when the season is over, & we must return to store bought…SO sad.
ReplyDeleteGreek green beans. Green beans, potatoes and tomatoes. Tomato sandwiches on white toast with mayo is also one of my favorite things in the world.
ReplyDeleteI love fresh tomatoes from the local farmer's market. I slice them and then make a vinaigrette consisting of a combination of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic salt and pepper. cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteFarmer's markets and fresh summer produce are starters for many wonderful recipes! Here are some of my favorites! I love tiny yellow summer squash sliced and cooked in water with lots of chopped onion and chopped bacon. I love my home made gazpacho with wonderful produce like summer tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and jalapeno slices. A simple and delicious 'mater sandwich with sliced tomato on white bread with Duke's Mayo is delicious on its own and you can also add cooked bacon and lettuce for a BLT! Corn on the cob is thrilling in the summer. I douse whole ears of corn still in the husk under running water. I microwave it on high for 3 minutes. Let the corn wait in the microwave until it cools because it will be blazing hot for a while. When the corn has cooled off a bit, you can easily remove the husks and the silk. Butter the corn and enjoy! Microwaving is so easy when you are cooking just one or two ears of corn.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
I love to make caprese salad from my garden tomatoes and fresh basil in my herb garden. Or sliced garden cucumbers on ice with apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper. Jconklin7911@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWe have planted rosemary and thyme for dishes that ask for these herbs, like roasted chicken, BBQ chicken etc, we also planted a tomato plant, but it has yet to fruit. When we visit the local farmers markets, we would buy some heirloom tomatoes to make some delicious caprese salad..The dishes with tomatoes that are featured here are yummy 😋. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletecwkue(at)yahoo(dot)com
We didn’t have a garden this year, but a simple salad I’ve thrown together is a Watermelon Salad. Watermelon pieces, torn mint leaves and feta cheese mixed in.,
ReplyDeleteWe make a bourbon cherry crisp with Farmer's Market chetries every summer. Broiled Eggplant with creamed spinach and tomato is another favorite.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I grow in my garden is raspberries and I eat them as I pick them. They are so good right off the bush. My favorite things to make from the Farmers Market is a BLT, fried summer squash and cucumber and onion salad. They taste so good this time of year.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
BLT with tomatoes and lettuce from our local farmer's market! Yum!!!😀 🤞jcbuckmark@yahoo.com
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing. so much yummy wonderfulness. I like to grow tomatoes, cilantro, peppers for making my own salsa. I also add sweet onion, cucumber and fresh strawberries
ReplyDeletequilting dash lady at comcast dot net
My roommate grew peas which she steamed and we had for dinner. Yummy. I love zucchini fixed any way.
ReplyDeletekaye.killgore (at) comcast (dot) net
I don't have a favorite my email is rmward92@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteRose Ward
We have a farmers market here and I go get tomatoes and peas. Make a salad with tomatoes and different ingredients. I even visit the plant stand.
ReplyDeletekfowl4827 at Gmail.com
DeleteI have lots of basil and tomatoes. I make pesto and Basil butter to use in the winter. Summer is Greek salad, bruschetta, fresh salsa. Love this time of year. cindybondaroff@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the sweet corn they grow in Mills River NC. I only grow herbs now. suefoster109 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes and for the giveaway opportunity! Looks like I have some new summer salads to try and pasta sauces. I haven't had a garden in a gew years but I enjoy making ratatouille , never thought to give is a southwest flair 🤯. Thank you ladies! tracy.condie@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWe make various things- can tomatoes for soups and sauces in the winter, can kraut, can squash, make squash pickles, vacuum freeze peppers and pinions for use later in the winter, can beans, vacuum seal and freeze okra, dry fresh herbs for later use
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
Luvs2read4fun (at) gmail (dot) com
I like to buy the biggest zucchini that I can find and make a zucchini pizza. I cut it in half lengthways and scoop put the middle. I mix the scooped out middle with hamburger meat and tomato sauce and seasonings and stuff it back into the shells and cover it with shredded cheese and bake it. Me and my kids all love it.
ReplyDeleteBesides just eating fresh tomatoes, my favorite summertime meal is a BLT and sweet corn. With a cucumber and onion salad. Yum!
ReplyDeletekathyclugston3@gmail.com
I love making pies with any fruit purchase! Yum!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Heather
hsdh1525@gmail.com
There are so, so many. But my current favorite is freezer pickles. You can turn 8 cucumbers into 6 jars of deliciousness for your freezer with very little work. Love 'em.
ReplyDelete