UPDATED GARDEN PROGRESS

These plants are going crazy!  The word in our neighborhood is; you can't grow tomatoes.  AND last year, I didn't, despite all of the money and effort.  Totally up for the challenge, I'm trying again and so far so good.  I'm always holding my breath.   A few of the cherry tomatoes have already been consumed.  YUM

CHECK OUT THE GARDEN PROGRESS

tomato plants in earth boxes

my new BUSH tomatoes

hidden zucchini / can you spot it?

more earth box tomatoes

cherry tomatoes ripen early

YES, the occasional tropical flower in my garden

limes growing nicely

eggplant, 2 kinds

background, radishes and pole beans

pole beans, already harvesting

the basil garden

SUMMER'S GARDEN / the good, the bad and the ugly

I got an early start this summer (late March) and the garden is already producing.  This yard is a cook's delight.  My garden is the epitome of organic field to table.  Already I have juiced, grilled, sauteed and roasted.  Here's a few of the early pictures.

first of the zucchini

first radish crop

carrot from hell / left in the ground way too many months

YIKES!  and this came from a seed?

veggies ready for roasting

another combination of roasted vegetables, includes the garden greenbeans

Nancy's Italian zucchini  / previously posted

NANCY T'S ITALIAN ZUCCHINI

Nancy, Marlboro's best school secretary ever, showed me this one.  It's quick and delicious.  Serve with some whole wheat pasta.

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium onion, cut into cubes
2 medium zucchinis, cut into large cubes
2 cans chopped tomatoes, with basil, oil and garlic
1/4 cup red wine
fresh basil and oregano
1 tsp powdered veggie broth
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper


DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer till all the flavors marry and veggies are soft.  Serve atop a good thick whole wheat pasta.

Mixture ready to cover and simmer

PICKLES

These garden "mistake" cukes ended up making a great snack that involved NO cooking.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cold water
1/3 cup wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
5 whole peppercorns - fresh
fresh ground pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 lg. bunch fresh dill
about 6 pickling cucumbers

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the above in a bowl (then later transfer to a mason jar) OR a lg. zip lock baggie.

Cut each pickling cucumber into halves.  Cut both halves into thirds.  You can also cut and discard the ends then slice the cucumbers for "chip" pickles.  Do NOT store in a metal container.

Add sliced cucumbers.

These only have to sit 2 days in the fridge to season.  The flavor variations are endless.  They are quick and taste great.  I have a batch brewing right now with sliced red onion and even more dill.

the mixture for "pickling"

fresh dill from the garden

cut properly and ready to marinate