Summer Vegetables

[mitch5252]

I just cut into a winter, store-bought, hard, cardboard-tasting tomato. Even summer store-bought tomatoes are better than what the grocery robs you for in the winter.

Is anyone else drooling over the thought of plump, juicy, out-of-this-world flavor, homegrown tomatoes??? And peppers, and cukes, and cantalopes...and herbs - basil, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, but mostly fresh basil...did I mention basil? Bruschetta with fresh garden tomatoes and fresh picked basil, EVOO, and garlic rubbed on the bread...oh, hurry up, Spring!!!!

Last year's first crop...

[bluepinecones]

Oh, I have been craving a good tomato for about two weeks now. Cannot stand those little red rocks you find in winter around the stores. Summer ones at regular grocery store not much better. We can thank the Univ of GA for that I guess as they were the ones who first developed tomato varieties to with stand mechanical pickers. Resulted in more tomatoes to market at cheaper (?) prices but someone forgot to taste test them I think! Local farmers market or friends with garden are best source for good tomatoes around here.

[Sparkle]

Many moons ago Campbells Soup had a promotion where they gave away a packet of tomato seeds with every can of tomato soup you bought. I planted them and indeed got lots of tomatoes. Only problem? They ALL ripened on the exact same day. Fine if you were canning, but not good for the sandwich and salad bunch. I also planted Heirloom Tomatoes one year and they were delicious, but there were only maybe 6 tomatoes to a vine.

[bluepinecones]

They are doing another seed give away - just don't plant all at the same time if you want to space out the harvest time

Campbell Soup Co. is making available specially cultivated seeds used to grow tomatoes for its tomato soup. Thru June 21, 2009 any household that purchases any variety of Campbells Condensed soup and enters the code on the can at

www.HelpGrowYourSoup.com

can request a free packet of Campbell's tomato seeds to plant in their family garden.

[Sparkle]

Well who would have thunk of that! Space out the plantings! Duh...just as well I'm not gardening anymore.

[Carolinagal]

Well, Mitch, you got me to thinking how good everything might taste here, very soon. We have a farmers market down town square, starts this Sat. in fact. Its all home grown right in this area. Its a means for the farmers to make a little income and a way to get rid of what they won't be canning up for themselves, so no waste. I'll have to see what they have this first week-end. You've made me very hungry for the good stuff.

Take care

Carol

[WickedLady]

Our farmers' market doesn't open til the first of May. Darn.

[Lotus]

Yummm...add some bacon and bread to that tomato!! Can't wait!

Lotus (Becky)

[Redetotry]

Ohhh you are reading my mind, our farmers market opens this Saturday too and I can hardly wait. There won't be much but already some of the locals have been bringing beautiful leaf lettuce to our Coop. I don't buy tomatoes in the winter they taste too icky. Although, I did spring for a small carton of organic cherry tomatoes, grown in the USA last week at the Coop and they were surprisingly tasty.

Think sweet corn on the cob and watermelon....drool.

[mitch5252]

Yummm...add some bacon and bread to that tomato!! Can't wait!

Lotus (Becky)

And if you've ever had homemade mayonnaise, you'll never go back to the stuff in a jar! (and it's really easy, too!) Believe it or not, that's what we had for lunch today - BLT with homemade mayo - YUUUMMEEEEE...

[Lotus]

Michelle,
That may be so for some folks, but I don't even eat mayo period!! It seems as though you are very active in the kitchen....and love it. And speaking of mayo, grilled hamburgers our last pretty day. Ron was putting mayo on his bun and noticed it had expired in late Feb 2009. I said we can pick up a jar next time at store. Ron then said it hasn't killed him yet. He'll just use it till we sell our house and move to Nevada....get a new jar there!

Lotus