Taste of Summer

[jglass]

At Sams I got a ton of cherry tomatoes and some of the medium tomatoes a little larger than a marble. Got baby mixed greens and baby spinach. For dinner last night and lunch today I had bruschetta on toasted roasted garlic french bread I baked myself. I cut the cherry tomatoes in half and grated in some garlic. Threw in alot of fresh basil I got at Walmart and my best olive oil, salt and pepper. I have breath that could make a dragon cry but it was so good. I told Jon it was a taste of summer.
When they weather starts to warm up I crave veggies. I made some roasted garlic bread croutons from part of the bread I made to enjoy in salads.

I did get Jon to actually try seedless grapes the other day and he liked them. I'm gonna pick him some up at the store today after he has physical therapy.

 

[jfain]

I used to buy tomatoes year round but now that I’ve been raising them myself I find I like to start buying them about May or June but not in the winter. I love tomatoes and I thought I could never get enough of them but when they are in season which for me in Columbus is July-November, I eat them every single day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then I take a bunch of them to make sauce for the winter which I’m still using about once a week. Right now I’m craving winter veggies but as soon as the weather warms up I’m sure I’ll be tomato crazy all over again

 

[jglass]

If you find good cherry or grape tomatoes in the winter they are pretty close to tasting like tomatoes from the garden. If I gave garden tomatoes a 10 I would give the ones I got at Sams around an 8 for taste. I got some cherry tomatoes at the local store in town a week ago and they had no taste. I threw them out. I always try and look for ones with a deep red color. I'm like you in the summer I eat tomatoes three times a day and for snacks lol. Winter cherry tomatoes are good to roast and then toss in pasta salad.

 

[jfain]

I agree the cherry tomatoes are the way to go in the winter. I think I just totally burnt out on them last September. I couldn't even look at one for a month. I'm feeling the same way about cucumbers. Normally I love them but I ate too many and now I just can't stand the idea of eating a cucumber but I know as soon as the weather warms up I will start craving them.

 

[jglass]

I was talking to a woman at Jon's physical therapy place today and she told me their fruit tree is starting to bud already. I hate to hear that because any tree that blooms this early will freeze.

 

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Yeah it has been a false early spring here too! I just know that another shocking blast of Cold Northern weather will be coming before true Spring has sprung! Poor fruit trees But is is so nice to see those lovely bright yellow daffodils blooming!

 

[jglass]

Yeah they are giving snow for here next week. It has been up to 60 or atleast close to that for a week now. It does this every year and Jon's Dad's apple trees always bloom to early and get bitten by frost.

 

[Mama Mangia]

I tried something - I purchased grape tomatoes back in summer, washed and dried, and stuffed them in a quart jar and stuck them in the freezer. Just a crazy experiement I had to do.

I took them out last month - half I used in a skillet dish (tossed in frozen) and the rest I let thaw in the fridge.

Surprising - they were good in salad - never would have known they were frozen!

 

[jglass]

I may try that this year. Thanks for the tip Mama.
Jons Dad is gonna add butternut squash to the garden this year. He loves sweet potatoes but had no idea butternut squash tasted like them til I fixed him one. He has trouble getting sweet potatoes to grow for some reason. He had a good start on them at his other sons garden but a ground hog got to them and ate the vines all up.

 

[chubbyalaskagriz]

This time of year when so little produce inspires or pleases, I do find grape tomatoes to still taste pretty darned good! I can sit and eat them non-stop w/ a sprinkling of course salt- or dipt in a bit of Hellmann's.

Mama- frozen? WOW. THIS is good to know! Dang- this info could change the world!

 

[Mama Mangia]

This time of year when so little produce inspires or pleases, I do find grape tomatoes to still taste pretty darned good! I can sit and eat them non-stop w/ a sprinkling of course salt- or dipt in a bit of Hellmann's.

Mama- frozen? WOW. THIS is good to know! Dang- this info could change the world!

When I froze them they were nice and firm - not soft or overripe. Try a few and see if you like it. I did a 48 oz. jar full. I took the chance - you may want to do less to try.