Inundated With Tomatoes

Fall is here at last. The tomatoes went crazy in my garden this year. They grew so tall they pulled the tomato cages over. I had to stake them up with thick bamboo stakes and use string to tie them on. Then the fruit came—baskets of ripe tomatoes. Right beside the tomatoes were two cucumber vines that kept spitting out large prickly cukes. What to do with all that food?

I gave a bunch away, but looked for recipes to use it. This is a gazpacho soup which used both a ton of tomatoes and a bunch of cucumber. Perfect!

I loved it. My husband said he wasn’t used to this kind of food, and although it was very good, it left him wondering what was for dinner!

Recipe –

Large prickly cucumber, peeled and sliced

Tomatoes in equal amount to the cuke

2 cloves garlic

¾ c. red onion

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Parsley leaves, handful

Oregano leaves, handful

Put through blender till smooth and season to taste with salt, pepper, Worchestershire sauce, bruschetta spices. Slice an avocado and add to soup, cool in refrigerator. Serve with crusty bread, toasted, and topped with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

What do you do with  your tomatoes?

Crabapple blossoms show promise for great harvest

Crabapple blossoms (To follow, click on link at the bottom right)

The crabapple tree is loaded with blossom this year. It looks very promising for a great harvest. Now if only the apples stay on the tree long enough to be ready for picking in the fall. I have had to fight the squirrels for them every year for a while now. The first year, I had checked the apples and decided they needed another few weeks. But three days later, there wasn’t an apple left on the tree.

I make crabapple jelly for toast. Spicy crabapple jelly for dotting on cheese and crackers. Crabapple butter which is delightful with chicken or pork. Crabapple sauce, just because we like it.

And the good thing is – I don’t have to do any of that for months yet. There is still time to finish the cover for the first book of my new series, The Last War. I’m so excited.

Let’s hope it’s a good harvest this year.