Simply Balisha

Simply Balisha

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Mostly About Tomatoes

Things growing together. A mish mosh of leaves and fruits. The leaves have been a meal for some insect, but the tomatoes are not blemished.

I needed a tomato for my salad today and went out to pick a few. I picked six. I only used one large one for the salad. I had some buttermilk, so I made  a homemade ranch dressing. It coated a salad made of different lettuces, the tomato,sliced radishes, cucumbers, fresh mushrooms, parsley, and some chives. This is my go to salad for days when I'm in a hurry. We cleaned up the fridge sharing one stuffed green pepper, Joe ate the last of the fried chicken, and a small amount of mashed potatoes was shared.

A trip to the farm stand this afternoon was futile. There was no one selling anything....it seems that maybe the sweet corn is about finished.

I was looking for tomatoes the other day, because I didn't feel that I would have enough of mine for my meal, so I shopped at our little market here in town. They had advertised "local tomatoes" in their ad. They weren't like any local tomatoes that I've ever had. They looked good on the outside, but the insides were black where the seeds are supposed to be. I had to throw them out. I'm going to mention this when I go to the store again. It's no bargain if you can't eat them.

We have a George Foreman Grill....a big family sized one. It sits in the cupboard... unused most of the time. Yesterday, I mentioned a recipe that I found in a blog.... that needed a small grill for some sliced zucchini. I got it out and it worked beautifully. I plan to use it more as we move into the fall season. It works beautifully for sandwiches, but I have never used it for much more. I got out the cookbook that I ordered and found many recipes for it. Recipes that are a little healthier...by draining the fat off foods.

The rain did come this morning and we had a day that was not as hot as predicted. Now, we are supposed to have cooler weather move in. Looking out the window, I see green lawns and no sign of brown. The recent rains have helped the grass. Our man who mows should be happy. He didn't have much work for the past couple of weeks. Now, he can start mowing again.

I started this post with a mish mosh of leaves. I'll end it saying that this was a mish mosh of words. Thoughts all jumbled together about food and gardening.

Speaking of tomatoes.....here's a picture of Great Grandson Luke at a farm, just a short time ago. He was picking raspberries, but this looks like he's busy in among the tomato plants. It's his 4th birthday today. It seems like he was just born. The time has passed so fast. He's a bright little charmer. Always interested in new things. Eager to learn and sharp as a tack. It's going to be fun watching him grow up. Happy Birthday Luke....
Love you lots...

Have a nice evening everyone,
Balisha

12 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday to Luke; what a cute photo. We visited the farm market today. We will eat well for several days now!!!
    I would like to have a GF grill.

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    1. If you ever get one....get a big one. The smaller ones are not as useful....can only fix a small amount of food.

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  2. That is a cute picture of your great grandson. It looks like he was having a fun time. I am battling tooth, nail, and chicken wire with the mischievous squirrel who keeps eating my tomatoes. A while back we bought some of those tomatoes with the black looking seeds. They looked good on the outside, but I noticed the seeds being an odd color and the tomatoes tasted like tomato leaves smell instead of like tomatoes. I wondered at the time if those were some kind of tomato that had been hybridized so that they could not be grown from their seed. I am looking forward to the cool weather that they are predicting. It will be good to give the air conditioner a rest for a little while.

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    1. The ones I cut open didn't look like any tomato that I had ever seen. I didn't even taste one...just tossed it. Maybe it was some kind of new tomato.
      The cooler weather is here and the AC can rest.

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  3. Is he about to stomp that tomato on the ground? Scamps! They are all scamps at that age and I love them for their "Scampiness"

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    1. He wasn't stomping on the tomato. He was walking so carefully so that he wouldn't step on one.

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  4. Happy birthday to Luke! Oh, how I dread the end of tomato season. Crunchy little cucumbers will be missed as well. Tomorrow is our farmers' market. I'm thinking of new ways to use fresh tomatoes for the next few weeks.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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    1. I'll miss the fresh veggies too. We are lucky now days to have such a variety of produce all year long. I can remember when certain things could only be bought in season. I've found that tomatoes with the little sticker that says Canada...are about the best ones for winter time. As Ina says....she uses canned during the off season for the best flavor.

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  5. I love that picture of him in the tomato rows! :)

    I have to pick tomatoes again today...looks like so many are ripening now all at once!

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  6. LOL Me again...BY THE WAY : I still have some of your hyacinth bean vine seeds...which I'd showed to my little grandson at some point and he agreed that they look like pretty buttons. Well everytime he is here he has to get his kiddie scissors, go cut a few pods off, and open them up to see if they have turned into buttons yet! :)

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  7. Lots of tomatoes coming in now, the chipmunks like to chew on them and outright steal the little cherry size ones!

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  8. What a beautiful blog, Balisha! Lovely photos. And i'm coveting that salad a little. It sounds super delicious! :)

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