Tag Archives: tomatoes

The Joy of Gardening

15 May

I did not know how much joy a garden could bring until recently! The excitement of seeing what you planted grow and flourish and biggest bonus- it changes daily, makes gardening so fun!

I obviously think gardening is more fun than Bailey does :)

Big thanks to my husband who helped me build this raised garden bed that has become my hobby!! We used this plan and soil combination (from pinterest, what did we do before that?) to plant*:

Basil
Red and Yellow Bell Peppers
Jalapenos
Eggplant
Yellow crookneck Squash
Mr. Stripey Heirloom Tomatoes
German Johnson Heirloom Tomatoes

*I bought all of my plants from Lowes (with a 10% military discount) and saved the receipt because they will replace your plant if it dies!

Here it was the day I planted everything April 9th  and today May 15th!

In just a moth everything has doubled! Love this baby bell pepper!

Squash!

What are you growing in your garden!?

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Flank Steak with a Bloody Mary Salad

30 Jun

When I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit I knew I had to make it! I frequently enjoy bloody marys (although we usually have bloody Caesars, made with clamato juice instead of tomato juice) so the thought of those flavors in a tomato salad sounded wonderful! Plus, this recipe is EASY. I whipped this up (whipping things up sounds so fancy!) before going to a pool party last weekend! You can make the salad and marinate the meat, hang out by the pool, come back to it a few hours later and after a quick grilling, have a delicious meal. This could be a perfect for a fourth of July meal served with one of these desserts!

Image from http://www.bonappetit.com

This was really tasty and very simple! I give it 4 stars (out of 5)!

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Pasta Caprese with Lemon Vinaigrette

31 May

Speaking of Memorial Day…

I have made the perfect summer BBQ side dish.

I think everyone loves Caprese salads.  Am I wrong?

Ripe, juicy tomatoes with fresh, creamy mozzarella and spicy basil?  Um yes!

Add in pasta (which makes everything better) and a vinaigrette that I would drink with a straw and you will be the hit of the party.

Pasta Caprese with Lemon Vinaigrette

**I took a pointer from Cook’s Illustrated and froze the mozzarella cheese prior to tossing it with the warm pasta.  By freezing the cheese for about 10 minutes, it is cold enough to not turn into a gooey mess and lose its shape when combined with the hot pasta.  By the time you serve it, the cheese will no longer be cold and will be at a temperature and texture that is just right!

Ingredients:

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

juice from 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed, dried and chopped in half

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped into cubes, 1/2 inch square

1 pound small pasta (orecchiette or shells), cooked according to directions

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

1.  Make vinaigrette.  Combine first 7 ingredients into a medium bowl.  Whisk until combined.  Taste and tweak to preferences.  Taste again.  Taste again.  Then remember that you need some for the pasta.  Taste again.  Stop tasting.

Where's a straw?

2.  Marinate tomatoes.  Place cut tomatoes into bowl with vinaigrette.  Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

3.  Make pasta salad.  Place chopped mozzarella on to a large plate in an even layer.  Once pasta is added to boiling water, place mozzarella in freezer.  Right before draining the pasta, remove cheese from the freezer.  In a large serving bowl, combine drained warm pasta, cold cheese and marinated tomatoes and vinaigrette.  Toss to combine.  Stir in chopped basil and serve immediately.

This salad just screams summer.  Can’t you hear it?

For printable recipe, click here.

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Roasted Grape Tomatoes

26 May

You know I love my quick easy sides.

Well I’ve done it again. 

I found these beautiful yellow grape tomatoes at Fresh and Easy, but you can use regular red grape tomatoes for this recipe. 

This is meant to be a side dish, buy I may have been known to just eat these roasted babies as a snack.  The tomatoes become sweet and juicy and the garlic becomes crispy, golden and muy delicioso.  It makes the house smell Awesome.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed and dried

1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs of choice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the basil. 

3.  Place tomatoes on to a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tomatoes start to burst.

4.  Remove tomatoes from oven, add basil and stir to combine.  Serve. 

Dig in!  These beauties are great served alongside grilled chicken, fish, pork, steak, well, anything grilled and would also be phenomenal served with some pasta lightly tossed in olive oil or butter.

For printable recipe, click here.

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