Balsamic Marinated Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Balsamic Marinated Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

One of the joys of having a kitchen garden is to take fruit, vegetables and herbs, fresh from the garden, and make something delicious to eat.  This summer, my Sun Sweet tomatoes have provided a bountiful harvest of sweet cherry tomatoes.  Yesterday I made this very delicious Balsamic Marinated Tomato and Mozzarella Salad to eat with dinner.  I used cherry tomatoes, basil and a clove of garlic, all grown in my garden.  Yummy delicious! 

Hot summer harvest...

Summer Harvest:  Jalapenos, Better Bush tomatoes, Sun Sweet cherry tomatoes

There are many gaps in my postings, from early spring where I left off, to now.  Here we are, already at mid-summer, in the midst of a hot and humid July.  The plants are not bothered by the humidity, and thrive with mindful watering and care; but for me, the humidity makes me wilt!  My zucchini (there was only one) succumbed early on to some kind of leaf virus, and I had to pull that one.  The Sugar Pie pumpkin plant (again, only one vine) didn't survive past its initial lush beginnings; my greatest disappointment.  I had also planted two Sugar Baby watermelon on the dirt hill and, so far, there is only one good-sized mini melon, almost ready to pick.  If I were to grow these again, I might put a protective covering over the vines to prevent leaf miner damage, and I would also enrich the soil with organic stuff.  But that's a handful of work for such hit and miss results, so I'll have give some thought to what goes into the garden next season.  All that aside, the jalapenos, and New Mexico peppers, as well as the tomatoes, are all thriving and giving fruit.  Besides jalapeno poppers, I'll have to think of what to do with so many jalapenos.  A girl can eat only so much salsa.

Seedlings and other things

Seedlings

Kale, sweet onions and garlic

At the end of April, here's a small peek of early spring at the Casita.  For the very first time, I planted veggie seeds for transplanting.  To my amazement and delight, they have sprouted and I now have healthy seedlings ready to go.  My selection include Tom Thumb peas, Sugar Daddy snap peas, a hybrid zucchini for small gardens, Micro Tom tomatoes (the world's smallest tomato plant?), bush cucumbers and Sugar Pie pumpkin seeds.  While we have a pretty big back yard, my actual planting area is limited; hence the micro-size selections.  The kale, green onions and sweet onions have flourished beyond my greatest expectations.  And the garlic is growing very well, too.  There's surely no greater pleasure that gathering one's own veggies from the kitchen garden.  Ray and I have enjoyed many green smoothies this season, using fresh-picked kale leaves.  Kale leaves, you may ask?  Mixed with bananas, pineapple and strawberry yogurt, the flavor is truly yummy.  As for roses, we've been in Temecula for nearly three years now and this year's been a bumper crop; healthy, fragrant and oh so sweet!  I've still much to do and, therefore, at this time of year, more likely than not, you'll find me in the garden.


Roses in full bloom, April 2013

 Kale (Winterbor variety) seedlings in the garden, next to green onions and garlic.  Temps continue to be cold, which is said to benefit kale, the colder the better to keep bitterness away.  What to do with kale?  I use mine to make Green Smoothies, a healthful drink made with yogurt, bananas, pineapple and kale (or spinach), all blended together; sweet and yummy, like a milkshake.  This is true!

Garlic 'n green onion

Garlic and green onions; planted late December 2012

Itching to get back to gardening despite that it's winter.   I visited the local nursery and had hoped to bring home a variety of herbs, but offerings are limited this time of year.  I was especially looking for parsley, cilantro, lemon thyme and sage.  Still, there were garlic and green onion seedlings available and so I picked up a couple of six paks.  I passed on lettuces and bak choi;  we're not big salad eaters and my picked lettuce gets wilty so quickly anyway.  I do enjoy growing green onions and have had good success with those.  Never have grown garlic before, but want to give it a go and see what happens.  As always, I bought a pak of Johnny Jump Ups, my favorite little flower, to set in among the herbs and such.

Wintertime at the Casita; on the lookout

January 2013; Happy New Year.  Frosty outside, but not frozen.  Little gnome friend, looking over the garden in the back.

Sloped garden plan...

Found this photo while searching the internet for sloped garden alternatives.  Ours is just barely sloped along the back fence and this would work just right.  Ray says it's a "can do" plan and this is what I'm hoping to have in place for spring planting next year.