The Taste of Summer

It was worth the wait. The first ripe tomato from my garden was eaten with much ceremony and gratitude. Nothing tastes of summer like a sun-ripened tomato. Every day, more tomatoes appear, promising a bountiful, if late, harvest. I ate the first plump treasure in a Caprese salad. It made a perfect summer lunch.

                                      

Caprese Salad

serves 1

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 large tomato, sliced thinly

3 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese

1 fresh basil leaf, thinly sliced

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Arrange slices of tomato and cheese on a serving plate. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil dressing. Sprinkle with basil.

The Egg Recall

The current salmonella outbreak, linked to eggs, highlights the dangers of factory farming. Two egg farms are the source of salmonella infecting several states (13 states at last count.)  When you read how many brand names these eggs have been sold under, you understand how food packaging can give the illusion that there are more companies producing our food than actually are. The FDA is warning that the salmonella scare isn't over, and more brands may be recalled. To keep up-to-date on the recall, there are several websites that you can consult, including the two below:

Egg Safety Center

Federal Food Safety Information

In my opinion, this egg recall underlines the importance of finding quality, local sources for our food.

Tomatoes!!! (Finally)

Better late than never! My five tomato plants are starting to bear fruit!! I've counted 20 of the little jewels growing and more blooms are coming on. All of this is happening in spite of my overzealous pruning. My parents stopped by one day and tried to hold back their laughter while they explained my mistake. My plants resembled tomato trees instead of the bushy plants they should be. My dad pointed out that a "sucker" is a small branch growing in the V formed by two larger branches. These are the only branches that should be pruned.

Next year I will know better! But all is not lost and soon I will be tasting a homegrown tomato from my own garden!