One thing I love about summers in New Jersey is the abundance of sweet, flavorful homegrown vegetables. And this was going to be the year that I, a recovering black thumb, attempted my first vegetable garden. I was going to plant tomatoes, eggplant, all sorts of peppers, cucumbers, garlic, basil, thyme … oh, it was to be a a mad melange of nature’s bounty in the middle of my backyard. The area was fenced off, the ground tilled, and the recipes printed and ready to be called into action.
Unfortunately, nature’s bounty had to be put on hold. Blame it on the SHSS – Stupid Health Stick Syndrome. So there was to be no harvesting plump tomatoes and hot peppers, no chomping down on crunchy baby cucumbers, no garlicky grilled eggplant and zucchini, no “yeah, I grew those myself” remarks over vegetable crudites and homemade ranch dressing laden with fresh herbs.
But I’m not ticked off. Really, I’m not. Okay, maybe just a little. But I’ll get over it. Eventually.
Meanwhile, my husband’s co-worker who owns acreage somewhere in Pennsylvania was untouched by SHSS. (I am beginning to wonder if NJ might have something to do with SHSS. Shrew may have to help me investigate the validity of that theory.) So for the past few weeks, we’ve been the grateful beneficiaries of said co-worker’s generosity, and his overwhelming surplus.
Aren’t they lovely?
Now would not be a time to remind me that I’m allergic to tomatoes. I’ve decided that homegrown tomatoes don’t count because they’re ultra-mega-super organic. Yeah, that’s the official FDA designation for it.
First, we made sauce. Lots of sauce. But the tomatoes kept coming. Then we had tomato salad with mozzarella cheese. Lots of it. And still the tomatoes kept coming.
Then, my husband sharpened our favorite chef’s knife, and got to work.
Pretty, yes? No comments suggesting someone might possibly be OC about arranging tomato halves.
A light drizzle with olive oil, some salt and pepper, a 225 degree oven and six hours later ….
I never was a big fan of sun-dried tomatoes, but these? These luscious, flavor bombs that I made with my own hands? There are no words.
I made four trays of this. And now they’re stored in two large bottles in the refrigerator, along with the peeled roasted garlic cloves that continue to flavor these babies as they sit together. Our three favorite uses for them:
- As a salad condiment, like olives.
- Sandwiched between two slices of garlic-toasted crusty bread, with lettuce, red onion, and a thin slice of sharp cheese. Yum.
- Mixed in with slices of chicken breast, shitake mushrooms, crushed garlic, fresh basil, and a light cream sauce over pasta.
Or you could just pop them in your mouth, savor the concentrated flavors, and be thankful for the power to transform something straight from the earth into something short of heaven.
love the new look! And look at dose joisey reds!
Cool new blog look!
I must say, I am jealous of your friend’s bounty. I did all the back-breaking work of planting the garden this year (check around day 150-ish in the 365) and while I did enjoy some yummy peas, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, a bad case of blight (due to a very wet summer here) and a tomato hornworm invasion devasted a lot of my harvest.
Shrewbiedoobiedoo! Miss ya, pal. Hope the vacation’s going well!
Karma, our summer was exceptionally dry, with bursts of rain here and there. I actually had to water our newly-planted fig tree quite often, as the poor thing was struggling to stay healthy.
I am jealous of that Pennsylvania bounty as well. Then again, the man has about six acres there.
Wow!!! Gorgeous shots…and those oven dried tomatoes look divine!!!!!!!!
I’m a recovering gardener myself. :) After growing all sorts of things, and doing the whole canning tomatoes bit, I think I’ve finally admitted to myself that I hate gardening. I love the home grown eating part, but I hate the work that goes into it. Next summer I’m going to attempt a teeny little tomato and herb garden and maybe I’ll enjoy it more. Less weeding=less hate.
I am a Black Thumb society member although I wish I wasn’t it’s sad but true. I love your photos. I am trying so hard to make my photography better but just have not mastered it yet. Hopefully that will come.
Queen Bee, just keep at it and it’ll come. I enjoyed the Florida photos you had on your site. Some of the grainy (or noisy, in digital-speak) photos can be improved by making sure your ISO is set to a low number – try to stick to 200 or lower. I loathe letting the camera pick the ISO automatically. Too high, and an otherwise great shot can be ruined.
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