Tomato Harvest

Ron and Bill's fresh tomatoes

The tomatoes are on!

Each year I buy a couple of six packs of tomatoes at my favorite local garden spot, Peppers in Milton.  I buy one six pack of small tomatoes and one six pack of regular size slicing tomatoes.

Then I plant the individual plants around my flower beds in my backyard.  I also have oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, chives, dill, and fresh basil plants planted throughout my raised beds are the far end of our backyard and the flower beds next to the house.

This is the best time of the year, harvesting our own tomatoes and herbs.  I love it!  Nothing like your own herbs and veggies.  Bill loves the tomatoes.  He cuts them up in a bowl and puts a couple of dollops of mayonnaise and that is his lunch.  I use the tomatoes, basil, and oregano in my fresh pasta salad (which I'll post the recipe in a future post).

We couldn't grow tomatoes or many other vegetables at our home in Pennsylvania because of the deer.  We don't have that problem here.  So instead of growing salads for the local deer population we're growing the good stuff for ourselves.

Summertime, I love it!

Italian Dressing Garden Pasta Salad

Italian Dressing Garden Pasta Salad

During these hot and humid days of summer my appetite is for salads.  The past month or so I've made several batches of potato salad.  I'm all potato salad out now so it is time for pasta salad.  I just made this recipe this afternoon (with my own variations of course) and I'm telling you...THIS IS GOOD!

I'm sharing.  Here is the recipe (with my changes):

ITALIAN DRESSING GARDEN PASTA SALAD

3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. fresh basil, finely minced (right out of my garden!)
1/2 tsp. fresh oregano,finely minced (again, right out of my garden)
2 tsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional - I optioned because I like a "bite")

FOR THE SALAD

8 oz (1/2 lb), pasta, cooked (I used the spiral garden vegetable tricolor rotini)
3 cups assorted vegetables (I used a minced red and green pepper and black olives and cherry tomatoes)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 peeled and chopped cucumber

Using a food processor or blender mix the salad dressing (there is no need to mince the garlic and herbs)

Cook the pasta according to package directions  Using colorful pasta and vegetables makes for an especially attractive salad.  Thats why I use multicolored rotini pasta.

Cook the pasta 9 to 11 minutes in boiling water.  Remove and drain and cool.

Add the vegetables to the pasta salad and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings.  More salt, pepper, herbs and cheese may be added or a little lemon zest of juice, or even a pinch of granulated garlic.

Refrigerate pasta at last two hours before serving.  Enjoy!

Garden salad ready for the refrigerator to be enjoyed at a later date