The Best Vegetable-No I Mean Fruit

Ahhhhhh! It is tomato time. There is no other vegetable/fruit that come close, in my opinion. Technically a fruit, it is chock full of lycopene -a potential agent to prevent some cancers. It is also a good source of vitamin C, A, K, potassium,Manganese, Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper. It is the taste that makes me want to grow 30, yes 30 plants. I grow a variety: plum type, cherry type, huge beefsteaks, and heirlooms.

What do I do with all those tomatoes? First, they visually are beautiful. I have a platter on my counter all summer. You should never refrigerate them. Refrigeration makes them soft and mushy-yuk. Having these great jewels on my table inspires me daily.Use them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as snacks.

For breakfast, how 'bout an omelet. I love including tomatoes along with squash and peppers from the garden. Don't forget to use the broccoli florets that continue to grow after the heads were harvested. No time for an omelet? Why not just slice one to have with your scrambled egg beaters? Or better yet, top tomato slices with 0 fat cottage cheese. Ummm!

Now for lunch..nothing like an old fashion BLT. Want to make it make it a little lighter? Make your bread 100% whole wheat or sprouted wheat. Use light mayo or Vegeaise (a non-daily alternative). Turkey bacon is quite tasty.
My daughter, Kat, likes diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes , and tuna.
I like a rice cake spread with hummas with green olives, a big slice of tomato and low sodium turkey breast.

Dinnertime during tomato season looks like this.















This is all you need. The first picture shows sliced tomatoes, red onions, olives, basil leaves, feta cheese. Cracked pepper and dried oregano grace the dish. A splash good virgin olive oil, wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar finish the dish. It is a family favorite. A chunk of good bread is a must to sop up the juices. The second dish is a traditional insalata caprese. It is simply tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese (hard to find but can substitute with fresh whole mozzarella), basil leaves, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Feel free to add some balsamic too! Wow- each of the flavors just pop in your mouth. This is soooo good.

I have just finished canning my first batch of fresh marinara. Please look for my future posts where I will share my marinara recipe as well as other ways to prepare tomatoes. Enjoy local tomatoes while they last.

Broccoli Heaven

When broccoli is fresh I am in heaven. Nothing......Let me repeat nothing is like it. Although I have include it in stir fry and casseroles, I prefer it just steamed- include the leaves too. I just love the taste, the texture, and the color. Perk it up with some squeezed lemon juice. Yummy .
Former President Bush gave this vegetable a bum rap. It is in fact, one of my grandson's absolute favorite veggies. Check out this website for the amazing nutritional facts: http://www.superfoodsrx.com/superfoods/broccoli/its-all-better-with-broccoli.html

Jerky Rock Fish

My husband LOVES to fish!!!!! Amen


The Chesapeake Bay is an amazing body of water providing us with seafood to die for. Every spring and summer, we look forward to the "catch of the day." Rock fish (AKA striped bass) is a delicious white fish that is as fun to catch than it is to eat. We have tried so many recipes- grill it, microwave it, fry it, try it in a sandwich...it is all good!
I wanted this time to marry my garden bounty with the Chesapeake bounty. Swiss chard was still in an calling out to be included in this wonderful marriage. I sauteed a bunch of chard with olive oil and garlic. I used this as the bed for hubby's catch. In foil, I placed rock fish with jerk marinade (reserve 1/2 cup for salsa at end ) and chunks of fresh pineapple in aluminum foil. The next step was to grill the fish packet for about 10 minutes. I placed the fish on the bed of chard, topped with the pineapple. I then made a salsa with chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped banana peppers from the garden, onions, cilantro, and the rest of the jerk marinade. Top the fish with the salsa. Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing better.

Star Spangled Slaw

One of the fantastic advantages of vacationing t0 the beach over the Fourth of July was trekking to the beach house with fresh produce from the garden. The whole family enjoyed taking turns cooking dinner in the beautiful gourmet kitchen overlooking the turquoise waters of Emerald Isle NC. Before taking in the evening fireworks on the Fourth, our family barbequed at poolside. One dish we served was slaw made from my home grown cabbage. I used savoy, red, and green cabbage picked just days before. Everyone could not get over the fresh taste as well as the tangy secret ingredient. My Slaw Recipe (For a large Group) First you need a large prep bowl to combine all the ingredients. Thinly slice one head red cabbage, one head savoy cabbage, and one head green cabbage. Add to prep bowl. Grate (on larger slot) 6 carrots (of course from my garden). Add to bowl. Mix the following ingredients in a separate mixing bowl: 3 cups low fat mayonnaise, 4 tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon celery seed, 2 tablespoon sugar, and my secret ingredient ....old bay seasoning-2 teaspoons or more depending on your preferences. Add this mixture to the prep bowl and mix with cabbage an carrots. Refrigerate for several hours...preferably all night. This mixture will soften and decrease in volume. Mix often. Enjoy This vegetable is a necessity in my vegetable repertoire-for taste as well as nutritional benefits. Due to my Polish ancestry, I have cabbage in my blood...just kidding. You will find it on our dinner table often. Sauerkraut, swatka kapusta (cabbage with tomato sauce and bacon), and

golabki (our family pronounced this dish ‘gawumpki’) are just a few ways we serve cabbage.

I promise I will provide those recipes in future posts.

Why eat cabbage?? Well if it is not in your blood already like in mine, just look at the nutritional aspect.

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetables and is known for its anticancer properties. It's rich in phytochemicals protecting the body from free radical damage and helps fight against carcinogens. It is a good source of folate, vitamins A, B1, B6, K, and C, manganese, fiber, calcium, potassium, tryptophan, protein, and magnesium....WOW! And....It aids in digestion, boosts weight loss efforts, and can even help keep blood sugar levels under control. WOW! WOW! Do try it.