TOMATO HEAVEN...

This looks so good, I can almost taste it and will, most definitely, bring it to the table. Served chilled, perhaps, as a summer refresher? Found on the Tomatoes On The Vine blog... go there now for this recipe and a trove of other mouthwatering ideas. Thank you, Chef Tyler and Tomatoes On The Vine.

Roasted Tomato Soup by Tyler Florence.

Found on Tomatoes On The Vine

Found on Tomatoes On The Vine

PODCAST...

Millionaire Okra Flower & Pods

This pretty flower will turn into these, and when it does, I'll make some of this:

OKRA & TOMATOES
See recipe on Elise Bauer's blog, www.simplyrecipes.com.

Property of Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes

THE LESSON...

Nature leads the way in a garden, and one would be well advised to follow. With that in mind, here’s a theory: perfecting timing and alignment are predictable and both can be used to one’s advantage by either seizing a moment or waiting for the next opportunity.

As an example:

Imagine... horses out in the distant pasture... grazing in the cool earliest hours before the heat of the day and what it brings consumes them... the sun on the ascend turning the trees and mountains into silhouettes... rising higher and higher due south blasting its blazing rays on southern-exposed gardens... heading upward, horses heading inward... closing in on the run-in shed... rising even higher, getting even hotter... driving the horses to shelter. Inside. Out of the heat. The horses aligned with the sun. The missed moment. Too late... too hot. Wait for the afternoon's shade to water... to transplant... to spritz any homemade formulas.

Nature. Respect and embrace it. Observe and absorb. Understand your role in it and work in rhythm with it. There is no better fertilizer.

Zucchini

Nasturtium

Tigerella

Lime Salad Green

Cherokee Purple

Red Burgundy Okra

Basil

THE KINGS OF ROYAL ACRES...

At an inconspicuous farmer's market in the smallest of towns on the humblest of Main Streets in the USA, a royal family fortuitously introduced me to heirloom tomatoes. The chance introduction and $8 worth of plants launched a passion for the most delicious, colorful, oddly-shaped tomatoes, an obsession with fresh-picked foods and brand new friendships. I curtsy to these royals. They are king! Support your local growers. Buy farm-fresh foods.