Three Black Krim Plants = Three Tomatoes
One was claimed by the squirrels, the second (above) we picked early to save it from said squirrels, and the third is still on the vine. Will the last one survive? It’s a mystery.
After ripening for three days in the protected environment of my kitchen, it was ready to be eaten.
This deep red tomato (bordering on burgundy) was gorgeous and incredibly delicious. The flavor was unlike any tomato I’ve ever tasted. The flavor was super rich. It was a deep dark complex tomato flavor that defines the word savory. And, there was a hint of something almost smoky in it.
Recipe?
1 perfectly ripe Black Krim
Wash.
Slice.
Then, devour straight off of the plate… not even a dusting of salt or pepper is needed.
Next year, we must plant more Black Krim and Brandywine. The flavor of both beat Mr Stripey… hands down. Incredible flavor.
…And, beach plum jam
I could buy some. Nah, that’s too easy. I think I’ll try to devise a convoluted recipe.
This is my current plan:
I Wanna Be Beach Plum Jam
1-2 large bunches of tart grapes, halved & seeded
2-4 tart purple plums
juice of one or two lemon
sugar, to be determined
This experiment will take place at some point this weekend. And, I can predict much tampering along the way. If this turns out to be a success, I’ll photograph my efforts.
If I fail? Well, then, I guess it’s back to the drawing board. In the meanwhile, I’ll be buying a few jars from this lovely little shop…
The Chatham Jam and Jelly Shop
The radishes are finally big enough to eat! We’ve seen cream, pink, red & white, deep red, and red with darker red stripes. But, they all taste the same… spicy. Not just a little bit spicy, oh no, they’re fire breathing, eye watering, mouth full of wasabi HOT. A result of the heat… maybe?
So, what to do?
The charm of Fear Factor radishes got old after eating a small handful. So, we decided to make sandwiches. Who needs jalapenos when you have crazy hot radishes?
Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
Ciabattas, grilled
butter, softened
grilled chicken breasts
baby greens
radishes, thinly sliced
tomatoes, thinly sliced
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Lightly butter grilled ciabatta rolls. Then, assemble sandwich.
Enjoy.
The Radish Thief
(Posing with My Guy’s Leg)
The devil dog loves radishes… who’da guessed?
Mr Stripey doesn’t like the heat. Last year we had over 20 huge tomatoes. This year? We’ve seen about 10 tomatoes on the same number of plants. And, several of those 10 weren’t pretty.
So, it would be a crime not to showcase the handful of gorgeous tomatoes we were able to harvest. And, their beauty and taste shines in their simplest state.
Dressed Tomatoes
vine ripened tomatoes
red wine vinegar
basil
mint
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Slice tomatoes into wedges or rounds. Place in a small bowl. Drizzle with your best olive oil and a small splash of vinegar. Plate and dress with basil and mint. Serve with salt and pepper on the side.
My beets are still growing. But, I did add two baby (golf ball sized) beets from my garden to the batch of large yellow beets I bought at the farmer’s market. Twice-cooked… well… three times if you count a quick saute with the shallots. The first time, I wrapped the beets in parchment, then a quick saute. Follow that up with another round in the oven for the final roast, this isn’t a quick dish. But, the end result was worth the effort. The concentrated sweetness of the beets was able to shine brightly.
Roasted Yellow Beets
3-4 yellow beets, well-washed & trimmed
olive oil
fine sea salt
olive oil
4-5 shallots, cleaned and thinly sliced
rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
fine sea salt, to taste
Carefully wash beets. Trim off the tops and bottoms. In a large dutch oven, place one layer of aluminum foil. Place one piece of parchment over the foil. Place beets in the center. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and a splash of tap water. Cover with one layer of parchment and top that with one layer of foil. Wrap edges tightly to make a sealed package. Place in 300 degree oven and roast until fork tender.
(1-1 1/2 hours depending on the size of your beets)
Let cool.
Peel beets and slice into rounds. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the clean dutch oven, saute shallots in a generous splash of olive oil until light gold. Add a scant 1/3 cup of rice wine vinegar and deglaze pan. Add sliced beets and another drizzle of olive oil. Saute for a minute or two. Toss beets to coat in oil & vinegar. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. Place unlided dutch oven in the preheated oven and roast beets for approximately 30-45 minutes. Or, until beets are light gold around the edges and the shallots begin to caramelize.
Serve beets hot out of the oven with grilled chicken, steak or salmon. Or, serve warm over a bed of baby greens to start a meal. Drizzle with olive oil and rice wine vinegar reduction from the pan.
Fig + Ginger + Sugar = Yum
This isn’t really a recipe. It’s a bit like recycled food. After two weeks of fig preserve, we wanted something new to accompany our morning toast. So, I took what was left over from my 5 cups of fig preserve, added more sugar, and a few handfuls of candied ginger… et voilà. Ginger Fig Jam, yummy.
Ginger Fig Jam
approximately 3 cups
2 cups fig preserve
1/2 – 1 cup candied ginger, fine julienne
1/2 – 1 cup sugar
Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook to a consistency that you desire. (Approximately 10-15 minutes)
Lemon Cucumbers
Baby Breakfast Radish
Peppermint & Chocolate Mint
More Tomatoes
Peppers, Oregano & Stripey Tomatoes
Yes, there will be a salad tonight.
Enough Oregano Seeds to turn our backyard into a salad
And, more Mr Stripey
But, sadly, they’re not as pretty as last year… bummer.
Baby Lemon Cukes & buds
Twin Kadota Figs and a Spare
And, one beautiful butterfly.
One of my favorite benefits of the garden? (besides all of the fresh pesticide free fruit & veggies) We’ve seen almost a dozen different species of butterflies. The garden is a butterfly magnet.
Brandywine Tomato
In other news, my newly planted teeny tiny two foot tall black mission fig tree had it’s first fig! The other two black mission fig trees are growing nicely… but, no figs. The newly planted 4-5 foot kadota fig tree has lost a few leaves, but, the fruit is still hanging in there. The two-three dozen kadota figs should be ripening soon.
And, Another Giant Bowl of Cherry Tomatoes
So, for dinner…
Warm Tomato, Mozzarella, & Penne Salad
1 box of penne rigate (or mostaccioli), cooked and drained
1-2 cups diced mozzarella of good quality
1 big bowl of cherry tomatoes, halved (approx. 3-4 cups)
2 big stalks of basil, remove leaves and discard stems
5-6 leaves of fresh oregano, finely chopped
olive oil, as needed
red wine vinegar, as needed
black pepper, freshly ground
salt, finely ground sea salt
Parmigiano Reggiano, to coarsely grate over each portion
Cook penne al dente. Drain. Immediately, pour penne into large serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss and taste for proper seasoning. When properly seasoned add remaining ingredients and toss salad gently. Serve immediately with warm rustic bread. Bring the wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano to the table.
Coarsely grate cheese over each plated portion.
(Or, use a vegetable peeler for larger slices of cheese.)
Everything sounds better in French… (And Italian) Slap a French name on fig preserve and the charm factor goes sky high. And, that sweet little market on the corner won’t hesitate to add $10 to the price tag.
But, it’s still just fruit and sugar.
This is so easy. No recipe is required. It’s a simple ratio. Add equal parts fruit and sugar. Then, throw in a little something tart for interest. The color of the finished preserve will depend on the figs. If your figs are mostly green, you’ll end up with blush or golden jam. If your figs are deep purple, you’ll end up with a color similar to the above photo.
This recipe is intended for fig preserve to be eaten now. If canning, follow proper canning techniques.
Fig Preserve
approximately 4-5 cups
1 part fresh figs, washed and halved
1 part sugar
juice of 1 or 2 lemons, as desired
Add all ingredients to a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce mixture until you achieve the proper consistency. Let cool. Then, store in a large glass container in the fridge. Eat & enjoy!
This is recipe is intended for immediate consumption. If you wish to can your preserve. Follow proper canning techniques.
The first ripe figs are almost bursting after this weekend’s heavy rain. Our brown turkey fig tree is littered with green figs that will ripen any day. Today, we had about two overflowing handfuls of ripe figs.
Liquid sugar hinting of honey… yum
And, we have another bowl of tomatoes to use tonight. I predict tomato salad.
Tomato Salad
1 bowl of cherry tomatoes, washed then sliced in half
1 small Vidalia onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, diced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed
red wine vinegar, as needed
black pepper, freshly ground
sea salt, finely ground
Combine halved tomatoes, diced onion and diced green pepper in a salad bowl. Then, immediately prior to serving, drizzle with olive oil, red wine vinegar. Sprinkle generously with fresh, finely ground black pepper and salt.
Serve with crusty bread that has been crisped in the oven to sop up all the lovely juices.
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