The Tale of The Lonely Tomato

Ah a backyard garden.  We had a huge one at my dad's house when I was a kid.  I loved it and I love the idea of going right into my backyard for fresh delicious food.

The Cyclist and I have been wanting to do a garden for a long time, but cycling usually gets in the way of us doing anything around our house in the summer.  But since The Cyclist is taking a bit of a cycling break (had you noticed?), we've managed to pull a few things together this year.  Woot-woot!

So, let's start at the end of this tale.

Meet our little heirloom tomato.  Ignore the split down her side.
Isn't she lovely?

We started our garden with seeds in cups...

...we had big dreams of growing lots of things...

...some of these sprouted, but then we lost them.  We probably could have been better at caring for them, but the hot/cold/hot/cold weather in late spring wasn't helping matters either.

Our tomatoes started as little baby plants, heirlooms that I got at the farmer's market.  We put them in pots, and then in the ground.

We tend to them with care.

But alas, so far we have only grown that one lovely, lonely tomato.
What the heck?!  I say.  I just don't get it.

And to add to the mystery, our tomato plants are now giant...

...with lots of flowers, but nothing since that one little tomato.
It makes me wonder if we should stick to being Mystery Gardener's.

Oh well.  She sure did taste good on our salad.
Which reminds me....Summer Bucket List item #5, check!

Now cross your fingers that we'll get some more tomatoes!
Have a happy day!

Marinara #3 - Mighty Mushroom

Howdy.  How is everyone today?

Good, I hope.

Do you like mushrooms?

I do.

Especially with onions and garlic.

And of course...sauteed.

Guess what?

I found a nifty new collage app on my iPad when I finally upgraded to iOS5.

I wasn't sure if you noticed.

Hey, by the way, tomatoes are good too.

Especially when you're making marinara.

And when that marinara is Mighty Mushroom,

fancy mushrooms are good too.

I got mine at the farmer's market from Dragon Gourmet Mushrooms.

They also sell these nifty growing kits...

When you mix all that goodness together you get hot, steamy mushroom madness.

Viola!

In other news.  I tried this recipe which was adapted from another recipe.

The blogosphere has been raving about it.

My take:

Not worth the butter!

I think you can make a just as tasty marinara with way less (or no) butter.

And if I'm going to consume 5 tbsp. of butter in one dish, it better be worth it.

Just sayin'.

Mighty Mushroom Marinara recipe below.

I posted this to Tasty Kitchen too!

Ingredients:

1 8oz. package whole white mushrooms, sliced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 red onion, chopped

5 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 tbsp. dry sherry (or any other wine of your choosing, white or red)

8 cups of tomatoes, chopped (any type you choose)

8 oz. quality mushrooms (of your choosing, about 10 mushrooms)

1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning

How to:

Prepare all ingredients as noted.  

Set aside a small amount of the chopped onions & minced garlic.

Heat a large saucepan to medium heat and add 3 tbsp. of olive oil.  Add onions, garlic (other than the small bit you set aside) and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add dry sherry (or wine of choice), then add the sliced white mushrooms (leave your premium mushrooms for later) and continue to saute for about 4 minutes or until mushrooms begin to cook through.

Add chopped tomatoes.  Continue to saute, stirring occasionally and smashing the tomatoes against the side of your pot with a wooden spoon.

Once the tomatoes are cooked down, dump the entire mixture into your blender and blend into a smooth sauce.

Meanwhile, add an additional 2 tbsp. of olive oil to your still warm pan, along with your set aside onions and garlic and premium mushrooms.  Saute until mushrooms are cooked through.

When done, add the sauce mixture back to the pot with sauteed premium mushrooms and stir.

Add 1/2 tbsp of Italian seasoning.

Presto.  You're done.  Enjoy over your favorite cooked pasta.

**I've shared this recipe at the following sites - follow the links for more great and tasty recipe ideas.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop - Real Food Wednesday

The Tasty Alternative - Allergy Free Wednesday

Food Renegade - Fight Back Friday

ann kroeker.writer. - Food on Friday's

Food Trip Friday

Real Food Freaks - Freaky Friday

The Healthy Home Economist - Monday Mania

New Life On A Homestead - Homestead Barn Hop

Make Ahead Meals For Busy Mom's - Melt In Your Mouth Monday

Simply Sugar & Gluten Free - Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

All the Small Stuff - Tuesday's at the Table

Real Food Forager - Fat Tuesday

Growing Home - Teach me Tuesday

The Kings Court IV - What's Cooking Wednesday

Gluten-Free Homemaker - Gluten-Free Wednesday

This Chick Cooks - Whole Foods Wednesday

Lady Behind the Curtain - Cast Party Wednesday

It's a Keeper! - It's a keeper Thursday

Little House in the Suburbs

Hey what's for dinner mom? - Just another meatless Monday

Beauty & Bedlam

My Sweet & Savory

Marinara #1 - Roma tomato, roasted red pepper & basil

Pinterest visitors!  Hello, I have 3 other scratch marinara recipes, you can find them here!  Thanks for visiting!

So.  I've been whining about finding a marinara recipe with NO CANNED INGREDIENTS.  I am not a hater of canned goods, but I figure if I'm making my own sauce, it shouldn't have canned junk in it, or I may as well just buy a jar of marinara.

Anyway, I was really surprised that most of the recipes I found called for canned tomato sauce or canned tomatoes.  Boo!  So I decided to make my own.  I consulted the experts:  Ironmom, sister Beezelbum and sister Mush.  I imagined things in my mind.  I fell in love with roasted red peppers.  And then I went for it.

I bought this big ole' bag of Roma tomatoes at the Yolo Fruit Stand.

They are not perfect, but that is OK because I cooked them down.

I used 8 of them.

I only cut out the ends and chopped them.

I did not seed or peel them.

I am not Sam I am.

What is swuaas with out garlic?

6 cloves minced.

The yellow onion was also present.

1 small yellow onion, chopped.

Of course, due to my love affair with Roasted Red Peppers (don't tell The Cyclist), I had to add one of these to the mix.....

So, pre-heat your oven for roasting that pepper.

I followed these instructions (just the roasting part & I only used 1 pepper) from How Sweet It Is.

Then, heat up a big pot to a medium temp....

(I just used my pasta pot and took the strainer out)

...and add some olive oil....

...add in your garlic and onion and saute them for a bit until they start to soften...

....then throw in your chopped tomatoes...

...cook at a low-medium heat...

Now.  My basil plants still have some leaves, but they are looking a little shabby...

...so I used this stuff instead.

It is Dorot Chopped Basil and you can buy it at Trader Joe's.

They have other seasonings too, including garlic.

They all come in the little pop out trays and are super convenient to have in your freezer.

The basil is fresh tasting and good.

Disclaimer: Dorat is not paying me or giving me products.  I just like it.

I used 4 cubes which is equal to 4 teaspoons.

I also threw in a bay leaf.

Photo: simplyorganic.com

I forgot to take a picture of it, so you get the file photo above.

I also threw in salt, pepper, sugar, garlic pepper, sea salt and dry oregano.

You know what these look like, right?

I hope so.

This is me in the kitchen.  

Ignore the giant tub of Wheat Thins at my side.
I may or may not have been using them to taste test my swuaas.

If you did not believe that my kitchen is Mad Men Circa 1956, check out this side-by-side comparison:

Ooohhh, the similarities are eerie!

Betty Draper is a way better dresser, but she should lose that cancer stick!

Moving on.

You should be stirring your tomatoes...

Stir...

...stir...

....stir....

OK, you get it.

Keep those tomatoes on medium-low heat and keep cooking them down.

Eventually, after roasting and steaming, your red peppers should be ready...

Yum.

As I peeled my peppers (like Peter Piper.  wait.  he picked peppers.)...

OK, as I peeled my peppers I threw them in the tomato mix.

Once I was done I took the whole thing and threw it in the blender...

...I probably should have removed the Bay Leaf, but I forgot, so it got blended up too.

Nobody died.

After everything was blended....

....viola!

I then attempted to take several artsy shots of my swuaas, none of which I'm particularly thrilled with. The photo editing was fun though...










I think this one is my favorite....

I made this after dinner, so it sat for a night in the fridge before we had it...

All in all, it was good! It is a tad sweet, which I like.  It had a nice flavor and none of that canned taste. The Roasted Red Pepper added to the thickness and the flavor. The basil was present but not overpowering.
So, as far as the title "Marinara #1", I am planning to do a series of different sauces over time. I am especially nervous about #5 because I feel like it needs to be as famous as Chanel No. 5 or something. This is an example of my mind at work.  My apologies. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe for Marinara #1!
Recipe as follows & at Tasty Kitchen.
Marinara #1 - Roma tomato, roasted red pepper & basil
Ingredients: 8 Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped 1 Medium yellow onion, chopped 6 Cloves garlic, minced 1 Red pepper, cored and roasted 4 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Dashes of salt 2 Dashes of fresh ground pepper 1 Bay leaf 4 Teaspoons fresh basil, chopped or 4 frozen Dorat basil cubes 1 Teaspoon oregano 1/2 Teaspoon garlic pepper 2 Teaspoons sea salt 2 Tablespoons sugar
How To: Chop tomatoes and onions. Mice garlic. Begin process of roasting the red pepper using How Sweet It Is instructions below.  Use 1 red pepper.
To roast peppers: remove core and seeds from peppers and slice into pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and preheat the broiler in your oven. Place under the broiler skin-side up until skins are completely charred and black – this took about 10 minutes for me but will depend on your oven. Just check every 2 minutes or so. Immediately remove peppers from oven and using kitchen tongs, quickly place them in a ziplock bag then seal it. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.
After you put your pepper in the oven... Heat large pot on burner to medium heat. Add olive oil. Add onions and garlic and saute until softened. Add tomatoes. Reduce heat to low-medium temperature. Add all seasoning and continue to stir frequently. Once the red pepper is done roasting and steaming, peel the skin as directed and add it to the sauce mixture. Dump entire sauce mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until the sauce is smooth with no tomato or pepper chunks. Jar it or serve it!
The end!   **I've shared this recipe at the following sites - follow the links for more great and tasty recipe ideas. The Tasty Alternative - Allergy Free Wednesdays  Kelly the Kitchen Kop - Real Food Wednesdays 
The Nourishing Gourmet - Pennywise Platter Thursdays 
Food Renegade - Fight Back Friday
Cybele Pascal - Allergy Friendly Friday
Ann Kroeker.  Writer.  - Food on Friday
Food Trip Friday
Real Food Freaks - Freaky Friday
The Healthy Home Economist - Monday Mania
I'm an Organizing Junkie - Menu Plan Monday
11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven - Homemaker Monday
New Life on a Homestead - Homestead Barn Hop
Simply Sugar & Gluten Free - Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
All the Small Stuff - Tuesday's at the Table
Real Food Forager - Fat Tuesday
Growing Home - Teach Me Tuesday
Everyday Tastes - It's a Keeper Thursday
Frugal Follies - Frugal Food Thursday
Life as Mom - Frugal Friday
Around My Family Table - Feed Your Soul
Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms - Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Beauty & Bedlam - Tasty Tuesday
The Kings Court IV - What's Cooking Wednesday
The Gluten Free Homemaker - Gluten-Free Wednesday
This Chick Cooks - Whole Foods Wednesday
Dining With Debbie - What's on the Menu Wednesday
Lady Behind the Curtain - Cast Party Wednesday
My Sweet and Savory - My Meatless Monday's
Hey What's for Dinner Mom? - Just Another Meatless Monday
Midnight Maniac Meatless Monday

Corn Salsa!

So I was making fish tacos and I wanted to do some type of relish or salsa, but alas, I only had 3 small tomatoes...woe is me...

...(my food photo skills are improving a bit though, yipee!)

Anyway, I thought to myself, "what can I add to this?" and began scavenging through the fridge. 

I found...

Corn!

...(pic #2 not as good.  Boo!)...

I also found....

...sweet yellow onion!

And.....

...some hot peppers I bought at the Farmer's Market, yipee!

I chopped up the tomatoes and threw them in the bowl...

...I boiled the corn (no photo, boiling corn is bo-ring!).  While the corn was a-cookin' I chopped up those onions and hot peppers (remember?  see above).  Once the corn was cooked, I cut it off the cob....

...I threw everything into the tomato bowl and mixed it around.  I then added some salt and pepper and lemon and lime juice...

And viola!

Tasty corn salsa!

(or you could call it relish too, whatever suits you.)

I posted the whole recipe to Tasty Kitchen.

***I shared this recipe on the following sites, click the links for more tasty recipe ideas...

The Healthy Home Economist

New Life on  a Homestead

My Sweet & Savory

Hey What's for Dinner Mom?

Delightfully Dowling

Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

All the small stuff

Real Food Forager

Growing Home

Kelly the Kitchen Kop

The Tasty Alternative

The Kings Court IV

The Gluten Free Homemaker

This Chick Cooks

Lady Behind the Curtain

We are THAT Family