It is that time of summer where we have sated our first summer tomato yearnings and moved on to just-picked tomatoes lined up on the backporch waiting to be incorporated into today’s menus, or processed for the cold months to come. I love having a tomato glut. Except now they are getting a little out of hand and some are still hanging on the vine with splits from the recent rain.

	The Tomato Sandwich: Summer’s Ultimate Food

I eat a tomato sandwich almost every day of the summer. In winter months, I dream of these sandwiches and salivate–however right now, I can revel in the availability of dead-ripe succulent, juicy, red, orange and yellow tomatoes. Yum. They make me happy and my eyes shine when I eat a tomato sandwich (like they do when I eat a bowl of pasta with homemade tomato sauce). They are comfort foods for me; happy food that makes me feel content and well-fed. I am thankful for this season that offers us these mouthwatering, bursting-with-juice fruits of the earth; there is nothing quite like a summer-ripe tomato.

Besides tomato sandwiches, I am enjoying tomatoes in a variety of ways. Probably the herb most used for partnering with tomatoes is basil, however tomatoes are delectable with arugula, chives, dill, marjoram or oregano, mint, thyme, tarragon and savory. Besides strewing them with herbs, I enjoy them in antipasto with mozzarella and basil, tossed in green salads, alone or with other ingredients on sandwiches, added to pasta, rice and couscous, stirred into squash, okra, green bean, eggplant and corn dishes, made into cold soups, hot soups, sauces, oven-roasted, grilled, baked and stuffed, made into tarts, bloody marys, and salsas.

	Quick and Easy Homemade Salsa

Salsas are the ultimate summer food. They combine garden-ripe tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs with my other favorite hot season crop: chile peppers! Yahoo! I grow the latter from mild to wild. I am an aficionado of the capsicum and I enjoy the milder jalapenos to the medium-hot serrano right on to the incendiary habanero and all of those chiles in between. I make salsas all summer long and also make batches large enough to can so that I have them during the winter months. Opening a jar of salsa on a cold day during the winter, is like opening a jar of warm hot sunshine; the combination of hot chiles and sweet tart tomatoes are warming and titillating. So gather ye’ tomatoes and chile peppers while ye’ may and put them up for some cold weather sunshine.

While you are out and about the garden, gather some squash, maybe some green beans or eggplant and saute, grill or steam them and add them to some cooked pasta for a delicious pasta salad. Add chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, olive oil and some herbs, and voila, you have a quick an easy dinner. A tidbit of advice that I learned about flavoring pasta salad from one of Julia Child’s cookbooks way back when is to drain the pasta in a colander and immediately drizzle the hot pasta with olive oil, squeeze a clove or two of fresh garlic over it and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss to combine and let cool before adding the rest of the ingredients. If you follow this simple step, you will never serve a lackluster, dull pasta salad–it really makes all the difference in the world. That said, make some pasta salad this week, eat a tomato sandwich (over the sink is best) and click on the following link to take you to my Quick and Easy Homemade Salsa recipe. Here’s to a celebrating the season and happy juicy eating!

More ways to serve tomatoes…
Pasta salad made with garden squash and onions, greenbeans and tomatoes, garnished with fresh herbs is a quick and tasty summer supper.		Fried green tomatoes can be eaten as an appetizer, alone, or with a garlic aioli or corn salsa.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.

Buy at Amazon

Gardener's Log Book from NYBG

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

This weatherproof five-year log book includes the following features: · Sturdy waterproof cover to protect pages from rain and muddy soil · Lined pages and gridded paper for plotting beds · Five years of 12-month bloom and harvest grids for recording what you planted and when · Authoritative appendices on composting, pruning, pest and disease control, and container gardening · Useful reminders by season on fertilizing, mulching, and transplanting · Space for listing your favorite sources and suppliers.

Buy at Amazon

Ashman Garden Cultivator (1Pack)

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Solid Build—The Ashman Garden Cultivator/Tiller is strong in construction so that it can withstand heavy work in the garden. The blade and the shaft are coupled well for deep digging and uprooting the soil from the depths. It serves the purpose of cultivation very well. Create a blooming crop and watch it blossom and reap the benefits. Sharpened Fine piercing Blade—The blades are razor sharp and are made to pierce into any kind of soil and to serve digging, loosening soil, and weeding. The blades are rust-proof and have chip-resistant coating enhancing durability. Use it to control weeds, bury crop residue in the soil, and for preparing a proper seed bed. High-Quality Design—The thoughtful design incorporated to shape the blades in L shape helps dig deep into the soil and rip it from beneath for cultivation. This helps a lot when weeding. Dig well and plant well. The handle is made to fit in the hand well and can be held tightly to apply push and pull forces effectively. Practical Utility—The garden cultivator is made with “practical utility” as the core of its purpose. It serves all the necessary purposes when gardening. Helps mix soil, which will loosen it up, providing more nutrients for the crops.

Buy at Amazon