RECIPES USING FRESH HERBS

As you may be aware, I run 2 blogs: this one and a food blog where I post tried-and-true recipes.
This year, instead of planting tomatoes in the back raised beds, I decided to plant my herbs (I usually plant them in pots on the deck.) I realize that it will take more time to trek to the back 40 to get a handful of dill or parsley when I need it, but oh well. Always a pleasant walk.

It hit me this morning that it might be interesting to overlap the blogs because not all readers of one are readers of the other. I grow herbs for the sole purpose of cooking with them so here comes a post that mentions a specific herb and then a recipe to go with it!

TARRAGON

TARRAGON CHICKEN with GRAPES and WALNUTS

FENNEL

WARM FENNEL SALAD with OLIVES, PINE NUTS and ORANGE

PARSLEY

TABBOULEH (PARSLEY SALAD)

OREGANO

GREEK PASTA SALAD

BASIL

HALIBUT with BALSAMIC CHERRY TOMATOES and BASIL

DILL

SWEDISH MEATBALLS with DILL

MINT

LAMB BURGERS with RAITA

THYME

ZUCCHINI and SUMMER SQUASH GRATIN w PARMESAN and FRESH THYME

ROSEMARY

SAUSAGE GNOCCHI with WARM KALE and BEAN SALAD

Hope you enjoyed this combo-blog post! Happy gardening and happy eating!!

Novice Tomato Gardener

As you may have guessed by now, vegetable gardening is waaaay down the list of priorities at my place. My true loves are flowers and garden design but I grow a few herbs for cooking and this year I decided to try tomatoes again.
My yard is very deep - 100' from the back of the house to the back fence. When we first moved in 25 years ago, we built 2 raised beds for tomatoes. Over the years, growing tomatoes became a tiresome hassle, having to lug water to the back forty after work. My tomatoes were always "Poorest in Show" among my family.
This year when my Dad offered (once again) to grow tomatoes from seed for all of us, I joined in. I signed up for beefsteaks and cherry tomatoes. Being retired, I thought I would be able to devote more time to them.
I read up on how best to stake tomatoes and one YouTube video showed tying strings horizontally between 2 strong posts.
Well, my strings were just twine (duh!) so of course now that the tomatoes are growing and getting big and heavy, they were sagging and falling over.
Last evening, my hubby took 2 old long tree branches that have been at the side of the house and nailed them onto very strong posts.
This morning I tied all the droopy branches to their new supports and let me announce to my Dad, sister, son and nephew: the Competition is ON!! (Poorest in Show - indeed!!!)