Feel Like a Real Gardener......

.......I feel like a real gardener almost, when I eat something that I grew.

I just discovered that I never have photographed the entire tomato plant. 

I just have one, a grape tomato growing in a big pot. It looked pretty healthy for awhile...

......and grew tall with several nice looking grape tomato clusters. It now looks a little sickly, so I chose not to run out to get a full shot. I fertilized it this week and can already see some improvement. I suppose tomatoes need more than Miracle Grow's fertilizer in the soil.

This is my first harvest.  I kept waiting for the tomatoes to turn more red but I don't think they ever will. So, I brought these in along with some herbs. Yesterday, I saw an article on Facebook that was emphasizing the importance of pairing particular foods to boost nutrition. One pairing sounded good and since I had everything I needed I decided it would become my dinner. The pitcher has nothing to do with anything except being a nice backdrop. Since it is here, you might wonder why it is covered with the doily. Many years ago when people had a problem with flies, they would sometimes use something like this to cover pitchers holding lemonade, etc. I never have flies but, still like to see this antique pitcher with it's cover.

The pairing for this one was using tomatoes and olive oil. So, with my harvest waiting on the island, and some frozen garlic bread from the freezer, I cut up the little tomatoes, and drizzled them with one tablespoon of olive oil, a little sea salt and pepper. 

Here is what the article said about tomatoes and olive oil: "Cancer and heart disease-fighting compounds called carotenoids (the most well known of which is lycopene) are found in abundance in tomatoes. They're fat-soluble and, as such, they're more available to your body when you eat them with fats such as olive oil or mozzarella cheese." 

I ended up using  basil, cut small. I always use sissors to cut up basil leaves. With the bread warmed and toasted in the oven, the tomatoes/olive oil spooned over it and basil and feta cheese on top, my yummy dinner was ready in a short time. And, yes, eating something you grew does make you feel like a "real" gardener not - just playing one.

 I also had some cut-up watermelon and fresh blueberries, mixed. Not sure how healthy that pairing is but it is tasty. I can vouch for that and seldom eat watermelon without blueberries. They came from publix. Didn't grow them!

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Get something started in a pot or small plot and and enjoy eating something you grew yourself!