Saturday, July 3, 2010

My tomato/basil cup runneth over . . . . .

This will probably be the last of the garden photos on this blog for a while.  While most of you are in full swing with your garden, ours is starting to dwindle.   We have had ours planted since Easter . . .3 months.  Now we just try to keep the perennials from dying in the heat and coaxing the veges along to give us "just a few more".  We will probably wait until September to start a fall garden.

This is about the time that we have so many tomatoes that we just can't eat them fast enough.  I have a feeling I will be spending the afternoon blanching and freezing tomatoes to use for soups this winter.





This is just one of our three Roma plants along with a total of 18 tomato plants.  There is already a basket full of Romas sitting in the house.
















 I like to make Basil butter then freeze it.  Wonderful on bread along with the soup in the winter.  I'm not sure I have enough butter for all of this.  I have also frozen it in ice cubes to drop into a pot of veges in the winter.  Not sure I am up for making  Basil cubes today!












This is the purple basil I decided to try this year.  Just one plant.  Not quite as strong as the other basil but still delish!!











Hope you all have a festive and SAFE 4th of July tomorrow.  We'll be going to a church cook-out/softball game.  Should be fun!


Blessings, Cathi
1428

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Basil Butter sounds delicious!
Our tomatoes are just starting to turn red.I just took a deep breath, thinking about all the canning that is about to come up soon.
Judy

The Old Parsonage said...

Wow Cathi that's a heck of a lot of basil. Do you make pesto? Mmm...

HAppy 4th!
Leann

Stephanie D said...

I plant containers on my deck with herbs, and this year I planted two basils. Already I've cut several bunches to use in a fritata, in vignarette dressing, and froze some leaves separately to have for later. I haven't even made any pesto yet, and the plants looks as if I've never touched them! Basil butter sounds really good. Thanks for the idea!

I didn't get my tomatoes in the ground until last week, but they're doing really well. In the meantime, I'm buying them as I need them from the tailgate market, so I don't have more than I can use.

Mary @ Neat and Tidy said...

I wish I had your green thumb. And I wish I had this flag quilt, too!

Red Geranium Cottage said...

I love basil!!! It's one of my favorite spices.
I should try basil butter. I bet we'd love that.
Have a Happy 4th today.
Hugs
Sharon

Micki said...

The basil butter sounds wonderful! It must be wonderful growing your herbs and veggies in your garden.
Micki

Barbara said...

Yummmm....Basil butter sounds delicious..and I am sooo ready for a good ripe tomato..Not for a while for us..when everybody else's garden is on the downside, ours is just getting ready...short growing season makes us wait, and wait, and wait...: ( Blessings from the Blue Ridge...

Lynn said...

Beautiful plants. The basil is so lush and I'll bet it tastes wonderful. All those tomatoes! My garden is a sad little thing this year. Every year our trees grow more and although I love the shade I think I have to finally give up on a vegetable garden.

My Colonial Home said...

Happy 4th Cathi - your vegies are really producing in huge amounts.
I used to can and freeze but haven't for years. It's such a rewarding thing to do isn't it....especially come the colder months when we can't get them fresh.

Karen

Wendy said...

I'm so jealous you have so many tomatoes. Mine are still in the flower stage. I think you can make pesto with basil as well, not sure.

Carrie P. said...

So great that you are having a good year with your veggies. I planted extra basil so I could make pesto. I made quite a bit last year and froze it and would use in spaghetti sauce and other pasta dishes.YUM!

Simple Home said...

I'm getting lots of tomatoes now too. They are so good. How do you make basil butter? That sounds wonderful. I never even thought to freeze butter and didn't know you could.
Blessings,
Marcia