bountiful harvest

This is the first tomato from my garden this year!


It was made all the more exciting for two reasons: 1. Last year, I did not get a single tomato from my garden. 2. Something took a bite while it was still green but I left it on the vine to see what happened. The unbitten half was as tasty as tasty could be!

Then, Sunday evening, we got home from an amazing 4-day bluegrass festival trip to find two more ripe tomatoes in my garden!We had stopped for lunch on the way home from the festival, and we got some pesto to bring home for supper. I made up a quick pesto/tri-color rotini/tomato/chick pea salad for supper:

Would you believe that those tomatoes were the best tomatoes I have ever tasted? Can't wait for the others that are ripening on the vine as we speak!

Unfortunately, I think my mom's garden got the tomato blight :( But her zucchini plants are ENORMOUS!!! After being away for 2 days, she got 5 of these guys (and 2 normal sized ones!):


We grilled one up for supper last night at mom's house, and with the leftovers, I made this tasty Zucchini/Balsamic dip-I don't remember what went in it, but I know there was some garlic, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and to thicken it up some, some pita bread soaked in balsamic vinegar. Whizzed up in the food processor, it was delicious!!
We were also blessed with 2 of our very own zucchini/canoes to take home with us. I shredded one, it yielded about 8ish cups of shredded zucchini-and I still have another one to contend with! I'm considering hollowing it out to make a canoe-could I shellac it and take it to the Adirondacks do you think?