The Mint Needle

In the years that we've gardened, we never had a turn out quite like this one. Today's post is all about our tomatoes and the lesson we learned in planting them. Here's the story: The first year after we got married, my husband & dad built a beautiful, huge garden that came complete with an arched entrance, raised beds & a tall white fence to keep out animals. I planted roses around the front and blackberries along the sides. But, summer after summer our crops struggled. We had a harvest, just a very small one for the size of the garden (24' by 24'). Our tomatoes suffered every year with wilted leaves and a very sour taste. I just couldn't understand. All I really wanted were tomatoes. I didn't know what we were doing wrong. The soil was tested & it wasn't bad at all. But without hesitation, we continued to add lime, sand, manure & plant tone to see if it would help. The outcome still wasn't good. T...

Hey veggie eaters! I got something sooo delicious you'll want to try. The heat is on & what better way to cool down than with a light & airy salad? You'll need: a couple tomatoes, an onion, a couple radishes, feta cheese, fresh basil, a lemon (optional), olive oil, & salt. Start by slicing your tomatoes. Layer them first on your plate. Continue with sliced radishes on top. Next, add chopped onions, then feta cheese. Add finely chopped basil. You can lightly add the zest of a lemon on top to make it fresh. Salt & add olive oil as desired. We love this salad. It's one of those fast, yummy treats packed with color & taste. And..... you get something even greater out of it. A great sandwich! It's perfect for lunch. Vegetarians can totally enjoy this flavorful treat by placing it in pita bread. All I did was cut one pita & fold the halves within each other. Ya know, to soak up all those great juices! Let's see what we get out...