Timing is Everything - August

There are many flavors that I love about summer.  That first bite of a juicy peach, the sweetness of a ripe tomato, or even a crisp, fresh bell pepper, all of which you can find now at your local market.  Other veggies that you will be able to find now include beets, broccoli, cabbage, onions, potatoes, eggplant, collards, kale, radishes, cucumber and various herbs.  Fruits that you will find include blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, melons, peaches, nectarines, and plums.

I strongly feel the best part of summer is the tomato.  There is nothing like that taste of that garden tomato.  I am pretty simple with how I eat tomatoes.  I like to get a pint of grape tomatoes and eat them raw, slice up an hierloom and sprinkle a little salt, or top with mozarella and basil.  The more colors you can find the better!  It's great to find all different colors and make a colorful tomato salad with some fresh herbs and a little balsamic.  There's no need to get fancy, just appreciate that fresh summer taste.

Something I start doing this time of year is buying two pints of grape tomatoes when I go to the market, one to eat and one to roast.  The roasted tomatoes go into a ziplock freezer bag and in the freezer they go.  By the end of September, I have a nice stash of tomatoes to use in the winter.  Other ideas to preserve tomatoes include canning, making sauce, whole, or chopped, and dehydrating, which I have yet to try.  

This week is Massachusetts Farmers Market week, so be sure to stock up on all your favorites to support MA farms!!