A Cool Day

It has been a long and hot summer so a Sunday afternoon that we are having today with a temperature of only 72 degrees F (22C) and rain is quite a change.

We sometimes eat dinner out on the deck and can then enjoy seeing the hummingbirds come to feed at the same time.  But some days ago I found a new guest at the feeder;

This smart butterfly and discovered there was more than the blooms of the flowers to be enjoyed. There have also been a lot of goldfinches in the garden this year flitting from seedhead to seedhead in among the coneflowers.

It's the time of year when I feel as though I should be eating tomatoes at every meal as there are so many of them.

 I thought this was a great color combination. The tomatoes are both yellow and orange; most of my plants this year are volunteers from earlier years so I take what I get.

Recently friends were over to share in a potluck dinner and one friend introduced us to Salad Caprese which, in her version anyway, is slices of tomato alternating with slices of mozzarella cheese with lots of fresh basil strewn over the top and dressed at the last minute with a balsamic vinegar reduction.

 I hightailed it to the store to find the balsamic vinegar reduction and now use it to make a simple tomato salad (caprese without the mozzarella cheese as that does not grow in my garden!)

 Looking in the fridge I put together this salad of arugula, strawberries, blueberries, sugared pecans and crumbled feta cheese and then drizzled a little of the balsamic reduction over top.

On another night, company was coming and I was making pork tenderloin with beans from the farmstand and I decided to make a peach cobbler variation as well (peaches also from the farm stand).

My garden does not have a lot of produce but it does provide a jumping off point for several dishes. And the just picked rosemary for the pork or basil for the tomatoes or mint that I might add to a simple side of sliced fresh peaches all make for great summertime eating.