This year our tomatoes have been fantastic! They are BIG beautiful, and I wish I would have entered them into the county fair! We are a big county fair community! Next year we are going to get our kids enrolled in 4H.
It’s strange as we grow older how our perspective changes on things. If you would have asked 20 year old me if growing tomatoes could be beautiful, I probably would have laughed at you. Now in my 30’s, I see all the food we’ve grown in our garden, and I’m proud of our nearly perfect produce! This summer has been slightly cooler overall. I wonder if, because of the cooler temperatures, our garden has done fairly well. A little more rain would have been helpful. We are able to water as needed using hoses hooked up to the house.
We have been picking them a little early, so they are still a little green, but that is easy to fix with a little bit of extra time in the sun. Part of the reason we are picking them early is to keep the bugs from getting to them.
God has such beauty all around us. The Lord gives us many opportunities to see it if we just take the time to notice. There is no great wisdom here but I’m thankful for what has been provided for my family this summer. I’m sure just reflecting on all that I can be thankful for.
What do you do with so many great tomatoes?
Spaghetti sauce is one of the main things I’m going to make this year. It’s something we use a lot of all year long. It’s a quick meal that my family enjoys eating, and I know it’s healthy for us all. It’s definitely one of my go-to meals that I rotate about every two weeks. Do you meal plan or have a schedule for your meals? I have a tentative plan. Check it out here.
I would like to make chili base, which is great for the cold months. Chili is very satisfying on a cold day. I can quickly cook up some meat and throw everything in a crockpot to enjoy for dinner. What do you put in your chili? Fun fact I like to call my chili soup, my husband thinks that is silly and doesn’t make sense. He tells me chili is a stew.
I want to make just plain tomato juice that can be turned into whatever is needed.
Did you know if you freeze your tomatoes and then let them defrost, the skins come off very easily? I tried it this year as I was waiting to have enough to make something. Wow! I was impressed with how easy it was. I use a crockpot for my spaghetti sauce. This way I can keep it simmering all day.
Recipes – coming soon!
Spaghetti
Tomato sauce
Chili Base
Chili