Some days just don't seem to go according to plan. Like yesterday...the day started off alright, but when I was leaving to go to the eye doctor, I bumped into my cousin's rental car...Luckily, he didn't care. I come back to my parents, pack to go home and find out that my great Uncle had passed away (my family is having a rough time). Then my husband and I go to lunch, go to my favorite grocery store. Everything is looking up. We have a really yummy, if really spicy, dinner in downtown Asheville (at a restaurant that allows dogs on the patio-Rags got to come). Salsa's has these lava bowls...I had no idea food could get and stay so hot. Chicken in a coconut sauce over black beans and rice...heaven! Then we are driving home and I find out that things are going crazy with the approval of the new pastor for our church. So I have been up, down, up, down, up, and down again...but I get home and look at the garden...things look up again. Isn't it nice to end on a good note? The roller coaster that was my day finally ended as I went to bed.
From our garden we found a huge zucchini (which we left to try and get seed for next year) plus 2 reasonable sized zucchini which we harvested. Our first cucumber was harvested last night, plus some hardy little carrots that managed to survive. We will try a different way next year...the soil is just to rocky here. And we had 11 cherry tomatoes, they are supposed to be gold but some over-ripened into a lush red. But they will still taste good! If only we had our Brandywines!
Tonight we are having a tapas night based off some good finds a gourmet grocery and our garden. I can't wait...fresh figs wrapped in mozzarella and prosciutto, tomato bruschetta, and a rice stuffed zucchini blossom. I can't wait to see how the zucchini blossom turns out. We haven't tried that before. Anyway...Here is my favorite recipe for bruschetta...of course it changes from time to time.
Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients: 1 cup diced tomato, 1/2 cup diced mozzarella cheese, 3 tbsp good olive oil, 6 fresh basil leaves, 12 slices french bread
Directions: Using 1 tbsp of the olive oil, brush each side of the french bread and broil to make toasts. Mix together the tomato, cheese, and remaining olive oil. Gently tear the basil leaves into pieces and mix into the tomato mixture (this must be done right before it is stirred in). Serve on the warm toasts.
Enjoy!
