I love the website treehugger.com. It is a daily encyclopedia of all things green - it is fresh, current, and has great writing as well. Today I received an RSS feed about organic agriculture. Since I’m thinking about putting in an organic container garden, I found the articles to be really interesting. Hope you will too!! Read it all here
Recently I started reading Molly’s blog This Yuppie Life - she has a passion for finding ways to experience the best in travel, food and life without an unlimited budget (details below). I’m thrilled to share one of her recent posts with you. It speaks to the simplicity and joys of summertime.
It’s the peak of tomato season, which brings back memories of my favorite summertime lunch: a tomato sandwich. Some of my fondest memories of beach vacations include coming inside with sand on my feet to my mom peeling the brightest, ripest, juiciest tomatoes. She didn’t ask what we wanted for lunch. She knew. We can all agree that things usually taste better when mom makes it, but moms can’t always be around to make our lunch. With that ever increasing awareness that I am now an adult, I walked to the local farmers’ market, picked my own tomatoes and introduced my husband to what has now become his favorite summertime treat.
Shockingly, this Southern delicacy hasn’t made its way around the world. Californians will be tempted to add avocado and Mid-Westerners might want to add bacon. This is not a BLT. Or a BLAT. To all you wanna be chefs out there…yes there are many variations. You can try it with fancy cheeses, oils, aiolis and herbs. Don’t give in to temptation. Simplicity is such an underrated virtue.
As I took a bite into those sweet, succulent tomatoes, and smiled at my husband, those lazy childhood days came flooding back and I had an ephiphany. It wasn’t really mom’s making it that made it better. It was simply the fact that mom was there.
Mom’s Heirloom Tomato Sandwich
Ingredients:
1 very ripe heirloom tomato (peeled)
2 slices of white bread (this is important—do not use fancy bread)
good mayo
kosher salt
freshly cracked pepper
Directions:
Smear mayo on each slice of bread. Pile high with tomatoes. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Cut in half. Enjoy!
MOLLY TRIPP SCHONEVELD currently resides in Los Angeles, but frequently “goes to Carolina in her mind,” remaining a southern girl at heart (or at least in manners). She has worked in the entertainment industry for the past eight years and currently co-owns s/w pr shop, a boutique public relations firm handling both personal and consumer clients. Armed with the belief that you only live once, Molly understands that when you pamper your senses, you find adventure in the everyday.
You can find Molly online at This Yuppie Life (www.thisyuppielife.com).
What’s your favorite taste of summer?
Don’t forgot, Mama Says to make new friends and share your favorite recipes.
I love cooking in the summer. There are so many wonderful (and local) fresh ingredients at the market (grocery store, farmers market, etc) and in the garden. This week a local grocery store is running a special on wild salmon and there is bummer crop of tomatoes in the garden…. so I decided to make a dish with salmon and tomatoes. Now to find the right recipe…
I went to MyRecipes.com (www.myrecipes.com) and searched the words (salmon tomatoes) to find a recipe with those ingredients. The site came up with multiple suggestions — so many temptations. I selected ‘Salmon with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes’ (Cooking Light, April 2004). Just reading the recipe was a treat — and I had the ingredients in my pantry.
Dinner was delicious and this recipe will be a staple in our summer cooking rotation. Enjoy this simple, easy-to-prepare healthy and scrumptious meal; it is perfect for a quick-and-easy to prepare weekday dinner or for suitable for company.
Salmon with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1/2 cup tomato mixture)
Ingredients
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°. Prepared a jellyroll pan with cooking spray.
Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to coat and spread out on prepared jellyroll pan. Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes. Add fish to pan. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve the tomato mixture over fish. Drizzle with lemon juice.
Note: I used a combination of quartered Roma and cherry tomatoes.
Serving suggestions: Serve with rice or couscous and a summer vegetable.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 265 (43% from fat)
Fat: 12.6g (sat 2.7g,mono 6g,poly 2.8g)
Protein: 28.7g
Carbohydrate: 9.6g
Fiber: 1.8g
Cholesterol: 65mg
Iron: 1.2mg
Sodium: 368mg
Calcium: 37mg
Thank you for joining us in the kitchen, if you enjoyed this post share it with a friend, stumble it, digg it or tweet about it - Mama Says share!
It’s almost too good to be believed- a very very highly rated Robert Parker wine for a mere $11.99 a bottle! Here’s an email I received earlier this week from Amanda at Carlo Russo wines…..and yes, I ordered a case.
Pesquie Les Terrasses Cotes du Ventoux 2007
Reg. $14.99 On Sale $11.99
Robert Parker 91 Points!
Two weeks ago, I sent an email promoting the delicious, crowd-pleasing Pesquie Les Terrasses 2007, before it was reviewed. We had such incredible success with the 90 point rated 2006 vintage, and we were so confident the 2007 would rate even better, given the superb quality of the vintage. The review just came out late last week. Here is what Robert Parker had to say about the 2007:
“The 2007 Terrasses Rouge is a custom cuvee put together for importer Eric Solomon. Made from 60-year-old Grenache and 30-year-old Syrah, one-third is aged in small barrels and the rest in foudre and tank. I’m sure discounters will offer this cuvee for around $12 a bottle, which makes it a remarkable bargain. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of cassis, kirsch, lavender, pepper, and spice. The sweetness of the tannins, abundant glycerin, razor sharp focus, and wonderful depth make for a wine that transcends its humble price and bucolic appellation. Drink it over the next 2-3 years. 91 Points.”
Overall, as noted in my last email, Robert Parker called the 2007 vintage in the Rhone the “vintage of his lifetime.”Regarding Chateau Pesquie, Parker acknowledges it as one of the Cotes du Ventoux’s top estates, producing a number of “top-notch, value-priced wines”.
Last week we tasted the Pesquie Les Terrasses in the shop at one of our Saturday tastings, and it proved to be one of the customer favorites of the tasting. Now that the review has come out, I thought it a good idea to offer the wine once again via email for those that were waiting to see it. Here is a second opportunity at a phenomenal bargain - which happens to be a great wine for summer as well! We have about 30 cases left in stock, and will not be able to get more once it sells out.
Château Pesquie Les Terrasses 2007
Jancis Robinson “Wine of the Week”: “This Terrasses cuvée is sweet, round and rich with that delightful herby overlay of successful southern Rhône reds - lovely stuff ! It’s silky and almost drinkable already but … more
BN#265980
$14.99
On Sale $11.99
SKU02940
Please email me with any questions regarding these wines.
Amanda Donnelly
Online Sales Manager
Carlo Russo’s Wine and Spirit World
201-444-2033
Just in case you were wondering…..grilled peaches may be the best dessert around ( I’m a die hard chocoholic, and even I say that!!). Here in Georgia, we are starting to see an abundance of beautiful Georgia peaches. After a while, even I get tired of drippy sticky peach juice running down my chin. And besides, eating a whole peach isn’t exactly an elegant dessert.
But grilled peaches are….and they are so easy to make! I cut the peaches in half, take out the pit, brush them with a tiny bit of plain tasting oil (like Canola or Rice Bran) and plop them on a medium heated grill, cut side down. While my yummy peaches are sizzling, I mix some balsamic vinegar with brown sugar (2 parts vinegar to 1 part sugar) and heat up gently on the stove so the flavors mix and the vinegar becomes syrupy.
Now comes the good part - put some yummy vanilla ice cream in a bowl, top with the peaches, and drizzle the balsamic glaze over the whole thing. Easy as can be, elegant, and fabulously delicious. Enjoy!!
