BRUSCHETTA USES UP SOME GARDEN TOMATOES

Still picking lots of tomatoes from the garden. Without a frost, they are still going strong. Since we are celebrating our son-in-law's birthday today, I will be  making a large dish of Bruschetta from some of these delicious ones.
Quite simple to make.

Dice the tomatoes.
Add some olive oil and diced garlic cloves- 2-3.
Add some oregano to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix together well.
It can be eaten right away or put in the fridge to rest for an hour or two.
On melba toast, fresh Italian bread or a cracker of choice, bruschetta always makes an easy appetizer.

Now what to do with the rest of the tomatoes!
#tomatoes#bruschettamadewithfreshtomatoes#pickingfreshtomatoes#oliveoil#dicedgarliccloves

OREGANO/ORIGANO- ERBA ITALIANA

Oregano is a staple in my cooking. At our home in Italy it was in the garden as it now grows as a perennial plant in my summer garden.

Some oregano drying and a pretty picture Barb took years ago. Anyway, oregano grows easily in the garden. Picking the leaves fresh adds flavour to food. I pick the whole plant even with the purple flowers to dry. The flowers  can be cut off or dried if you want!

Here's some of my fresh "crop" this year. I let it dry thoroughly which can take several days. I lay it out on cookie sheets. It needs to be rotated so all the leaves dry. When very brittle and dry, I use my coffee bean grinder to make it into powder form for use all year long.
Barb marks the containers " Adolph's oregano"!
It is good on pizza of any kind! Bruschetta and just sliced tomatoes taste better with oregano. Chicken cacciatore and Greek Salad are other dishes that benefit from it. I know there are different varieties. Maybe I will do some research on the one I have in the garden.
#oregano#oreganointhegarden#harvestingourownoregano#oreganoisgoodinfood#yesitisreallyoregano

MY CANADIAN VEGETABLE GARDEN-GIARDINO ITALIANO

Good meals come from good fresh food. Italians always use the vegetables and fruit in season to make their meals. I have been busy- digging then planting my summer vegetable garden. So I am Italian and need tomatoes. I planted several different kinds. Lettuce, beans, eggplant, cucumbers and swiss chard are some of the other vegetables in my little plot. My herbs- oregano, rosemary,basil and parsley are in my little pots. Over the next few months I will share my summer recipes with you. It will be fun showing you the fresh vegetable then the dish it will become. For today, I want to rest my sore old muscles from all the gardening activity. Maybe a nap or two! Il bello giardino! Troppo lavoro! Sono stanco!

THE BASICS IN MY CUPBOARD

Every kitchen contains similiar food items-
               Milk, bread, eggs etc.

Along with a well stocked kitchen, every Italian cook has a list of basics kept for meal preparation in his cupboard or elsewhere in the home.

Salt Pepper.

Bottles of Passata di Pomodoro/ Pureed-strained Tomatoes. Many Italians in Canada still make thier own passata. I used to help my mother make about 200 bottles annually. Now I have found the prepared ones to be just as tasty without the work.

Cans of Tomatoes- I like the whole plum ones.
Frozen whole tomatoes. It is easy to buy or grow your favourite tomatoe. In the Fall, when the growing season is over, use the ripe ones. Wash and bag, put in the freezer for use throught out the year.

Onion
Garlic
Vinegar- Red, White

Tins of Beans- Romano, White, Kidney, Brown, Ceci-Chick Peas

Variety of Pasta- To name a few- Spaghetti, Spaghettini, Linguine, Fetuccine, Penne-lisce, Rigatoni, Macroni Elbows, Tubetti, Bows, Stars, Alphabet

Olive Oil-Extra Virgin
Olive Oil-EVOO
Vegetable Oil
And of course the herbs! Basil, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley

Hot Pepper- dried

Cheese as topping or in a Dish- Parmiagiano/ Parmesean
Mozzarella Cheese.

You will find these basics in many of my recipes.

So you can visit my blog weekly for tidbits, recipes and menu plans about my style of cooking. I welcome comments and ideas. If you have trouble commenting just email me at abns@rogers.com