END OF SUMMER CLEANUP FOR THE COOK

As the garden winds down, time to pick the remainder of the beans and tomatoes. Bagged a bushel of tomatoes from the store to use in soups and sauces during the winter. Too many tomatoes in the garden so have been bagging those too. Some Italians are busy making their homemade bottles of passata di pomodoro.

I bought two dozen for $.99 for each bottle and no effort. I think I will go back and buy some more but don't know if I can do all that work!!! I also like to use the canned tomatoes- crushed for some recipes and diced for others. The whole tomatoes can be used in stir fry meals. The red peppers are in abundance so have been enjoying roasted, fried and fresh in several dishes. Rapini will grow until the frost comes several times. Lots of home grown garlic and onions being used now. I love the fresh vegetable but will not miss the work of the garden. Oh yeah then there is snow removal! Garden versus snow removal- I guess I like the garden better!