Doan know iffin'y'all heered how Florida done froze up fer two days. This is a hardship...oh I know most of ya' ain't cryin' no tears fer us, but it is tough on the tropical landscape, the citrus growers and home gardeners.
Our buggy barn is full of plants we thought we might save...and to day is real real purty--sunny and bright an the high will be back up in the 70s.
But as the basket top in the photo above shows, we harvested a few zillion yaller pear tomatoes--what's above is the last of 'em since we eat these beauties like peanuts--jes' pop a few in yore mouth when ya's passin' through the kitchen. (Them two red ones on the right is alien store boughten ones--Uncle brought them back from the huntin' camp --they ain't got no garden down thar, so they does buy vegetables--but that BIG yaller one? Thas' home grown!)
Anyhoo....we's had some many of these wee yaller tomatoes, I'se thinkin' I'd share one of the salat recipes I like fer usin' them up.
This looks long, but it takes jes' 10 minutes! Serves four.
Get these thangs together: ( out of yore garden is best!)
two handfuls of yaller pear tomatoes
one medium cucumber
handful of fresh mint
one head Romaine lettuce
1 red bell pepper
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon quartered
salt/ pepper
wash the veggies, mint leaves and romaine
peel and dice that cucumber
halve the tomatoes lengthwise
chop the mint, reserve 4 small sprigs
slice four thin rings from the red pepper
In a bowl put the tomotoes and cucumber and 1/2 the mint
in a mortar (or a small wooden bowl--can be a stone or pottery bowl) place the other half of the mint, 1/4 tsp salt and use pestle to crush mint with salt, drizzle in the 1/2 c of the olive oil until you have a nice minty oil. ( YES, okay, you may do this in a small food processor) (If ya' like garlic, add a bit to the mint and crush it too)
Pour the most of the mint oil over the tomotoes and cucumbers, grind some pepper over it, and toss lightly, then add lemon juice, toss a few times, then the feta cheese and toss VERY lightly.
On 4 of yore salat plates put a trio of romaine leaves and the red pepper ring at the junction of them romaine leaves, drizzle a wee bit of the reserved minty oil over them,
then pile the yaller tomaters and cucumber /feta mix in the red pepper ring,
place a quarter of lemon and sprig of mint on the side of the plate an' serve!
This recipe is light on salt, so ya may wanna add more at table.
Now fer an entree salat, to the tomater /cucumber mix add in 1 cup well drained room temp couscous (or bulgar wheat) and a cup of drained chick peas, and chunks of roast chicken--increase minty oil by a 1/2 cup, an' another 1/4 c fresh lemon juice. Grind pepper generously over all, toss, add feta and toss lightly.
(vegetarian? Omit chicken.)
Happy Saturday to all y'all!
