Geesh my potager..is almost done done done.. But those cherry and mini pear tomatoes? The gift that keeps on giving...I am still picking them..but I know they are starting to look forlorn.The foliage looks so gloomy in parts and in others that verdant green still..
I have loved being a cherry tomato producer this summer♥
The cherry and pear tomatoes..boom..again next year..that purty pineapple tomato?
I had 3..one was the size of a small pumpkin..fell off the branch and got chomped on as soon as it starting turning..this one I harvested..and one still may come.
I don't call that Abundance..not even simple abundance.
So nope..no more.
I love tomatoes plain..sliced..diced..w/evoo or not..balsamic.. basil..anything..
So good.
Max..is the only one of all of us who HATES tomatoes..during a football day they stopped at Tim Horton's for lunch..I asked him what he ate..he said :"I had a BLT"..I said;"YOU"?~ "Mommy told them to hold the tomato"..Oh my gosh kids do say the darndest things..remember Art Linkletter?♥
I wanted to BE on that show.
I wanted to say the darndest thing.
We went to that sweet Japanese Paper Shop I love in Mtl..a few weeks back..They have oregami mobiles..so cute too..
I loved the Gattuso window:) we walked by.. Gattuso was the evoo we had at home..we walked by Wilensky's..even just people watching ..interesting..so diverse..artsy..quirky.
We were in good company.
I am sure some of you saw Susan's deliciously appetizing pasta veggie bake post?
I had to try it.
So good.
I ate the leftovers the next day and I am not at all a leftover person.
I love to cook..so why make enough to not have to cook again..ok lasagna.. stews etc..Osso Bucco..often better the next day..who doesn't love a bite of cold lasagna straight from the fridge?:)
I made half the recipe..but with loads of tomatoes and full liquid quantities.
I like that it has corn in it..
I have only ever had corn w/ pasta in a dish our friends had made for us and we had enjoyed it.
I enjoyed this too:)
I have Pinned her Basil..PLENTY.. is it's name..seeds they were..
and I love her yellow cast iron sunny dish.
If you liked the look of my perennial Italian spinach...continue reading..
I wanted to know the name of it..
turns out..
it is called NEW ZEALAND spinach..
imagine ...and my seeds came from Italy..
feel free to read up on it..it reseeds..so in QC..it should come back and not do like California and grow to gargantuan proportions.
Frédéricks'..is growing..it came back..under a huge container.. they are finishing their basement and all the old gypsum..etc..needed a place..well..it's growing out ..under that:)
That's tough.
So good..sautéed w/ evoo and garlic topping a pizza~
I even like it au naturel..nibbling on it in the garden..the good news..also..is that nothing is eating it..it stays pretty and perky..no holes..no bugs..nada.
Compared to my red cabbages that look like dotted swiss eyelet ..upon closer inspection Thursday in blistering heat I saw long green caterpillars..many..now that's enough to make me pull all the cabbages and into the Secret Garden they went..
Buh~bye..it just cut my appetite on the spot.
I hope you all enjoy the long weekend ahead~
PS
It's a tradition here..that we take each Little out to lunch for his birthday..the last one to have HIS day was Oli..Monday they had half day..so we went to lunch..his little face when the staff sang Happy Birthday was so cute....and then we shopped and shopped..they get to pick..within reason..
a toy.... a book..and clothing..
He had just watched Walking With Dinosaurs at our house Sunday with his brothers..and wasn't super impressed at the beginning but really got into it..
at Toys R Us.. he headed for Patchi..(I thought..you're kidding right Oli?) there were so many adorable stuffies....he was sure..we cruised the whole store..and Patchi is what he loved.
Oli is the 4th Little..he is spoiled with love ..but not "stuff"..
so nana said sure!
He had a looong day..at one point we must have tried on 10 pairs of running shoes..he was sooo patient..5 years old..6 on the 8th!
He was a litte doll all day.♥
His mom sent me the above photo from her phone..
Oh to sleep like that again.I have to tell you though..when you see that..you go to sleep with visions of Oliplums in your head♥
and then the news sets in..and I think of the unluckier children....
My Oliver just turned 6 too. A real sweetie but bounces off the walls and wants everyone to laugh at him... I ate my last tomato from my garden yesterday with just a shake of salt on it. It was so good, especially since it was probably the last one. There are tiny green ones but I doubt they'll make it to maturity. The weather and worms and deer got nearly all of them this year. Haven't had that much trouble getting tomatoes in a long time. My little, Isobel, is turning 8 this Saturday and we'll be going to the city to celebrate with her. Have a good weekend dear.
ReplyDeleteSuch a nice parallel !
DeleteAnd Donna..Oli is a bounce of the wall little boy. with his brothers and Noah..on his own..with us...buttah.
Have fun in the city.I love that name Isobel..my friends daughters name is that spelled the same way.When she was little they called her Bella..maybe they still do..I think you do too.
I love tomatoes and this look amazing !
ReplyDeleteLove the pizza too.
Sad day with all we saw at news.
Monique I know I never will forget this little kid.
Loads of love
xoe
Me neither...:(
DeleteThank God I have the one above safe at home.
Yes dear .only I pray this dad will be ok !
DeleteIs it the luck of the draw where someone lives?:(
DeleteOr how one's life goes?
He feels his life is over :(
DeleteHope not !
He feels his life is over :(
DeleteHope not !
Happy Birthday, Oli. You are going to have the best year. Being 6 is awesome!
ReplyDeleteTell Max you have a friend who doesn't eat tomatoes either. I can totally relate to ordering a BLT and telling them to hold the tomatoes. ;-)
Really?This is the first time I heard:)I will tell him:)
DeleteHappy birthday to you Oli. As a child I always thought "growing up" was when you reached 6 and started school. And in a lot of ways it is. You look so peaceful there, sleeping with your birthday present. You just want to hug them and wish they could always be like this. So much bad stuff going on the world today. It's just natural to want to protect the innocents. Monique, your spectacular photography started my weekend off with a huge burst of color and I thank you. We are in for rain, rain, rain in the foreseeable future. We do need it, but not this much. I hope you have a great weekend and thanks for starting mine off with a lot of cheerfulness.
ReplyDeleteSam
The images are jarring and of course everyone has an opinion.And many different which leads to heated discussions..
DeleteThanks for your cheery words..here..we need rain..parched and dry..
sometimes the weather is perfect..:) Sometimes..
Have a beautiful weekend Sam.
Happy Birthday to Oli. He looks adorable sleeping with his new "guy" as Katherine calls her stuffed animals. Susan's recipe looks great. Did you make it in a cast iron skillet? Jerry doesn't like the taste of uncooked tomatoes because of the seeds. Maybe that is Max's objection to them. My best friend doesn't like figs for the same reason. We might be celebrating Beth's birthday this Sunday, this could be a good side dish. Did you sow your basil indoors or start outdoors? I have to look for the seed and try some in pots. We love to make pesto sauce and freeze it. I will look for that spinach, it looked good enough to use as a ground cover. Enjoy the weekend, it is supposed to cool down here and that will be so welcome after this heat we have been having.
ReplyDeleteI used cherry tomatoes..but removed most of the seeds..I am not botheres by them..and you don't want to remove all the pulp..as you need the tomatoes to form a sauce along w/ the wine etc..
DeleteI did use the cast iron..I bought basil plants in the spring..I willt try sowing Susans' "PLENTY" next yr..you are spot on as ground cover:)
Susan's daughter had a bday and she served it:)
Have a great celebratory weekend!
I'm so glad you tried and enjoyed the summer harvest pasta, Monique! I took it to a backyard party last Sunday and got several requests for the recipe. I doubled the recipe and it fed 20 people. I've been adding more tomatoes than the recipe calls for too. My cherry tomatoes went crazy in August and then, poof, they just stopped producing. The rest of my tomatoes are still going strong and hope our warm weather stays until they ripen. I love the pear tomatoes but wish the plants didn't get so tall...not great for containers. I just Googled the New Zealand spinach seeds. I'm going to try some next year! Thank you for the name of it. I've said it before, you live in such an Old World charming place! Such wonderful places to visit. We used to have a wonderful artist supply store but they closed this year :( Too much online competition and the owners were at retirement age. Happy Birthday, Sweet Oli! Dane and Mack love Patchi too :) I can't believe Mack and Oli are both turning 6! What a shopping trooper ♥
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteI find the more toamtoes the more the sauce:) It's a very pretty dish too;)
I like that.I found my mini penne after the fact;) When we go to Little Italy J stocks up and has stashing places..;)
We have the same tradition in my family of taking the birthday child out to lunch and then on a shopping trip. I've spent many hours in Toys R Us looking for just the right thing. I'm so sorry to see the tomatoes go...its been such a great year for them. Much too hot for me but the tomatoes loved it. They are what I miss most during the winter.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fun thing to do..my daughters didn't have my parents..and jacques were much older and passed when our girls were young.
DeleteIt was very importaat to me that we give them each a special time:)
Like you do:)
Have a nice weekend:)
I would like to say "I have loved being a cherry tomato producer this summer"
ReplyDeleteI hope you are painting those tomatoes ...what gorgeous colors!'
I need you to come here and teach me in person:)
DeleteI will..I will try..I have been painting a lot..but thoe creative girls:)
Last night I watched a Youtube tutorial on glazing:)
I want to do that..I am happy you inspire us all to paint..visit Paris.. eat macarons..:)
Oh little Oli. Happy Birthday. Love that paper store. I'm a decoupage artist so I am really into paper! Loved Susan's recipe, also. The weekend is here and I hope you have a good one. I am grateful every day that my children can sleep peaceful in their "nest."
ReplyDeleteOh me too..we are the lucky ones..to have a roof..a bed..a bath..food.
DeleteHappy weekend to you:)
Oh, sweet Oli - brings a lump to my throat and a little tear to my eye remembering my children when they were so small. Sweet, sweet memories! Wishing you a lovely end of the summer weekend, dear Nana!
ReplyDeleteAngels..maybe that is why they can sleep so soundly and well:)♥
DeleteHi Monique, what a wonderful tradition of taking the person out for their bday, makes for a very special day and creates wonderful memories. My grandbabies birthdates are in Nov and Dec, the 14th, 16th and 27tth, they would love a special lunch.
ReplyDeleteI think we enjoy it as much..if not more.I think you woul love it too..wonder how they will feel at 16:)
DeleteMight have to be an out of the way place;)
You have sweet celebrations ahead of you:)
Monique, I love your tradition of taking your grands out for the day for their Birthday! I wish I could do that and what beautiful memories you are building for them of their loving Grandparents. I love that innocent wee one sleeping. Oh to sleep like that now! The pasta dish looks fabulous! I am going to look that one up for sure. Also the pizza, c'est magnifique! I love spinach on a pizza. I will have to look for the seeds you have planted. I like the idea of a spinach which reseeds itself. Gattuso was the olive oil of choice for us also. Lovely post as always. Your photos are brilliant. I'd expect nothing less!! Oh, and a Japanese paper shop, how wonderful! xoxo
ReplyDeleteI think Todd would enjoy growing this,,it would definitely stay around a lot time for you..Your Spiderman:)
DeleteYou'd love that shop Marie..so unique.You would not leave empty handed,being the artist that you are..
I think I slept 2 hours last night..and not in a row..at all.UGH.
Hey girlie!
ReplyDeleteRemember that giveaway on Bake at 350? Well, the first random winner was one of my cousins...and she refused to take the prizes since we're related and all. Guess who was the next winner? YOU!!! Couldn't find your email, so please email ME and we'll chat about getting it all to you. Congratulations!!! :) cookies350 {at} gmail {dot} com
You are kidding?
DeleteBridget..I have have loved your blog forever..well since I found you..
I am going to see you now:)
Wow..disbelief.
What a lovely way to spend Oli's birthday. That is the sweetest picture his mom sent you. How special to do this for your grands. The pasta dish looks great, especially your photos. They always shine.
ReplyDeleteGreat pizza as well. I love how created one can get with it. Happy Saturday.
I can just imagine how you would dress up a pizza Linda..
DeleteIhope your lunch w/ mom was great:)
You are such a good grandmother and making such sweet memories with these boys! Love the pic after a wonderful day, he's probably dreaming about it!
ReplyDeleteI know I was..:)♥
DeleteI have gotten 1/2 of one tomato this year. The other half went to Mr. Snail.
ReplyDeleteCherries? Small only small now..or Iatlian..my son in law has so many!!
DeleteI love the sweet photo of Ollie. We are so blessed. Xxoo
ReplyDeleteThat indeed.
DeleteOui, je crois bien que tes petits-enfants en ont bien, de la chance, de t'avoir ! ;o) Allez, je dois filer ... Je repasserai ce soir ou demain matin pour continuer ma remontée dans le temps ! ;o)
ReplyDeleteJe crois..que tu peux ressentir l'amour que Jacques et moi avons pour nos 4 Littles..
Deleteet en regardant tes "boys"..je vois le futur..
sauf l'éducation..vraiment ce que vous voyez avec Paul et Clément..l'éducation en France..
pas du tout ..chez nous..:(