A Bounteous Harvest

Monday, our family sat down to a meal from the garden!  Tomatoes are a particular favorite this time of year:  we picked pints and pints of grape tomatoes (and there are many more to come!)  And just in time for the holiday meal, the Early Goliath tomatoes were ready for slicing.  I thought the taste of the Early Goliaths a bit watery, but they were by far the most successful of the large tomatoes we've tried to grow.

Our traditional BBQ relish is marinated cucumbers and onions -- this time, with the added kick of jalapenos.  The cucumbers were Straight Eight, the red onions were grown from sets planted in the winter and the jalapenos were a Texas A&M variety whose name I lost.  I combined two sliced cucumbers, two small sliced red onions, 1 sliced jalapeno pepper, 2/3 cup white vinegar, and 1/2 cup each of sugar and water.  Add salt, pepper and dill to taste.  Wonderful!

And the crowning glory:  potato salad!  This summertime favorite was made with white Kennebec potatoes planted this winter, and some youngish bulbing onions from the garden.  From the grocery store: mayonnaise, mustard, dill pickles, hard-boiled eggs, celery, salt, pepper and the secret ingredient -- pickle juice!