Heirloom Tomatoes Grown in a Past Summer

I’ve written a lot about tomatoes in the past, grown a lot of tomatoes, and certainly cooked and eaten a lot of tomatoes. Tomatoes are a summer reward to all. In the past, I’ve picked up my favorite tomato seedlings such as Celebrity, Early Girl, Sungold, Black Krim, and Cherokee Purple. I planted them in my prepared garden in April, and lovingly maintained them from spring into summer harvest. At some point, these tomato plants grow and grow and become unruly. The ripe tomatoes are wonderful, yet the garden seems to have gotten out of hand.

This year I decided to intentionally contain my tomatoes and grew them in a different way, mainly in containers. The various seed catalogs have tomato selections for everyone’s taste, literally.

Please remember determinate tomatoes reach their full maturity quickly and set all of their fruit at one time. Most tomato plants suitable for containers are determinate. Indeterminate tomato plants are vining, need pruning at times, have an extended length of growing season, and continue to produce fruit throughout the season.

New Tomato Varieties I Am Growing This Year:

1) Shady Lady. This is a determinate hybrid tomato that needs no staking. I really like that idea. It is deep red in color, with heavy foliage, and great flavor. It is known in California as a top performer in tomato fields. I first heard about this Shady Lady tomato from Georgeanne Brennan, when I took her weekend Provence class at her home and garden outside of Davis, California. I don’t think she is hosting her cooking class anymore. She raved about this tomato, how many plants she grew, and how she shared them exclusively with her chef friend for his kitchen. This is the year to try Shady Lady. Readily available online.

2) Tasmanian Chocolate. Renee’s Garden Seeds. Heirloom container tomatoes with short vines that offer abundant mahogany-red tomatoes with rich, delicious, well-balanced flavor.

3) Cherry Falls. John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. Beautiful tomato plant with oodles of cascading cherry tomatoes.

4) Husky Cherry Red. Home Depot. I picked this up on whim because it is very suitable for containers.

Starting Seeds Indoors

I started these seeds in a seed tray and with seed starting mix from Grangetto’s I have had for a couple of years stored away. The seed warming mat really works and helps seeds germinate quickly. You can find all kinds of seed warming mats online. I poked a small indention into each soil-filled cell with a chopstick. Seeds are tiny. Keeping your soil moist with a spray water bottle is critical. I placed my sowed seeds and mat on top of my dryer in my laundry room where there is a skylight and under the counter lighting, also critical for germinating your precious seeds.

I am experimenting and starting more seeds other than tomatoes, such as different basils, heirloom Italian eggplant, different lettuces, kale, and more. Another honorable mention is Fino Verde Little-Leaved Basil offered at John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, that is applauded by chefs, for the tiny size of leaf, depth of flavor, and rich color.

Please share if you are growing flowers and vegetables from seed for your garden and potager! I would love to hear about your seed adventures!

Related Past Tomato Blog Posts

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

Sweet Peas On New Trellis

I always love making seasonal garden bouquets for my home, and maybe some to share. It means so much that they come from my garden, grown with love and care, but also the beauty and happiness they resonate. They also are such a big part of seasonal living which I love!

I recently started a project close to my potager. I created a dedicated trellis row for growing more flowers, and perhaps a few other things like extra tomato plants. It is a more focused attention to growing flowers for cutting, which can be rotated season to season. Think planting sweet peas and ranunculus in the fall, sunflowers in the spring, pumpkins and gourds in the summer.

Impromptu Winter Garden Bouquet, Narcissus and Viburnum ‘Spring Bouquet’

I really owe this to the talented flower farmers, floral designers, garden stylemakers, and garden enthusiasts that share their flower passion online and on social media. There are so many, and it seems everyday a new person pops up. Here are a few of some that I follow and in no particular order. Some have their own websites, and most are on Instagram.

Slow Flowers Society. Founded by Debra Prinzing in 2013, after writing her book Slow Flowers. A Who’s Who of American Floral Farmers, Slow Flower Florists and a branding platform that promotes, connects consumers with farmers, florists, designers and retailers.

Floret Flowers Erin Benzakein heads up her family run flower farm and seed company that specializes in unique, uncommon and heirloom flowers.

Menagerie Flower Felicia Alvarez with her beloved garden rose production farm offers bare root and potted roses, and educational workshops. She has a new book rose book coming out, Growing Wonder, for all rose lovers.

Willow Crossley Willow Crossley is a fabulous UK floral designer who offers floral design, and much more, including online floral workshops.

B-Side Farm Lennie Larkin is an incredible Sonoma flower farmer and florist with great entrepreneurial spirit.

Claus Dalby. A mild-mannered Danish gardener, photographer, broadcaster, and YouTuber who is simply amazing. On Instagram.

My French Country Home Sharon Santoni in Normandy, France, gives you glimpses of fantastic gardens all over France, as well as her flowers, floral bouquets, and potager from her own garden.

Potted Vintage Container with Purple Pansies and Ornamental Cabbage

I haven’t even touched on flowers and vintage container design you can create at home like the simple design I did above. That merits a whole category on its own!

Bon Appétit, Bon Weekend, et Happy Valentine’s Day…..Bonnie

Beatty’s Chocolate Cake

Show your loved ones how much you care and love them, by baking this treat for Valentine’s Day, Beatty’s Chocolate Cake from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home (2006) cookbook. This is a really rich, moist chocolate cake made with buttermilk and freshly brewed hot coffee added to the cake batter, and instant coffee powder added to the icing. Make sure you use a good quality cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate, and not chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers.

“Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot people; it does for me.”

— Audrey Hepburn

It is definitely an old-fashioned cake, which harkens back to the days when milk was delivered to your doorstep by a milkman. This cake calls for two 8” round cake pans. Initially, I thought the cake wasn’t going to be very high. However, not the case, this recipe makes two very thick cake layers, and a beautiful presentation with the chocolate buttercream frosting.

“Romance is the icing but love is the cake.”

— Julia Child

A little culinary secret for you that you may or may not know. A little coffee flavor greatly enhances and heightens chocolate flavor. Further layer the coffee flavor theme, and serve this delicious cake with coffee ice cream or coffee gelato. A home run!

Over the years I have shared special chocolate dessert recipes. See below for more fabulous chocolate recipes you can make for Valentine’s Day.

More Related Posts
A Perfect Dessert to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Jim Dodge Chocolate Pecan Cake

February is Love

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

Pipes Cafe in Cardiff, California

From time to time I write about “Places to Know” around San Diego County which are special. Pipes Cafe in Cardiff is one of them. Pipes Cafe is a breakfast and lunch hot spot, open 7am to 2pm daily, where one can rub elbows with locals, visitors, and surfers. Friends, neighbors, and foodies all meet up here. Dogs are welcome too. Pipes Cafe has indoor and outdoor seating, take out, and a full service espresso and smoothie bar. If you have family or out of town friends visiting you, this is the place to bring them for a bit of friendly local vibe and color. Pipes Cafe, 121 Liverpool Drive, Cardiff, California 92007, (tel) (760) 632-0056.

I think the original concept of Pipes Cafe, was to feed hungry surfers after a morning riding the waves. The food is great, prices are reasonable, portions very generous, and the wall décor is famous waves and surfers. Right or wrong on that hunch, it is a great spot for everyone. My husband and I like to go there for Sunday breakfast and then hit the scenic coastal walking Rail Trail nearby for fresh air and panoramic coastal views.

Casual Dining with Great Food

From the Rail Trail on the south end, you can cross over Coast Highway 101 at the San Elijo Ave. light and walk up the coast to Swamis Seaside Park, a great view point and internationally known surfing spot. After your walk on the Rail Trail, stop in at Cardiff Seaside Market for something special from their extraordinary meat and seafood counter to take home.

Surfer Breakpoint at Swamis Seaside Park

Take the time to relish a delicious breakfast, take a brisk walk admiring the coastal beauty, listen to your thoughts, breathe in the wonderful sea air, and soak up some golden sunshine. A great way to start a relaxing day, any day of the week!

Beautiful Coastline from Cardiff Down to La Jolla

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

New Doors to Open This Year

I wish I could share with you that I was in Provence this past month, celebrating the holidays and making a great start to 2022. Although my thoughts and visualizations were there, I was gladly home at Domaine de Manion enjoying quiet and relaxing holidays. Now I am planning my 2022. It appears already for me, this is a year of upgrades and improving on many fronts.

Having said that, if you haven’t been to my website recently, www.bonniejomanion.com please visit. This fall I worked on refreshing and updating it. One of the new changes is offering my photography online, Purchase My Photography on my home page. My photos are my inspiration, and the source for my ideas and content to share with you.

I have selected a few photos to begin with, like the French Blue Door photo above, where you can see them all at once, or click on individual categories like Provence, Burgundy, Domaine de Manion. I will be adding more photos from time to time. If you have a favorite photo from my blog, Instagram, or website, please feel free to contact me at bonnie@vintagegardengal.com and I will add it to this category. Some of these photos currently grace my home, and I enjoy them everyday. Perhaps some of these photos will resonate with you too!

I am sure all of you have thought through your 2022 with hope, goals, resolutions, and intentions by now. To make this year a spectacular year for you all, I wanted to share with you a very special list. This list came from a Mira Costa College Business Class taught by Tom Severance, I took years ago. Going through some of my old files, I recently found it again. Many of these points I imagine you already know and do now, but it never hurts to revisit the list to keep them fresh in your daily living, and kick start your year. Wishing you your best year yet!

It is a list to unlock the best kept secret in the world—YOU!

1) Live your ideal life …now.

2) Do things that are extraordinary and nearly impossible.

3) Believe that: If it’s to be, it’s up to me.

4) Think BIG. Dream lofty dreams. Plan. Act immediately.

5) Keep in contact with the best, meet people engaged in the best, experience the best.

6) Be your own boss. Do what you love and get paid for it.

7) Duplicate your efforts and receive a percentage on other’s productivity.

8) Increase your income daily…whether you work, play, or sleep.

9) Do what you do so well that people enthusiastically refer others to you.

10) Inspire others by your example.

11) Build your reputation for honesty, integrity, quality, and superb service.

12) Aim for excellence in your field.

13) Support others in achieving their goals.

14) Develop influential friendships worldwide.

15) Take total responsibility for your past, present, and future experiences.

16) Strive to accomplish more with less time, money, and energy.

17) Do and say things that benefit all concerned.

18) Be open to new ideas, relationships, and experiences.

19) Realize that all events happen for the best.

20) Take calculated risks to get ahead.

21) Read books by and about exciting people you admire.

22) Simplify your life, have more fun per hour.

23) Know that you are equal to everyone and everyone is equal to you.

24) Accept people the way they are and the way they are not.

25) Forgive and love everyone.

26) Do what you feel is best, no matter what people think of you.

27) Save 10% of your income.

28) Give something away daily…a postcard, letter, gift, smile, hug, compliment.

29) Collect pictures of what you want to be, do, and have in your life.

30) Do not criticize, condem, or complain.

31) Act as if it were impossible to fail.

32) Live in an elegant dwelling.

33) Dine at the finest restaurants.

34) Stay at the best hotels in the world.

35) Dress to look and feel great! Mostly solid-colored clothing.

36) Collect quotes that motivate you.

37) Speak and write only positive words.

38) Carry a crisp $100.00 bill with you at all times.

39) Learn something new every day.

40) Exercise at least 20 minutes daily to achieve and maintain your ideal body.

41) Eat mostly fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains.

42) Minimize alcohol, tobacco, sugar, salt, white flour, coffee, pork, beef,and unnatural foods.

43) Avoid saying: can’t, hard, difficult. Instead say: I can, it’s easy, it’s simple.

44) Keep your home, desk, closets, car…clean, neat, and organized.

45) Use a simple time management system.

46) Listen to music which motivates you.

47) Maintain a good-looking tan. Spend more time with nature.

48) Act as if all your goals and intentions are already accomplished.

49) Constantly escalate your goals.

50) GO FOR IT! JUST DO IT!

Related Post Link:

What I Love About January

Vegetable Edibles to Plant in January

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie

Holiday Spirit in the Wine Room

I am thinking of you all through the holidays. May you be surrounded by loved ones and the holiday spirit now, and throughout 2022. My blog posts will return in January.

Love. Peace. Blessings….Bonnie

Butternut Squash from the Garden

When I was looking through recipes around Thanksgiving I happened up this recipe, Risotto with Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola, and Toasted Pecans. This has been a favorite of mine from the December 2003 Oprah magazine. Somehow I had forgotten about it.

I still have home-grown butternut squash from the garden, and on a recent trip to an Italian specialty store, I picked up a pound of Carnaroli rice, considered the best risotto rice overall for making the creamiest risotto due to its very high starch content. Carnaroli rice is available on Amazon, specialty food stores, and gourmet food websites. This recipe calls for arborio rice which is a more common available rice for making risotto.

Home-grown butternut squash, fresh sage leaves, and a new box of Carnaroli rice said it was meant to be.

This is a delightful recipe full of flavor, depth, and texture with soft golden butternut squash, sweet Gorgonzola, and crunchy toasted pecans for crunch. Chef Rori Trovato recommends serving this risotto with a California Zinfandel or Central Coast Syrah. She also provides below simple interesting variations on this recipe. Enjoy!

Sauté the Rice and Butternut Squash Together

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola, and Toasted Pecans

Lovingly Adapted from Chef Rori Trovato

Oprah Magazine, December 2003

Ingredients

1. 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

2. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3. 1/2 small onion , finely chopped

4. 1 cup arborio rice

5. 2 cloves small garlic , finely chopped

6. 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

7. 8 large sage leaves , chopped

8. 2 tablespoons butter

9. 2 teaspoons salt

10. Freshly ground pepper

11. 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

12. 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

In a saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Then reduce heat to low.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-high flame, heat the olive oil. Add the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rice; stir until well coated, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and squash and continue to stir another 30 seconds. Lower the heat to medium and add 1/2 cup hot stock. With a wooden spoon, stir until the liquid is absorbed but the rice isn't sticking to the pan. Continue adding 1/2 cup stock and stirring until the stock is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Recipe Note: I was taught to stir your risotto in a clockwise direction, the whole time, for waking up the starch and in turn creaminess in your rice kernels. I also used 1 teaspoon of salt rather than two.

Remove from heat; add the sage, butter, and salt. Season with pepper. Stir to combine. Place risotto in a serving bowl and top with Gorgonzola and pecans. Makes 4 servings.

Recommended variations

• Cranberry Risotto: Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries with the garlic and squash.

• Barley Risotto: Substitute one cup barley for the arborio rice and use one additional cup of stock. Barley has a nuttier taste and a less creamy texture than rice.

• Indian-Spiced Risotto with Shrimp: Omit the squash and add one teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons curry powder, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. When the rice is about two-thirds done, add 1 1/2 pounds medium-size peeled and deveined shrimp. Continue cooking until the rice and shrimp are cooked through. Finally, substitute 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for the sage, omit the Gorgonzola, and increase the amount of butter to 4 tablespoons.

Elegant Risotto with Butternut Squash

Please share if you have a favorite risotto recipe you like to make.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

Woodland Girl Garden Ornament

I could write a book on garden ornaments, so containing it to this short post could be challenging. In the midst of grocery and holiday shopping I found a lovely garden statuary, a vintage woodland girl at Consignment Classics Decor Store. I wasn’t actually going to the consignment shop, but parked nearby, and thought to pop in for a moment.

When I speak to groups, I always mention to keep your eyes open for unique pieces. If it calls to you, buy it, and ponder later where you will put it. Usually these unique finds come out of nowhere, maybe off your beaten path, and at the most unexpected times. It almost presents itself as a challenge. Where will I put it? How will I get it home? Will I be sorry if I don’t buy it? Will it be beautiful as well as functional? What is the history of this piece?

We all have our unique property and garden style, color palette, and ambience that we create. There are garden ornaments, and actually garden jewels, that punctuate, elevate, and enhance your garden simply by their presence and where they are located. They can tell a story, or create a feeling for your garden, with one glance.

I have a Mediterranean European garden, and so keep to this style. Stone is one common medium, in water features, statuary, furniture, and materials for walls, pathways and driveways.

This vintage woodland girl, and I am going to have to aptly name her, is solid concrete, showing a bit of patina exposure, is perfect scale, and blends beautifully in her new shaded home under the Torrey Pine tree surrounded by acanthus mollis and camellias. She exudes contentment and serenity. What was once a nice shaded garden, now has a bit of interest and intrigue to draw your eye.

Beauty in the Shade Garden

Where to find your garden jewels? Some sources where you might find your treasures are favorite garden centers and shops, nurseries, friends, consignment stores, flea markets, garage sales, antique shops, home decor stores, retailers, and more. I have gotten some nice pieces from HomeGoods in late winter when they stock their spring garden items. Just keep your eyes open when you shop. It is different for everyone.

Please share a story about finding one of your favorite pieces for your garden.

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie