Welcome home

I had been worried that after our week long trip we would come home to tomato plants that were dead, dried up, toppled over, or something equally depressing.
Imagine my delight when we were able to not only salvage many of the perfectly ripe tomatoes, but had enough to make almost a gallon of Steve's fresh salsa. These are a mix of Jet Star and Big Boy hybrids; large, firm, and much meatier than those you would find in the grocery store. I had wanted to grow some heirloom variety, but in a pinch Lowe's seed racks came through just fine.

The salsa is wonderful, made with vidalia onions, jalapenos, and plenty of garlic. Our collection of canned foods is growing, you can see the jars of bread and butter pickles I made a few weeks ago. The recipe is from Rhonda Jean at Down To Earth and is terrificly spicy and crunchy. I eat these right out of the jar or as a complement to a meal; it seems almost a shame to put them in sandwiches. ;) They're not as sweet as the ones found in the supermarket but I like them especially for that reason. Unfortunately our cucumber plants did not survive the trip so this was the last batch I was able to make with homegrown cucumbers. Oh well, 8 pints should last a while anyway, and there's always next year....