Here we are in August—delicious harvest season! All that hard work, tending to your garden has suddenly paid off with a bright & beautiful bounty! Or (if you are like me), you didn’t do the hard work and instead support a local farmer who did 😉

August is my favorite month for garden-grown tomatoes. It’s almost like you can taste the months of summer in their earthy juices. I like to get creative with simple ways to serve these beauties!

Here are 3 of my easiest, yet delicious recipes

Garden Tomatoes 3 ways:

• Easy Caprese
• Simple Summer Salad
• Off the Vine Patio Salad

Easy Caprese:

Gather It

• 3 Medium Tomatoes
• Fresh basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic glaze
• Garlic powder
• Salt & Pepper
• Sliced goat cheese (with herbs if available)

Make It

1. Slice tomatoes into 1/2” thick slices (abandon the top and bottom of tomatoes)
2. Spread slices on a beautiful serving plate
3. Drizzle tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil
4. Sprinkle with garlic, salt & pepper
5. Lay a basil leaf on each tomato slice
6. Top each masterpiece with a cut of goat cheese
7. Pretend you are a chef at a fancy restaurant & decorate the plate with balsamic glaze!

Simple summer salad:

Gather It

• Fresh romaine lettuce
• 1 red onion
• 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 large red apple
• 2 cups strawberries
• 1 cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped banana peppers
• 1 rotisserie chicken *I pick up a fresh, cooked rotisserie chicken (from the grocery store) on my way home from work! It’s so fresh and yummy—all I have to do is pull it apart and add to my fresh garden salad for an easy dinner!

Make It

1. Chop the lettuce, veggies & fruit.
2. Mix.
3. Add pulled rotisserie chicken.
   Voila—dinner in 15 minutes!

Here is my new FAVORITE salad dressing. I find it at Fresh Thyme here in Minneapolis!

Off the Vine Patio Salad:

Gather It

• 6 medium tomatoes
• 2 ripe avocados
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic glaze
• Garlic powder
• Salt & Pepper
• Goat or feta cheese

Make It

1. Slice tomatoes into 1/2” thick slices
2. Arrange slices on a round serving plate or bowl
3. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
4. Sprinkle each tomato with garlic powder, salt & pepper
5. Slice ripe avocados
6. Give each tomato slice 1-2 avocado slices
7. Decorate with balsamic glaze
8. Finish with a crumbling of goat or feta cheese

These tomato tastings will jazz up your weekday dinners AND impress your weekend patio party guests! EnJOY

“Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to him.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭34:8‬ ‭MSG‬‬