Last Tomatoes off the Vine

All our green tomatoes are in baskets in the dinning room and kitchen as the vines got clobbered over the last two nights. Sigh!

But what's this about the California grilling season being over? We're still grillin and smokin.

All our green tomatoes are in baskets in the dinning room and kitchen as the vines got clobbered over the last two nights. Sigh!

But what's this about the California grilling season being over? We're still grillin and smokin.

Carl, I picked my remaining (very small) green tomatoes last week, purchased a few to go with, and made about 3 pints of green tomato relish (aka chow-chow). Wow, this is seriously good stuff. I could eat it by the spoonful, but I really like it mixed with over easy eggs, or in s bowl of pinto beans. Heck, I doubt there is much that wouldn't be improved with some of the relish. Anyone wishing the recipe just let me know.

All our green tomatoes are in baskets in the dinning room and kitchen as the vines got clobbered over the last two nights. Sigh!

But what's this about the California grilling season being over? We're still grillin and smokin.

Grilling season is never over in CA...we grill all winter long, even when it is pouring down rain. I think it is only those folks who live in LA that get spooked by the rain.

Stepped outside a few minutes ago and I can say that if we don't get nipped too badly by frost tonight the last few tomatoes need to be picked tomorrow. Might be good for pizza sauce.

We still picked a few ripe tomatoes and served them with dinner last night. Before we lived in Napa we lived in the South Bay area of LA and everyone there grills outdoors year round. I don't know where that BS about not grilling in LA year round came from? There's no reason not to.

[Robin Garr]

Still bringing in ripe tomatoes here and, at this point, using a few in salads but turning most into sauce to freeze for the winter. Mornings are getting cooler and they're talking frost in outlying areas tomorrow (that might mean you, 'winger!), but I'm hoping we can grab another week or two of pickin's before the first hard frost nips the urban area.

Mornings are getting cooler and they're talking frost in outlying areas tomorrow (that might mean you, 'winger!), ...

Nope. No frost here this morning, but the garden is pretty much done for the year. The very hot and drought conditions have taken a toll.

[Robin Garr]

Nope. No frost here this morning, but the garden is pretty much done for the year. The very hot and drought conditions have taken a toll.

I'll bet NJ is building a compost pile already, and that will make the difference in years to come. Mary hasn't thrown away any vegetable or fruit waste since we moved into this house in 1995, and the garden is now built on a deep base of rich, composted soil. It's made a huge difference this awful summer.

We still picked a few ripe tomatoes and served them with dinner last night. Before we lived in Napa we lived in the South Bay area of LA and everyone there grills outdoors year round. I don't know where that BS about not grilling in LA year round came from? There's no reason not to.

If you are responding to my comment about LA and rain, it was a tongue in cheek comment. I was remembering a time when Gene and I flew to LA to visit a family member. Our stay was to be for 5 days. Even before we arrived, it started to rain. We sat in their house with three little kids, and four family members, never got out of the house...once. On the third day, we all got sick. I think it was from something we all ate. I inquired about no windows being open for fresh air, why we never even went out onto their covered patio to grill, why we never went out. "Oh, when we get rain like this in LA, no one ventures out." Needless to say, I could hardly wait to get back on the plane and head for home, we never went back either. Later, a move to Cambria by the same people, and we decided to visit, it was good to see that even though they were living on the coast, they opened their windows for fresh air, and we did go on hikes, outings, cooked on their covered patio, rain or shine. Now, they even have a garden! I often wonder why I sat there for all that time and put up with it.

All our green tomatoes are in baskets in the dinning room and kitchen as the vines got clobbered over the last two nights. Sigh!

But what's this about the California grilling season being over? We're still grillin and smokin.

Grilling season is never over in CA...we grill all winter long, even when it is pouring down rain. I think it is only those folks who live in LA that get spooked by the rain.

Hey, don't accuse this Berkelyite of being from L.A.! Our winter grilling issue is light. We don't have a deck and it's a fair shlep from the kitchen to our grilling area in back. And we don't have garden lights. I suppose I could grill with a miner's helmet on, but it's still really hard to judge if the chicken is done!

Ha! I knew somebody said it!