Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Salad

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad 

Summer is my favorite time to make this salad.  Going out to the garden and picking tomatoes and fresh basil for this recipe tastes out of this world.  So simple, yet so delicious!!  It can be made anytime of the year with store bought items too. 

You will need 1 package of fresh mozzarella cheese. One tomato.  Approximately 6 - 12 basil leaves (to your preference).  Pepper, olive oil and possibly a dash of salt. 

Slice the mozzarella.

Slice or dice the tomato and put on top of the mozzarella cheese.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Pepper according to your taste.  I have found that during the summer with the fresh tomatoes that I usually do not need to use salt.  When I don't have fresh garden tomatoes, I have found that I need to lightly salt the tomatoes.  Salt could always be used on the side for everyone to salt themselves to their preference.

 Chop the fresh basil.  Sprinkle on top of the cheese and tomatoes. Again, you can use the amount of basil that suits you.  When I have a garden tomato, I use an average amount of fresh basil.  If I am using a store bought tomato, I use a lot more basil. 

 Now for the best part!!  Eat !!

Blend it Up

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Mango Salsa

Mango Salsa

1 large ripe mango

1 can 16 oz. diced tomatoes - well drained 

1 small onion - diced very small

2 tsp fresh basil - chopped

1 tsp garlic - finely chopped 

1/2 tsp jalapeno or chili

optional: salt and pepper to taste

Peel mango, remove seed and dice. 

Mix with all of the listed ingredients. 

Serves with tortilla chips. 

Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Curry Roasted Cauliflower

 

Curry Roasted Cauliflower Recipe: 

1 Cauliflower head

2 Tbsp oil (I use Canola or Olive oil)

2 tsp curry paste

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less if preferred) 

optional: fresh parsley

 

Preheat the oven to 450F. 

 

Wash and cut the cauliflower into pieces.

 

 

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients except the cauliflower.

Put the cauliflower into a large bowl.  Pour the curry mixture over the cauliflower and toss together until the cauliflower is coated. 

Lightly spray a baking sheet.  Pour the cauliflower on to the baking sheet. Put it in the oven.  Toss the cauliflower every 10 minutes until done.

The total baking time is 20-30 minutes depending on how roasted you like your cauliflower.

 

Remove from the oven.  Put it in a serving bowl or on a serving plate and top with fresh chopped parsley.

  

Enjoy!

attract hummingbirds to you yard

Hummingbirds are easy to attract and care for. Better yet, these birds are loyal.
Once they find a habitat that satisfies their needs, they return year after year.

The key to attracting hummingbirds to your yard is to plant lots of flowers and provide the habitat that will give them shade, shelter, food, and security.

• Herbs, flowering shrubs, dwarf trees, and vines all can be used to create an ideal habitat from ground level to 10 feet or more.

• Hummingbirds love water, especially if it is moving. A gentle, continuous spray from a nozzle or a sprinkler hose is perfect for a bath on the fly.

• Hummingbirds do not have a keen sense of smell and rely on bright colors to find their food.

• They are particularly fond of red and are often observed investigating red plant labels, thermometers, and even red clothes on a gardener.

• Brightly–colored flowers that are tubular hold the most nectar, and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylilies, and lupines; biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks; and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias.

Here is a list of some of the plants that attract hummingbirds. 

Common Name	Latin Name
Allium	Allium
Aster	Aster
Bee balm	Monarda
Butterfly bush	Buddleia
Catmint	Nepeta
Clove Pink	Dianthus
Cornflower	Centaurea
Daylily	Hemerocallis
False indigo	Baptisia
Fleabane	Erigeron
Floss flower	Ageratum
Globe thistle	Echinops
Goldenrod	Solidago
Helen's flower	Helenium
Hollyhock	Alcea
Honeysuckle	Lonicera
Lavender	Lavendula
Lilac	Syringa
Lupine	Lupinus
Lychnis	Lychnis
Mallow	Malva
Milkweed	Asclepias
Mint	Mentha
Pansy	Viola
Phlox	Phlox
Privet	Ligustrum
Purple coneflower	Echinacea
Purple loosestrife	Lythrum
Rock cress	Arabis
Sage	Salvia
Sea holly	Eryngium
Shasta daisy	Chrysanthemum
Snapdragon	Antirrhinum
Stonecrop	Sedum
Sweet alyssum	Lobularia
Sweet rocket	Hesperis
Tickseed	Coreopsis
Zinnia	Zinnia