FRESH TOMATOES WITH HERBS FOR PASTA OR STEAMED RICE..simple and delicious & VEGAN

I trimmed my year round basil plants and put the hot tomatoes over the trimmings to absorb their fresh flavors

These will be used for a fresh marinara sauce

Sometimes the simplest of ideas are the BEST.
This is just fresh, ripe tomatoes, washed and then sauteed in either olive or grape seed oil, cook on high heat for 2-4 mins..shaking to turn them, add sea salt & cracked black pepper, then add red or white wine and cook on low ( do not cover) for  2-4 mins.
Remove from heat and add fresh herbs.
Serve with pasta or steamed brown rice/whole grains.
DO NOT ADD GARLIC NOR ONION...this way the tomato flavor shines through.

This is also a good way to prepare  large tomatoes for peeling for sauces as they retain their juices and flavors better than steaming or plunging into boiling water.

This is a superb dish especially in high tomato harvesting season.


Variations: add chopped nuts, nutritional yeast,  bread crumbs ( sauteed in the pan juices)..or for vegetarian add grated cheese.

Fairytale Squash/Pumpkin and whole grains/ roasted Fall Vegetables, know your whole grains, photos of prep for tomorrow..also Pumpkin sourdough waffles

Portobello Mushrooms, Castilla Squash, Large garnet yams

Castilla/Fairytale Squash..very large weighs about 6 pounds (some weigh 15 pounds) yet the skin is easier to cut than butternut squash, the flesh a  glorious deep red-orange

Easy to digest pearl barley

White quinoa

Couscous..actually a pasta not a grain

Brown quinoa...all quinoa's contain a natural toxin that is removed by soaking in cold water for 20mins, drain & rinse then cook

Chia Seeds...absorb 100 times their  weight in water..great for weight loss as they keep you fuller, longer, Ancient South American natives took these into battle so they could fight for longer without getting hungry

Will be preparing a yam soup, roasted cauliflower, broccoli, yams and pumpkin

The pumpkin peeled and diced, seeds and pith removed

The pumpkin halved, very easy to slice, removed seeds with a tablespoon

Cauliflower, onion and broccoli for roasting, added grape seed oil &  thyme

Yam & pumpkin also for roasting in grape seed oil

Banana-whole wheat sourdough waffle mix

The 8yr old Mother, sourdough starter

pour batter into hot waffle iron and top with broken walnuts and chia seeds

mashed roasted yams with honey

Mashed pumpkin added to  whole wheat sour dough batter mix and  raisins, all sweetened with mashed banana, no added sugar and non-dairy

Waiting for rain as usual in Los Angeles.

Tomorrow' s menu is :

Yam and vegetable soup

Smoked eggplant dip ( baba ganousch) with whole wheat pita breads

Twice baked potatoes with mushrooms and own grown peppers, topped with cheese..to be served with a tomato-orange salad

Roasted vegetables ( broccoli, yams, cauliflower and pumpkin) finished with roasted  walnut oil &  lime juice with couscous 

3 kinds of whole wheat Sour dough waffles: Chocolate banana walnut; banana walnut and pumpkin raisin

have a great week..and make MORE of your veggies.
John Nigel

DESPITE THE TREMENDOUS HEAT. & DROUGHT, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONTINUES TO FLOWER AND BLOSSOM

This has been one to the hottest and  most humid summers on record in Los Angeles, now almost cooler temps are coming in and we have been promised rain soon, strangely some spring time flowering plants have flowered all year and others grown but produced no flowers.

Here are some of the bushes and flowers out now, and although we have entered Fall/Autumn there are still golden brown leaves to be found.

Have a great weekend, John Nigel