By David Harbilas

The first version of my roasted tomato bolognaise is best made during the winter months, when fresh tomatoes are either unavailable or of poorer quality.

This version, then, is what you might make in summer, when the juicier, riper fruit is available.

Granted, roasting improves the flavor of substandard tomatoes, so this is easily one that will work with those less than desirable ones found in supermarkets all winter long.

But the effect is much different than that made with canned tomatoes. Where the canned version is rich and meaty, this is sweet and lighter in texture. As with the canned version it goes well with a wide-cut pasta.

Serves 4-6

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 carrot, diced Read the rest of this entry »

By David Harbilas

Bolognaise meat sauce is something that my father used to make often when I was young.

He went through many variations and ended up settling on Mario Batali’s version, which can be found in many of his books.

This version of the sauce makes use of canned plum tomatoes, and much like my recipe for lamb stew in roasted tomato sauce, it benefits from a long, slow cooking in the oven, rather than over the stove.

There is something inexplicable to surrounding the cooking vessel with heat, rather than applying heat directly from a stove-top burner, that creates a flavor far different from simmering.  Serve this with a wide noodle, like papardelle or fettucine.

Serves Many!

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 carrot, diced Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

The other day, I saw a commercial on TV for a fast food restaurant advertising breakfast.

This commercial was produced as if this restaurant had invented the most important meal of the day.

I had seen this commercial before and had laughed at one particular item.

This item was in my family’s history and served to my mom and her best friend during the depression.

This fact made me think of how much things have changed and how much they have remained the same.

My mother grew up in a large city in Kentucky. Her parents raised rabbits and ducks for food but nothing else. My mother’s grandmother was the gardener. Her yard, which was right next to my mother’s, was filled with nut trees, flowers, vegetables and herbs. Summers were spent picking Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Once again, the garden season is coming to a close and I realize now how much I am going to miss it.

Before I begin to close down the garden space, I pull out my garden log and make sure that I have everything labeled that I want labeled.

I am very detailed in my record keeping when it comes to my garden and some may even say obsessed.

When recording my garden space, I note where each variety of tomato is located.

Before the garden is finished, I return to this notebook and check those varieties that did well. I also indicate those varieties that I saved seed from and where that is located.

After my garden log is complete, I then begin to clean the garden. I remove any tomatoes that are ripe or those Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

I love heirloom tomatoes but with this love comes a price.

Many heirloom tomatoes are susceptible to many plant diseases.

These plants were bred for their fruit and not their resistance.

As time went on and science continued to develop, tomatoes were bred for such characteristics as disease resistance, large fruit, and storage ability.

The beauty and taste of the heirloom began to fall away. Today, many gardeners plant heirloom tomatoes not only for their taste but also as a way of keeping our gardening past alive.

Nowadays there is a resurgence of gardening the old way or what I like to call organically. This type of farming consists of Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

During the summer, I normally take some time to enjoy at least one good book.

This year’s reading list was full but I had not really taken the time to even start the first book.

Community garden responsibilities, my yard and garden, and thesis work always seemed to get in the way of my limited leisure time.

But as I was about to throw my literary hands up, I was contacted by a friend who recommended this book.

So away I went to the bookstore in search of Tomato Rhapsody.

Once I discovered the book, the cover intrigued me. It resembled an old painting that I would have expected Michelangelo to have painted. The crackled appearance I would discover added to the mystic of the story.

As I cracked open the book, I was greeted with Read the rest of this entry »