It’s been a good year with more vegetables to come. Started canning tomatoes in late July!

A List Of This Year’s Fair

• Tomatoes (Beef Steak, Florida Giants, Cherry, Brandywine and maybe some late Romano)
• Sweet Red Peppers, Carmen, Mini Round and something unknown
• Oregano and lot’s of Sweet Basil
• Black Berries
• Pears

The area where of the garden is only about 600 square feet. Actual garden space is only about 200 square feet. Here’s the layout.

Determinate and Indeterminate Tomatoes

So far we harvested lots of Beef Steak. These were determinate plants, that is, you get lots of fruit all at once and the plant doesn’t produce anymore. All the other tomato plants in the garden are indeterminate and will keep producing until the first frost. This was a good blend allowing us to get part of the harvest early.

I think I’ll do this again next year.

Pam, my neighbor across the street come over to share some garden vegetables Ben had planted and I returned back to them some home made salsa and tomatoes. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone in the neighborhood had a garden and we all traded veggies? I’d even buy it.

Here’s a shot of the first batch of Beef Steak Tomatoes.

Shooting Details Above Photo -1/4 seconds, f4/0, centerweighted average metering, no exposure compensation, ISO 200, lens  Canon EF 24-105mm L f/4 IS USM, focal length 55mm, white balance Daylight.

Now that I have these beautiful tomatoes, I’ve been looking forward to preparing the salsa recipe from The Harrow Fair Cookbook. I tasted this salsa recipe at my mother’s and it was delicious! Moira Sanders who authored the cookbook with Lori Elstone and Beth Goslin Maloney is happy to share that recipe here with you. Thanks Moira!

Awesome Vegetable Salsa as Featured in The Harrow Fair Cookbook

If you’re a fan of food, this is a great cookbook. It’s a cookbook for everyone. Here’s the recipe straight out of the cookbook…

This Salsa has a lively, fresh taste and is great to have on hand in jars year-round. The recipe is from our friend Tara Meyer, who got it from Art Zitlau, the long-time principle at Harrow Senior Public School. Makes six 16 oz (500ml) jars.

• 10 cups (2.5 L) chopped fresh tomatoes
• 2 cups (500 mL) chopped yellow onion
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) seeded and finely chopped fresh jalapeno peppers
• 1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped green pepper
• 1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped celery
• 1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped carrots
• 4 red hot chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup (185 mL) white vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon (7 mL) ground cumin
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) tomato paste
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lime juice

Prepare six 16 oz (500 mL) jars, lids and rings for canning. Hold the sterilized jars in the boiling water canner until needed.

Place all of the chopped vegetables in a large stockpot. Stir in the vinegar, cumin, tomato paste, sugar and salt. Bring the salsa to a boil, then simmer over medium-high heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the basil, cilantro and lime juice. Remove from the heat. Fill and seal the hot jars one at a time, according the manufacturer’s directions. Process the jars in the boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

STORAGE    Enjoy at any point, but use within 1 year.

>> If you are chopping hot peppers by hand, we recommend wearing plastic gloves. While working, be careful not to touch your face, especially you eyes.

Enjoy the salsa! Have fun.