I’ve been enjoying gardening this summer because surprisingly the weather has been pleasant where I live in our Bay Area microclimate – with temperatures in the 70s, 80, and sometimes in the low 90s. Flowers have been blooming nonstop and I have been getting a good supply of garden herbs, tomatoes, plums, and apples. Here is a look at what we have been harvesting this summer and enjoying in pastas, pies, and salads.Plum picking in our garden

Our plum tree with loads of juicy plums were majority eaten by the critters. However we were able to salvage some for our family.

Here is an easy and quick plum upside down cake that tastes great with fresh summer plums. Plum upside down cake

Our multiple tomato bounties over the summer.

We kept picking tomatoes as they ripened so as to avoid the critters from getting to them first.  Here is a look at our many harvests of tomatoes over the summer.

We never get as many plump tomatoes as our neighbor Jim! I have to learn his secret!!

For the myriad ways to use summer tomatoes check out these twelve tomato-inspired recipes that are always crowd pleasers.

Tomato and White Cheddar Soup

Skillet eggs with heirloom tomatoes and shallots

Heirloom tomato and goat cheese tart

Simple tomato bruschetta

Frederica Cucinelli’s rigatoni with tomato and basil

Mexican mashed pinto beans with fresh cilantro and lime

Butter sauteed tomato and onion on toast

Heirloom tomatoes with salt and pepper

Feta mozzarella salad with cherry tomatoes

Caprese Salad

Spicy tomao arabiatta sauce

Mom’s tomato and onion grilled cheese

All summer long bounty of herbs and kale

Here are a few wonderful recipes that use fresh summer herbs and greens.

Fresh herbs herbal tea

Fresh herb salad

Herb and goat cheese fettucini

Kale leek and thai basil frittata

Kale pasta

Kale and leek soup with ravioli dumplings

Kale and ricotta on crackers

Savory bread pudding with kale,leeks and mushrooms

Kale fennel and apple salad

Our Anna apples turned a gorgeous rosy pink when they got ripe and ready to eat.

I took loads of pictures of these beautiful apples.

The color on these apples – oh my! I wonder if my daughter Sri will be willing to paint a few of these photos??

Here are a few awesome apple-focused recipes that are both savory and sweet 🍎🍏🍎.

Fresh apple ginger cake

Apple and raw mango chutney on baguette

Apple and butternut squash soup

Apple walnut spice cake

Kale, fennel, and apple salad

Apple bread loaf

Green apple and sugar snap peas salad

Apples, arugula, and greens salad with bleu cheese dressing

Apple and goat cheese on cracker with honey drizzle

Cardamom spiced warm apple almond crumble

An apple a day keeps the doctor away!
Old English proverb.

Lantanas

Our August is usually very hot and flowers take a hiatus, while hardy perennials seem to shine in the heat. One of the perennials that love the heat and pumps out beautiful purple and yellow flowers in my garden are lantanas. I usually don’t pay attention to these workhorse perennials but in August one can’t help but admire how resilient and beautiful this humble lantana can look.

Begonias are thriving in this weather.

Begonias emjoying the mild temperatures and shining in my August garden.

Bought this beauty at my favorite nursery Half Moon Bay Nursery recently. It positively glows!

Butterfly lilies were the next batch of lilies to bloom in August.

Cut a few lily stalks to enjoy indoors.

Fuchias happy as ever.

Roses

Cool weather loving flowers blooming away

Temperatures are getting unseasonably cool around here, it feels like fall already. Even the azaleas, nasturtiums and cyclamen are blooming in August. However based on past experience I can’t get too excited, we get the typical “Indian Summer” creep in September and sometimes even in October. For now, I am loving our mild weather.

Hope you had an awesome August!
Looking forward to a stupendous September!