The Garden (Plus a Recipe)

I love going out to our little garden in the morning when it's cool and peaceful outside.  I took my phone with me to document whatever struck my fancy this morning.

I was surprised to find these ripe tomatoes peeking through at the bottom of a very tall tomato plant.  The first of the season!  Lucas picked them for me, and they smell sooooo good.

The basil plant has taken off and is in bloom now.  I need to make some pesto.  Actually, I have some beautiful heirloom tomatoes from Central Market.  If I just get some fresh mozzarella I can make a tasty caprese salad.

Is this a watermelon?  It kind of looks like one, but the thing is...we didn't plant any watermelon.  Not even in years past.  This mystery vine shot up on its own and we are trying to figure it out.

Then of course there's the squash.  I love squash and zucchini plants because they grow so easily and produce tons of product over the course of a summer.  It's nearly impossible to do poorly when you plant these things, though we did manage last year to kill our plants somehow.  That was a freak incident because they are so hardy.

And we used the first squash of the season on Mother's Day for a special dinner Cody and his friend put together for me and my friend to enjoy.  I asked Cody to make my favorite squash dish and he did a fabulous job.  It tasted great!  Here's the recipe:

Provencal Style Summer Squash Casserole

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced thin
pinch red pepper flakes
salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
4-5 medium squash or zucchini (you can use one or the other or a mixture which is more colorful) ends removed and sliced 1/4 inch thick.

Heat oven to 400.  Heat 2 TBS of oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, pepper flakes, salt.  Cook until onion is well browned along edges about 10 minutes.  Spread onions evenly in 9 by 13 baking dish.

Add remaining oil to skillet and cook garlic about 30 seconds.  Stir in the wine, broth, and thyme, scraping up browned bits.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Shingle the squash/zucchini over the onion.  Pour the broth mixture evenly over top.  Bake until squash is softened and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes.