If you are not familiar with Bruchetta it is made of tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese at its core. Of course some add salt and pepper, onions and garlic and a host of other things from time to time to make it even more interesting. All this is normally served over good hearty toasted bread in slices or diced up and scoped out on the bread slices. The main thing you need to know is you can’t ruin this dish as it is flipping fantastic if you use fresh ingredients and that includes homegrown organic tomatoes. There are so many recipes online you can have a blast just looking at them all. Experiment and let me know what you think is the best. In the end, that’s all that matters anyway!

Hear are just a few of the ones that are my favorite. Cherokee Purple’s are one of the sweetest that we have in the garden and they are wonderful just eating them by themselves. I am also digging the Lemon Tomatoes (yes they are a bright yellow) and they are milder than some of the other tomatoes and that is good for a lot of people that can’t handle the acidity. I am looking forward to sampling the Aunt Green’s but they are not quiet ready yet and are just starting to turn. Don’t be afraid to plant and try these wonderful different kinds of tomatoes as they can really bring some color to your cooking; not to mention the flavor and the benefit to your health!

Starting a winter garden can be a nice ritual close to or right after the summer months.  This is also a great time to plant your winter garden, as it allows your seedlings to strengthen and grow before enduring the harsh weather.  Of course, if you are growing in a hobby greenhouse your plants will have more protection from the bitter winter months.

With a home greenhouse, you’ll be able to grow summertime veggies such as tomatoes or squash.  If you are in the elements, you can still grow salad-type treats like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and carrots, but it’s important to make a cold frame to protect your growing crops.  Items such as kale will endure without protection.  Make sure you add compost and mulch to fertilize.  It’s a challenge with great rewards!

The answer to the first question is an easy one.  No one knows what food source will be infected with salmonella and potentially transferred to the tables of America.  No one knows because the powers that be from the FDA (Food & Drug Administration), congress and down, we no longer have the protections on our food source that we once had.

At least that’s what you’ve been told.  However, since the fifties more and more families have been giving up their gardens and buying everything from the local grocery store.  It is easy and mindless and is proving to be dangerous, which brings me to the people who will never be affected.

These are the gardeners in your neighborhood, your local farmers and those who purchase from the local farmers.  These people know where their food comes from, when it was picked and what chemicals, if any; have been used on their foods and they’re taking it to the next level.

For the first time you will see greenhouses going up like never before.  The modern greenhouse allows you to grow year-round and with the easy greenhouse kits, anyone can put one up in their backyard.  When you are growing your own, you won’t worry about the next outbreak because you won’t have too.

Have you been under the impression like I have that lettuce has no taste?  It’s just not true.  Fresh lettuce has a great taste and you can eat it as you garden if you’d like.  I can have a salad as I pick through the garden and it is good for me, tastes great and is safe.

If you live somewhere where you don’t have a place to garden, try putting lettuce, tomatoes, spinach and other vegetables you like in a pot, basket or raised bed.  You can do this on a balcony, some ledges and stoops.  Another thing you might try is group gardening.  I’ve done this before with people who wanted to garden but didn’t have the space.  We all pitched in and shared the work as well as the harvest.  No matter how you do it, you can garden.

I went on to explain to him that I enjoyed it.  There is something very therapeutic when you get your hands in dirt.  Now I’m seeing it may be the way we feed ourselves in the future; backyard gardens and greenhouses.  In fact, there might be a time that the guy or gal that knows how to “grow things” is a very sought after commodity.

With that said, this may be a great time to start a small container gardens for those eatables that will be ready for a late summer or an early fall harvest.  At some point, you may want to invest in a hobby greenhouse so you can have your own garden almost year round.  Of course it will depend on where you live as well as your climate, etc., and there are a lot to choose from so you will need to do your research.

Everybody knows the internet is a great place to investigate your choices as to what and when to grow and how to grow it.  Another great resource for help is your state’s agriculture department.  They should be able to help you with all types of information tailored to your state’s particular region.  Some state agriculture departments will also run detailed soil analysis on the dirt you are using.  Check first to make sure you live in a state where this is available.  Once you have this information, you can take the necessary steps to improve your soil for optimum growing.