My favorite tomato

Before starting my garden, I only knew of a couple of types of tomatoes:  cherry, roma, and regular (ha!).  Now that I have been gardening, I've gotten to try a couple of heirloom tomato varieties and I have a new favorite...the German Johnson heirloom tomato.  They are pink tomatoes with green tops, but they make the best tomato sandwiches!!

This week I stopped by my friend Julie's house and was gifted a big bag of basil!  I have always wanted to make my own pesto (I am behind the curve on this one), and figured I'd go for it.  Oh my word!  It is soooo good!  I broke out my mini-food processor, added the basil leaves, some toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and EVOO.  I am definitely going to make this again!  I just tossed it into some hot cooked bowtie pasta and it was perfect.  Thanks Julie!!!  

This weekend I wanted to cook a few thinks for Kevin and I to enjoy.  Paula Deen's recipes have been rockin' my world lately.  I wanted to try her cornbread salad recipe.  I changed it up a little by making my own ranch (bottled ranch is grodie), using cucumbers instead of bell pepper (because I found it in the garden), and just making my regular ole cornbread.  It was really good and very pretty layered...the ranch kinda ruined the layered look, but since it tastes awesome we'll be ok.

 

Up next, something sweet.  I have been wanting to make banana bread for awhile.  I have a small issue with banana bread though...letting bananas get that ripe makes me gag even thinking about it.  Ask anyone I know, I eat my bananas practically green!  I decided that I should just try it anyway with kinda ripe bananas.  This is as ripe as I can go (I still gagged, but I am proud of myself anyway)...

I made three 5x9 loaves of Banana Sour Cream Bread and it is tasty!!