Smoked Garlic Salt with Garden Herbs and Smoked Tomatoes

I learned to make herbed salt 

when I was at our pizza oven 

cooking class all the way back 

in 2005.  I was surprised that 

they used sage so much in Italian 

cooking, but then when I looked 

at an Italian herb blend, sage 

was listed as the number one 

ingredient. 

I had lots of fresh herbs from 

the garden this year, so I decided 

to make herbed salt with my 

garden herbs.  I made a batch 

and then I decided I wanted to 

add garlic to it.  Then the next 

batch I decided to try smoking it.  

I ended up making ten pounds 

of this for our garden share 

that we had for Relief Society - 

our women's church group. 

Smoked Garlic Salt with Garden Herbs Recipe

1 lb Iodized Sea Salt

(I preferred fine grain salt 

so I could sprinkle it.)

1/3 C. chopped herbs total of

Basil

Sage

Rosemary

Thyme

2 tsp. granulated garlic

(You can omit the garlic 

if you don't want 

garlic salt.)

Mix the above and spread 

it on a sheet pan.  If you don't 

have a smoker, or you prefer 

not to smoke the salt, just leave 

it out on the pan on the counter

and the salt will dry the herbs.  

If you want to smoke the salt, 

prepare your smoker and then 

smoke on low for 2 hours.  

Let it cool. 

Enjoy it on everything. 

The tomato harvest is on!  I 

have a new much bigger garden 

at our new place and it has been 

so fun to have so many flowers 

and herbs and vegetables.

We decided to smoke some 

tri tip for Sunday dinner and 

I thought I would try smoking 

some tomatoes too.  

I just sprinkled olive oil and 

my homemade garden herb 

salt and smoked them for 

about 40 minutes.  They were 

so amazing. 

I have to admit they were best 

hot off the smoker.  But I feel like 

that about most foods.  

Beaulah loves tomatoes too!

Look at that huge heart shaped 

tomato.  It is called 

LOVE GOURMANSUN! 

These are astounding and 

a real producer!

I found it at Cook's this year, 

one of our local nurseries.  

It is so fun because I live 

next to my daughter and 

two houses away is my 

DIL and we all are gardening 

and sharing.

Here is my Love tomato 

and my salt on a 

caprese board.  

I love these tomatoes.  

They are heart shaped 

and then there is a 

streak of red going down 

the middle. 

Happy gardening!

Flowers and Chocolates

The miracle of my first year 

of gardening at our new house 

is that the herd of deer (25) who 

think our back yard is their 

staycation spot, is that they 

don't like to eat the flowers!!!

Makes no sense, right?! 

My daughter and DIL who 

live right next to me and two 

houses away, respectively, took 

a cut flower class a few years 

ago, and it was really pricey! 

Fortunately they shared their 

knowledge with me, so I 

got a free class out of it.  

Everything else in the gardens, 

which cascade down the back 

hill is tented and filled with noise 

makers to keep the deer out.  

The flowers can just show off 

and don't have to be under cover.

The zinnias and wildflowers 

were just planted with seeds 

from Wal Mart.  A couple of 

the dahlias came from there 

too.  The huge Cafe Au Lait 

dahlias were special ordered 

and some came from Cal Ranch.  

The white ones are around 

nine inches across and just 

keep flowering and flowering.

My DIL sprouted the cupcake 

cosmos and gave me some starts.  

I got out almost every day and 

pick flowers.  It has been so 

satisfying, especially as I have 

battled the herd!

The other treat we have been 

enjoying this summer is 

Chocolate Covered Raspberries.

A neighbor brought me some back 

from up north at Bear Lake.  

I had always worried about dipping 

them, so I have put the chocolate 

in a candy cup with chocolate on 

the bottom.  Well, I decided to give 

dipping them a try. 

I just tempered the chocolate and 

then used a small spoon to lift the 

covered berry out.  It worked so 

well and that burst of tart fruit 

against the chocolate is amazing.  

I can't tell you how many I have 

dipped and then dipped and then 

dipped again.  It is our little 

summertime treat.

I am always sad to see summer 

go, but I love the smells of fall.

Thanks for visiting.  

Return of the Garden Fairies

After a long winter, the garden fairies have

returned to brighten our garden and create

their magic.

They inhabit every nook and cranny in our garden

and bring such delight to me and to the little ones.

We have them living in metal chairs,

 and in planters on the fence,

and in their own dedicated garden.  Of course, they

decided there wasn't enough room for them just in

the garden, so every year they continue to spread out.

But we don't mind - they are welcome everywhere.

They beautify the spaces of our garden

and plant crops.

They even invite us over for treats sometimes.

Fairies create magic wherever they decide to land.

It's Garden Thyme

Have you started planting anything yet?

My youngest granddaughter and I

planted peas, arugula and carrots

the other day.  It is wonderful when they

love to do anything, even chores, with you.

It's garden time and I am ready for it!

Of course some of my favorites are herbs

as they come back every year so early.

Lettuce and spring plants are going in now

and summer plants in a little while.  I let

my lettuce, arugula and cilantro go to

seed during the summer and they sow themselves

so that they come up all over the garden in early

spring.  It is always a fun surprise to see

where they grow.

Our weather was so warm this winter

that my rosemary wintered over.  That

has never happened before.

Our plate stack consists of beautiful whites

like the tulips and spring greens like the herbs.

I love the textures of the white plates and the

pop of color the placemats give.

 The stack is topped with a spring green

flower bowl that creates a nest for

our seeds and mini trowel.

The beaded napkin nestles in amongst

the plates for more textural interest.

Our cream colored flatware are perfect

for this table.  Did your flatware ever disappear

into the garden as the kids used them for "diggers"?

Mine sure did!

My fancy flatware caddy is filled with spring flowers

and herbs and is the focal point of the center of the table.

I found my Godinger flatware caddy at Tuesday Morning

but I did see some online on Amazon.  I love how versatile

and elegant it is.

Other spring greens are brought into the

center of the table with a moss ball in a

clay urn

and a chicken wire cloche.

My ever useful green bubble goblets are the featured stemware.

I hope spring has come where you are and

that you are enjoying it.

(I am, except for hayfever, but I read that eating

a teaspoon of local honey can help with allergies

and I am doing it and IT WORKS!  I still have

to take my allergy medicines, but it helps.)

Even if you aren't a gardener, get out and 

plant something and watch it grow.  It is

fun and children love to see what they

have planted grow.  

I will be posting this with

Tablescapes Thursday

Baked Jalapeno Poppers And A Garden Party

Baked Jalapeno Poppers!!

What a yummy appetizer and

a great way to use lots of those

fresh jalapenos you have grown

in your garden this year

(or bought from a Farmers' Market).

We were having a Garden Party.

Our Relief Society 

(the women's organization at our church)

sponsored

this great garden party

titled 

Life Began In A Garden.

In the empty lot right next to my home

one of our neighbor girls, Paige,

who is my youngest daughter's age,

decided to plant a garden.

She and her friend Sam, asked permission

to grow this garden on the empty lot and

used water from our house to water it.

Starting by digging weeds and picking up

tons of rock, they tilled it and added compost

and created such an amazing garden 

that our Relief Society decided to host a 

garden party and Enrichment class there.

Paige and Sam came that evening

to tell us about their garden

and to share their produce.

Awnings were set up over the serving

table and a light dinner was served.

I volunteered to make 

the Baked Jalapeno Poppers

and a couple of 

Chocolate Zucchini Cakes

using ingredients from their

garden.

There were displays on canning

and drying and people were

available to answer questions.

It turned out to be an amazing

garden and a wonderful evening.

Baked Jalapeno Poppers Recipe

(Always make sure you use  gloves when working with 

these peppers.)

20 fresh jalapeno peppers

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 C. Monterey Jack cheese

Cheddar cheese

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped cilantro 

Clean and seed 20 fresh jalapeno peppers.

Mix the cream cheese and Monterey Jack

cheese together in a small bowl.

Grease a baking dish.  Fill the peppers with

the cream cheese mix and arrange the peppers

in the baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake

for 20 minutes at 350.  

Uncover and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Lightly cover with the foil and return

to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the

cheese.

Remove foil and garnish with the

chopped tomatoes and cilantro.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes 40 poppers.

Baking the jalapenos tempers the heat.

Be sure to remove the seeds and veins

and even the top end for less heat.

Get together with your neighbors

and have your own 

Garden Party.  

Share your produce through a light

dinner and teach each other about

gardening and preserving.

I promise you it will be a fun time!

I will be sharing this

on

Mosaic Monday