I was a huge Laura Ingalls Wilder fan as a girl. I read all the Little House on the Prairie books. Back then I read everywhere — in the car, in bed, behind the couch with a flashlight in my fort of blankets, and even in the bathtub. Once, by accident, I dropped On the Banks of Plum Creek right in the bath water. It took days to dry out all the pages, and the book was double its original size in the end. I still read every word of that book and the rest of the series as well, though the rest on dry land.
The underlying theme of these books, the arduous season-to-season way of life, clawing and scraping all you can from the earth, appeals to me on some level. Don’t mistake this for a desire to actually attempt it. Growing, hunting, canning, or gathering anything, never mind everything you need to survive, is a huge task. I can’t even keep hanging plants alive for a summer. My thumb is as far from green as you can get. In fact, picture it BLACK with the Jolly Roger tattooed on it.
Regardless, I certainly appreciate nature’s bounty and am always grateful when it comes my way. Last night’s dinner came about through a gift of some gorgeous home-grown tomatoes from a former student and then a summer squash from my mum’s garden.
These are the sweetest tomatoes I’ve ever tasted!
My first thought when I saw the tomatoes was B.L.T. Why? Because bacon is always the answer, no matter the question 🙂 But how to incorporate the summer squash? I don’t love it raw, but grilled it is delish and so easy. A little drizzle of olive oil, some freshly ground pepper, a little salt….
Next, a few minutes on the grill and I was left with these beauties.
And here is the palette for building the perfect Summer Garden BLT…
No recipe needed. More of a blueprint. But you get the idea! Build your Summer Garden BLT with some grilled summer squash, garden tomato slices, some baby greens and whole grain bread. Add your fave mayo, a bit of Dijon mustard for a kick, and cheddar cheese just because. BACON. For the love of all that is holy, don’t forget the crispy bacon! There, now that is a gorgeous sandwich, right?
It was absolutely as delicious as it looks, and I can’t wait to make it again! I’m no Laura Ingalls Wilder, but this I can do 🙂
ENJOY!
Always love your blog! It’s the only “reading for pleasure” I do from my e-mail. We had similar childhoods! Between Little House on the Prairie and “The Swiss Family Robinson” it’s no wonder I’m always scanning the roadsides for blackberries and wild apple trees. Maybe you should re-read “The Secret Garden” to green up that thumb of yours! Thanks for the great blog!!!
No wonder we are friends!! Thanks for the comment – thrilled to be your pleasure reading for the day!!