Funnel (pan)cakes

We have a pancake batter dispenser, which I occasionally use to make artistic renderings (using the medium of pancake batter) intended to awe and inspire- ok, maybe that's overstating my talent a bit, but I can do a snail and balloon really well.

Little Bear got it out this weekend and make snakes and worms. Really skinny ones.

I thought maybe we'd all have a plate full of long sticks we could use for dipping...

... But then I thought of an even better plan. 'Funnel' pancakes! Just add a sprinkle of powdered sugar and serve!

Took care of all those crispy squiggles and made it fun to eat the 'snakes'. 

Not quite the same as my favorite carnival treat, but it sure dressed up our breakfast!

Tiniest tomatoes

As we near the end of tomato season (the temp will be dipping down to the 30s tomorrow night), I must say that this year has been a disappointing one in the garden. My cool weather kale and peas were attacked by bugs, the broccoli and Brussels didn't fare well in the hot spring, the and my tomatoes were few and tardy.

One nice exception was a prolific container tomato plant on my porch.  

I planted a new variety of tomato this year- the 'currant' tomato. How cute are these tiny guys? The blueberry gives you an idea of what size they are. 

These were fun to pick and find in the branches. Little Bear wanted to try them several times despite eschewing tomatoes in general because they just look like candy. I happen to think they were delicious, too- we even made fresh salsa from them. 

I planted them in the container on the porch because they are a different species from the other tomatoes I have and i wanted to avoid cross- pollination. 

These are an heirloom variety, so I'll be saving seeds to plant again next year! 

Garden-fresh salsa: All those tomatoes!

Fresh salsa is one of my favorite summer treats! Garden-ripe tomatoes, peppers, onions and cilantro are the stars here, with a little lime juice and sugar to complement the flavors. 

This recipe takes about 5 minutes to whip together! This style of salsa really showcases the different varieties of tomato and their flavors. Last year there was a batch of Cherokee Purple tomato salsa that was particularly beautiful (and tasty!) 

Ingredients: 

Fresh tomatoes- fill food processor 1/2-2/3 full

1/3 medium onion

1 small-to-medium jalapeño, seeded for mild salsa or left whole for a little more kick

1 large handful cilantro (or to taste)

1/4 cup lime juice 

1-2 Tbsp sugar

If your tomatoes are more water than flesh, I suggest cutting them into quarters and squeezing off 'extra' juice before tossing them in, otherwise you might see separation of the solids and liquid after it sits. If this happens, just stir or shake, it will still be delicious!

Combine all ingredients and blend. I prefer a puréed salsa, but feel free to stop when the pieces are larger if you wish for a chunkier style. 

 Your salsa may look 'frothy' at first, but rest assured, it will taste delicious!