caution, TOMATO heavy posting .....

though the first day of summer isn't until the 21st, it already feels hot enough here to me. and though i live very close to the local farmer's market, for some reason, i've never really shopped there until this weekend. well, let me just say, i have a new love ... vegetables, which i already loved, but local and fresh and inexpensive! and for a girl that can only grow tiny cherry tomatoes in a pot on the back porch, the farmer's market is like an endless garden .... !



i'm just waiting for those babies to turn red .... yesterday, when i visited the farmer's market, i got some tomatoes to make a caprese ....



the basil was compliments of my back porch.

so, today i was still craving the idea of ripe tomatoes, that i didn't have to grow, so off to the farmer's market i went again .... this time, with thoughts of gazpacho in my head.



now, what's wrong with this photo? let me just tell you. i had put the joy of cooking on my christmas wish list. well, santa ran out of shopping time and found this miniature version instead. unfortunately, when your tomato is bigger than your reference material, .... (sigh)(sigh again ....) ... mom!?!

but, inspite of my cooking and assembling hurdles i still managed



... to wreck the kitchen ....





now, for the flowers ... the first batch are 7 stems of gladiolus for $5 from the farmer's market. they are absolutely beautiful!



and then a random shot of misc. flowers from today out at the market ...



whew! i'm tired now!