Tomato harvest is in full swing and I’m bringing them in daily. I love lining them up on the table by degree of ripeness. I used the yellow paste tomatoes and a selection of more “orange-hued” tomatoes to make a a beautiful sauce/soup base. I subbed the basil in the recipe for fresh tarragon. So delicious!

I still had a decent jam supply from last year, so I needed something different to do with part of the fruit harvest this year. I made a bunch of fruit liqueurs or cordials or whatever you want to call them. I use vodka or brandy as the base, and add fresh fruit and a bit of white sugar, honey or maple syrup depending on the flavor profiles I’m after. I just strained them and I’m so happy with the results!

For the peaches I used a 1/2 brandy + 1/2 vodka mixture and organic white sugar. Next year I’m going to try a blend of sugar and honey to coax the flower notes of peaches out a bit more, but wow, this is pretty tasty just as it is too.

For the blueberry one I used vodka + maple syrup. I added a little dried hibiscus flower to make sure it was a pretty color once it was strained. Very yummy also.

Last photo is some wild cantaloupe seeds my Aunt sent me from Wyoming – they are something that just showed up in her garden and she loved them so much she saved the seeds. They are the most delicious little musk melons, so ripe you can use a spoon to eat the fruit right out of the skin like a little bowl. Yard food at its very finest!

~s