I know, some of you live in places that don’t get enough sun to have a good vegetable garden and some are in the heat-struck middle of the country. Well, startlingly here in southern California we are experiencing a pretty mild summer heat-wise. The last couple of days have heated up to high-average temperatures (mid 90s where I live in Pasadena), but we’ve been awfully lucky. So, for the last couple of days I’ve been watering heavily and the plants are responding well. The eggplant was harvested once already, and has bounced back with a second crop, and these gorgeous peppers are going to be fabulous roasted, stuffed, in salads, however! The tomatoes are SO good. They’ve attracted someone (a mocking bird I’m pretty sure) who has been eating big hunks out of the slicing tomatoes just a day or so before I would pick them. The cherry tomatoes however are kicking A$$; they just keep setting new fruit and they are sugar-sweet.

Last night I threw a couple of jalapeños from the garden on the grill and boy was I surprised by the kick they have – this is a great variety, not supermarket wimps! I also grilled corn and Romano beans from the farmers’ market and pork tenderloin. Lunch will be leftovers of the above on a salad with avocado and some feta.

Today I sliced three carrots on the mandolin and jarred them in white balsamic vinegar along with paper-thin slices of a couple of jalapeños, garlic cloves and red onion. I put up a jar about a week ago and they are yummy.