A taste of summer

I love to snuggle in on a cold, snowy night in front of a fire and dream of spring. Usually a few gardening catalogs help me get into the spirit. However, this taste of summer helps too. Pictured are corn, hot peppers and potatoes from last summers garden. The corn and peppers (as you can tell) have been hanging out in the freezer. The potatoes are from the root cellar (also known as our barely heated basement). They will make a tasty warm treat. I boil the seeded peppers with chicken stock (enough to cover) until the peppers are soft. Blend and add corn (off the cob) and diced cooked potatoes. I add a bit of cream, sour cream or yogurt. It is fun to have a "garden fresh" soup in February. I love it "as is" but add a little potato starch to thicken it for my husband.

Now turning to dreams of spring planting. I want at least two pepper varieties this year. It's a tough decision and Pepper Joe's catalog is not helping. I want them all!

I know I will grow a "black" tomato variety. I love their rich, tangy flavor. I have my eyes on black krim (from Penny's Tomatoes) but there are so many I would love to try.
Any pepper, tomato or potato variety suggestions appreciated. What are your favorites?

Tomatoes

More dreaming of spring......

I've bought my tomato seeds and that's it. No more! Unless I find another variety I absolutely cannot live without.

Last year I was given free seeds for Chocolate Cherry Tomato. They were richly flavored, sweet, delicious and also made a great addition to one of our wines. I didn't really want to grow it again (just because I like to try new varieties) but my hubby convinced me to include them in the 2010 garden. They did ripen early and produce well through the summer. That was a pretty good feat since last summer wasn't great for my other tomatoes.

I wanted to try the Black Plum Tomato this year. I haven't grown it before. The description of the sweet tangy flavor sounds tempting and we have never been disappointed with the dark colored tomatoes.

The Cour di Bue tomato was a free sample that came with a seed order. I wasn't sure if I would keep them or give them away. However, the mention of them being good for saucing convinced me to give them a try.

I would love to hear about your favorite tomatoes. I've thought of trying a green variety and I'm sure I can always find just the right spot for a cherry tomato or another tomato for sauce. Any suggestions? A larger garden might be the first place to start!