Crappie, Tomatoes The Ozark 'Surf And Turf' Of Summer

Thursday, July 3, 2014

It was a red-letter day at the shack-ri-la last Friday. There, on the vine was my the first red, ripe tomato of the summer.

I'm feeling pretty smug right now because I picked two more on Saturday. Ah yes, it's good to be living off the land.

OK, so I lived off the land for a day. I lived off the land with some help.

My thumb is plaid, not green,. It's a miracle I'm picking any veggies at all out of my little garden that's smaller than a parking space. Some gardening friends grow enough produce to feed a small town and are kind enough to share the bounty with me. Plus, they have some chickens running around so I get the occasional gift of fresh farm eggs.

Last week, I was thankful to receive a bag full of fresh-picked green beans, new potatoes and a zucchini. Armed with my first ripe tomato and my veggie gift, I was ready to live off the land.

For dinner that night I fixed a nice pot of green beans and new potatoes. I sliced up my first ripe tomato and put it on the plate. Yes sir, this living off the land is pretty darned tasty.

Next morning I fixed two scrambled farm eggs and some hash browns made by grating one of the potatoes. I was on a roll. Two meals and nothing had come from the store.

By evening I'd been living off the land for a whole 24 hours. Now it was time for something from the water. I thawed out some crappie caught last spring for the next all-natural feast. The fish went into a hot Fry Daddy. I sliced half of the zucchini and cooked it on the grill, brushing the pieces occasionally with Italian dressing.

Earlier that day, I picked two more ripe tomatoes. They went right on the plate for sort of an Ozarks surf and turf of crappie and home-grown veggies.

It was obvious last year that my thumb is plaid as a kilt. We had plenty of rain, the summer was cool and I couldn't grow squat. I don't know beans about gardening, but figured my dirt was worn out.

Last April I bought two big bags of potting soil and mixed it all in with the dirt. That must have done the trick. If all the green tomatoes on my four plants ripen, I might have some to share.

I don't sweat this gardening stuff. I plant a few things and if they grow, fine, if they don't I'm not out much dough.

As long as I get enough to live off the land for a day or three, I'm happy with my horticulture.

Outdoors on 07/03/2014