How very fortunate we are to be able to witness another spring, that time of the year when grass is green and lush and the first crocuses spilt the earth with their dainty heads. Nature’s insect and wildlife are drawn, as though by a magnet, from their very secretive hiding places, and the earth becomes alive with movement. It is as though springtime has a very special music of its own when you hear the birds singing, the bees humming and the squirrels chattering. If we could take time from our very busy lives to just listen, perhaps we could learn to better appreciate the orchestra of musical sounds that nature freely provides for us. For those of us who put in gardens, there is an unmistakable feeling of accomplishment when we first harvest the fruits of our labor.
Many times I have headed out into my garden, with salt shaker in hand, to enjoy the very first tomatoes and radishes of the season. Unlike many of our other vegetables, tomatoes have not always been No. 1 on the popularity list … quite the opposite in fact. If you take the time and effort to trace them back to the 16th century, you would learn that they were originally grown as decorative plants by the Spanish, nicknamed “poisonous love apples” in Europe. Our early colonists brought this misconception to the New World, and it is understandable considering their reasoning. They were aware of the fact that the leaves were poisonous, so they feared this poison might extend to the fruit as well. It took the Spanish and Italians to convince them that their theory was wrong, for these two groups used tomatoes in their diet for quite some time and never ever suffered an ill effects from doing so.
Fortunately for us, we believed these groups of Italians and Spaniards and now we classify tomatoes as one of our world’s leading vegetables crops. Today’s recipes are going to give you the opportunity to incorporate tomatoes into your culinary lifestyle … so enjoy!

Homemade Tomato Soup
Ingredients
1/4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 c. grated carrot
1 c. vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground marjoram
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. non-fat yogurt
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1/2 c. minced celery
Dash of ground pepper
? tsp. dried ground basil
2 tbsp. fresh parsley
1 tsp. chili powder
8-10 fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Process two cups of your chopped tomatoes into your blender. Once they become smooth, set them aside. Combine tomatoes with the carrots, onions, vegetable stock and celery in a large pan. Cook mixture over medium heat for 18 to 20 minutes and by this time, the celery should test quite tender. Add reserved tomatoes, parsley, chili powder, soy sauce, marjoram, white pepper and basil for approximately five minutes or until it becomes quite hot.
Note: As you prepare the servings, garnish each of them with approximately a tablespoon of yogurt and fresh basil leaf.

We have arrived at that time of year when the warmth of the sun can be extremely conducive in luring us outside to plant our gardens, so gather up your gardening tools and prepare to join me in communing with nature. Homegrown veggies require the most fertile soil that you can give them, so endeavor to choose an area that gets a good six hours of sun daily and preferably try to place them into a quick draining area spaced far enough apart from the roots of trees that could rob them of their moister and nutrients. Allow them ample space between the rows so that they are easy to cultivate.

Ground Chuck on Toast
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chuck
1 or 2 onions
Dash of salt
4 slices of bread
1 tbsp. butter
Dash of pepper

Directions:
Thoroughly mix the meat, salt and pepper, then set aside. Toast your slices of bread on one side, then spread the untoasted side with butter. Proceed to spread the meat mixture onto the side of bread that is not toasted. Sprinkle the minced onions over this and dot with butter. Place onto your boiler rack, approximately three inches below the source of heat and broil for approximately 5 minutes. Serve with your choice of catsup or mustard.

Homemakers Hint: I read an interesting article the other day that coincides with my personal way of thinking. This article stated that often taking a 10- to 20-minute walk can work wonders in eliminating stress. The rhythmic movement of muscles can very definitely reduce the sensation of stress that our bodies experience.

Crisscross Apricot Pie
Ingredients:
2 c. cooked, dried apricots, drained
1 c. carrot juice
1 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 c. canned, cured pineapple, drained
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1/3 c. sugar
1 pie crust
1 1/2 tbsp. minute tapioca
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Combine minute tapioca with the sugar, butter, salt, fruit and fruit juices; allow mixture to stand for approximately 15 minutes while you are making your pastry. Line a 9-inch pie plate with only half of pastry, which has been rolled to on eighth-inch thickness. Allow pastry to extend one inch beyond the edge of the pie tin, so you can create a standing rim. Fill pastry shell with apricot mixture, then moisten edge of the pie with cold water and arrange lattice of pastry strips across top. Bake pie at 425 degrees for a good 10 minutes, then decrease to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Cool pie before serving.

Whenever I cook up a batch of homemade spaghetti and garlic toast, I am reminded of years and past evenings spent at Franky’s Restaurant on the east side of Niles. Lasting friendships were formed on those premises, as their clientele was quite extensive. We reluctantly gave up on carry-outs, however, once we discovered that the lingering odor of garlic bread seemed to embed itself in the car upholstery.

Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
3 c. canned tomato sauce
3/4 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. minced fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 c. canned tomato puree
1/2 c. vegetable stock
3/4 tsp. minced fresh basil
Dash ground black pepper
1 tbsp. minced garlic

Directions:
Use a large saucepan to saute your onions and garlic in the vegetable stock containing the crushed herbs, bay leaf and black pepper. Cook until the onions are nice and tender, then add the mushrooms and continue cooking for five minutes. Add the tomato products, then cover the pan and let this mixture simmer for a good hour. Remember to remove the bay leaf before serving.