This salad is a great way to increase your family’s consumption of whole grains and fiber. Raw wheat berries can be found in most natural food markets or specialty grocery stores. You can substitute farro, barley or spelt if you prefer. The cooked whole wheat kernels are nutty with a chewy texture that my children love. There are many ways to vary this salad – try adding uncooked greens or chopped fresh herbs, vary the canned beans, or toss in almost any favorite seasonal cooked or raw vegetable.
Fresh Tomato Soup

This is a lovely soup for the height of summer when the tomatoes are ripe and sweet. If you happen to have some that are less ripe, no worries, simply fire up the oven, toss the halved tomatoes with olive oil to coat and roast the tomatoes for half an hour until they are very soft. Add these to the soup with the other riper fruit. The flavor boost from the roasting makes up for the lack of sweetness.
Watermelon Gazpacho

When we stopped at the Model Bakery in St Helena this summer we tasted the most wonderfully refreshing watermelon gazpacho. This was one of those moments when you try a dish a bit skeptically and end up completely enthralled by the fabulous flavors. This recipe is my attempt at recreating a most memorable dish.
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Slow roasting develops deep, concentrated flavors—perfect for perking up a grilled cheese sandwich, adding to a fresh bean salad or stirring into pasta with Parmesan and chopped herbs. Or just pop them into your mouth, fresh out of the oven, all by themselves. I love them layered on top of toasted baguette, spread with tangy goat cheese with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
Gophers, tomatoes and peaceful coexistence
The home of Thomomys bottae, aka Mr. Pocket Gopher
After years of limited success with our tomato garden, this spring my husband devoted himself to the task of raising some really excellent fruit. He read websites and articles, talked to friends and gardeners, gleaning every morsel of useful advice he could find. It wasn’t long before he decided some radical change was needed, including a new location for our raised beds along with chicken wire lining to keep out the gophers. Soon after, he was hauling in fresh dirt by hand and enriching it with odd items like aspirin and eggshells. By mid-May our plants looked glorious, full and lush, covered in delicate yellow flowers and abundant green orbs. We gazed out on the newly fertile earth with pride, in anticipation of the literal fruits of his labors.