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Can I Harvest Green Tomatoes? Tips for Ripening and Harvesting

17 September 2025 at 08:30

It’s just days away from the first frost, and you’re looking at your green tomatoes wishing they would ... Read More

The post Can I Harvest Green Tomatoes? Tips for Ripening and Harvesting appeared first on Garden Therapy.

Summer Spinach Salad with Chickpea Olive Crumble

By: Richa
9 July 2025 at 07:48

A fully loaded, flavor packed, protein rich summer spinach salad with an umami-packed crisp chickpea hemp seed olive crumble, nutrient dense greens, and creamy, vibrant tahini lemon dressing. A perfect hot weather dinner. (23g protein and 15g fiber per serving, (gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, high protein)

This is a fantastically hearty summer spinach salad. It has so many textures and flavors, and it has 80 grams of protein for the entire salad. That’s 20 grams of protein per serving. For a salad!

There is protein from the chickpeas, from the hemp seeds, and from the nutritional yeast in the chickpea crumble. There’s also protein from the tahini in the dressing, the non-dairy yogurt (depending on the brand), as well as a little protein from the greens that you use in the salad. You can amp up the protein even more by sprinkling it with some hemp seeds before serving or adding some of my tofu bacon bits, or other high protein toppings.

fork taking a bite of summer spinach salad with chickpea olive crumbles

The salad has this creamy texture from the dressing, the crunch from the fresh veggies, and crispiness from the chickpea crumbles, which we bake until they’re crispy-crunchy. The umami comes from the olives and the sun-dried tomato, and the refreshing, fresh flavor comes from lemon zest, the cucumbers, and any other crunchy veggies and greens. 

It’s just a fabulous combination of flavors and textures. The combination of tahini and yogurt helps mellow tahini’s strong flavor and makes for a rich, creamy dressing.

summer spinach salad in a serving bowl

Why You’ll Love this Summer Spinach Salad

  • incredible combination of flavors and textures! Crunchy veggies, creamy dressing, and savory, crisp chickpea-olive crumble.
  • easy to make in about 30 minutes
  • packed with veggies and protein
  • naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
plates of summer spinach salad with chickpea olive

Continue reading: Summer Spinach Salad with Chickpea Olive Crumble

The post Summer Spinach Salad with Chickpea Olive Crumble appeared first on Vegan Richa.

Tomato Rice | Thakaali Saadham - Quick one pot vegan recipe

 Thakali Saadham / Tomato Rice is a simple and delicious recipe from South India . It makes for a Quick fix lunch or dinner option and also apt to pack for lunch boxes . 

It is not a traditional recipe, hence each household may have different recipes to dish out this yummy Thakali saadham .

The main ingredient for this recipe are juicy and slightly tangy tomatoes for the extra punch. I use just basic spices and not much whole masalas/ garam masala . I like the rice to soak in the taste and flavor of tomatoes and chillies . 

If you like you may add some fried cashews or boiled peas while preparing the tomato rice . I add them depending on my family's request . 

My hubby loves to have his tomato rice with either Pattani (Peas) Masala or Potato Curry and some chilled raita/pachadi . Papads or fryums are an excellent addition as well . 

If packing for lunch , make sure you cool the rice completely and then pack it . If you pack it very hot ,there is a chance the rice may go bad especially in summer.  

I often make thakali saadham for dinner as it is a quick fix and I wont see fussy faces at home . As always, I realised that this delicious tomato rice wasn't on my blog and as a matter of coincidence our gourmet food group theme for this month was "cook what you like " .. Viola !! I got an opportunity to publish this recipe.  My partner Rafeeda has dished out a baked Pasta recipe and if you are a pasta lover, you must try it for sure .

Preparation Time- 10 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Complexity - simple
Serves  - 2 to 3

Ingredients 

2 cups rice (Basmati / Sona Masuri / any short grained rice ) 
3 to 4 medium sized tomatoes 
1 onion chopped (optional) [skip for jain and no onions no garlic recipe ] 
3 green chillies slit 
Few curry leaves 
Fresh corriander 
1 tsp mustard seeds 
1 tsp channa dal 
1 tsp udad dhal 
2 tsp corriander powder 
1/2 tsp jeera powder 
1/2 tsp chilli powder 
Pinch of turmeric powder 
Salt as  needed
2 tbsp cooking oil 
Pinch of sugar 

Method 

  • Wash the rice well and soak it for 10mins and then drain the water through a colander. 
  • Chop the tomatoes into medium sized chunks and finely chop the green chillies .
  • Heat the oil in a pressure cooker or pressure pan and crackle the mustard seeds followed by channa dal and udad dal until they turn crisp and golden brown . Saute onions if using until pick and translucent. 
  • Fry the green chillies,  curry leaves . Keep the flame on low and add the chopped tomatoes and  spice powders (haldi, red chilli powder, jeera powder and corriander powder ).
  • Saute the tomatoes well and sprinkle some water ..cook covered until the tomatoes turn mushy and soft . Continue cooking until the oil begins to separate.Add salt at this  stage along with some chopped corriander. 
  • Add water and bring to a boil . If using basmati rice use 1.5 cups water for 1 cup rice and if using sona masuri rice use 2 cups water for 1 cup rice.
  • Once the water begins to boil,add the drained rice,  Pinch of sugar and adjust salt if needed .
  • Close the pressure cooker and cook on medium flame for 2 whistles.  Let the pressure release naturally. 
  • Fluff it with a fork and add some ghee if not vegan and serve hot with raita ,papads and some gravy or curry . 


Late Blight Disease on Home Garden Tomatoes, Potatoes

11 January 2023 at 21:03

If there’s one thing we gardeners in the Pacific Northwest know about, it’s how to grow tomatoes in the most difficult conditions. It’s bad enough that our summers are normally very cool but now the coming weeks are filled with hot days and warm nights, the perfect breeding ground for late blight disease. Phytophthora infestans, the fungus that causes this […]

The post Late Blight Disease on Home Garden Tomatoes, Potatoes appeared first on Backyard Gardener.

Paneer Tomato Grilled Sandwiches

 Paneer Tomato grilled sandwiches are a perfect choice for packing in kids' lunch box or even for adults when you want to carry something filling at the same time  not messy to eat on the desk .

You can also serve this as an after school snack or even makes for a perfect light dinner when paired with some warm Italian style Tomato soup . (Recipe source - Priya Iyer's blog)

Paneer takes care of the protein quotient for the day and the tomatoes keep the sandwiches moist and don't let it get too dry and stuffy.  Adding some mozzarella chees gives a nice gooey and melt in mouth texture. 


I love to work with different fillings that go into the sandwich and this is yet another successful attempt as my family loved the flavor and the crisp grilled bread. 

For the spice, I have used only red chilli powder and 1 small green chilli chopped.  Some boiled corn was added for the crunch and tomatoes used were firm and deseeded to prevent the sandwiches from getting soggy .

Some sandwich varieties from my blog that you must definitely try 

Classic Veg Cheese Grill Sandwich 

Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich 

Paneer Cheese Corn Grill Sandwich 

Chutney Cheese Sandwich 

Mumbai Special Toast Sandwich 


Preparation Time - 10 mins
Grilling Time - 3 to 4 mins per sandwich 
Complexity - simple 
Makes 3 sandwiches 

Ingredients 

6 slices of bread 
100 gms paneer 
2 medium firm tomatoes
3/4th cup boiled sweet corn
1 tsp Chilli powder /chilli flakes
Salt as needed 
Fresh corriander chopped 
1 green chilli
Grated mozzarella cheese as needed 
Butter to apply on bread 

Method 


  • Firstly grate the paneer, crush 3 tbsp of corn kernels with green chilli in a blender and de seed the tomatoes and dice into small cubes. 
  • In a mixing bowl mix the Tomatoes, crushed corn , paneer, boiled corn ,chilli powder ,salt, chopped corriander and mix it all well . Let it rest for 5 to 10mins . Our filling is ready .
  • Donot let the filling sit for extra time because the tomatoes will release water when mixed with salt and the filling will become soggy .we don't want that 
  • Heat the grilling pan,  apply butter on one side of the bread , place some filling on it ,spread grated mozzarella cheese as per your wish ..close using the other slice of bread . 
  • Apply some butter to the grilling pan and grill the sandwich on both sides until crisp and golden brown .
  • Cut the sandwich into wedges and enjoy .
  • If packing for lunch, then place foil paper in the inside of the lunch box ,place the cut sandwiches once they have cooled down .this will prevent the sandwiches from getting soggy .

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