We have a small edible garden at our home but sadly, unlike my mother and grandmother, I seem to have two brown thumbs.
When I had Kenya I was determined to boost my gardening abilities and over the past few years I’ve been fortunate to learn a thing or two from my friend Lauri Kranz, from Edible Gardens LA (having a friend who’s a gardener is never a bad idea). But my greatest joy has been watching Kenya and Chloe learn through their exposure to the fresh fruits and vegetables they help to grow at home. And if I’m naturally hopeless in the garden, the talent skipped a generation, because both kids seem born to do it.
In the summertime we literally have pounds of cherry tomatoes growing in our garden. The kids are constantly grabbing handfuls from the vine and popping them into their mouths, occasionally wrapping them up first in leaves from our basil plants. It just goes to show that you don’t need to do much to a good tomato to make it tasty, so I keep things simple in my preparation, too. With just a dash of olive oil and a few plump bites of mozzarella cheese, you can create one simple yet very special salad in no time at all.
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
½ cup halved mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon salt
Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.