BfloGirlGarden: Proven Harvest Edibles from Proven Winners

Last year, as part of the Proven Winners trial program, I was able to sample three new edibles that the company was releasing in 2019 under the Proven Harvest banner. The plants were Amazel Basil, Berried Treasure Strawberries and Garden Gem Tomatoes, and overall, I was very impressed.

Amazel Basil

First off, what a beautiful plant! I grew this in a large (10” diameter) ceramic floral-decorated planter, and it looked great – it would make a great filler plant in a larger container recipe.

Second, Amazel Basil is a sterile plant, so it will continue to produce new growth even if it flowers, and a little bit of flowering shouldn’t affect the taste. It is also Downy Mildew resistant.

Finally, I’m going to have to try it again, because I didn’t get to use it as much as I would’ve liked to. It was my first time growing basil, so I felt like I spent too much time looking for recipes and not enough time making them!

Berried Treasure Strawberries

I was most excited about this, because I LOOOOOVE strawberries! These were great to eat picked right off the plant, which leads to my only complaint: the berries were on the small side. They were tasty, however, and as an ever-bearing plant, quite prolific.

This plant still looks good: in September, I transplanted this from a container into a section of my veggie garden that I had pulled some old strawberry plants from (June-bearers) – then I ordered another one, and after that I ordered a Berried Treasure Flower Pillow from PW (I believe that will be 4-5 more plants for the garden next fall).

Garden Gem Tomatoes

Garden Gem is a smaller, Roma-shaped tomato (a larger, round tomato – Garden Treasure – will also be available in 2019) that, even I will admit, had good flavor. In general, I’m not a fan of tomatoes – I’ll eat them sliced thin on pizza, diced in pasta or salad, or as a sauce, but I’m not a fan of their usual pulpy texture. These weren’t pulpy – they were meaty. I was impressed, so I ordered another one for this year, as well as a Garden Treasure to try out.

I planted this – as well as the basil and strawberry plants – in containers so I could keep a better eye on them, and was impressed with the haul (about two pounds).

If you are in the Buffalo area and are interested in the Proven Harvest collection, Badding Brothers Farm Market, located at 10820 Transit Rd. in East Amherst, will be hosting a Launch Party on Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, featuring demonstrations, taste tests, raffles and more.

all photos: PaulaThompsonFreelance

Saucy: Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

‘tis the season…for loads and loads of cherry tomatoes!

I have this problem: you see, I enjoy growing things like tomatoes for my mom and dad to enjoy – the problem comes from the fact that they, too, grow tomatoes. That means I need to find 1) someone else to give them to, or 2) recipes to use them in.

Brooklyn Farm Girl posted this recipe recently and it sounded like the perfect excuse to use some cherry tomatoes – and enjoy the end result! Since I was testing it out, I cup the recipe in half – I also switched out jalapenos for green peppers from my garden, and the basil was also from my garden J The taste is a little smoky, and the texture is like marinara – I’m enjoying it as a dip for my toasted ravioli and mozzarella sticks!

Oven-roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce (adapted from Brooklyn Farm Girl)

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 green pepper – seeded and diced
• 1 Tblsp. olive oil
• Dash of onion powder
• A few fresh basil leaves
• Dash of garlic salt
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Preheat oven to 425-degrees F. Spread tomatoes and peppers in single layer in baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with onion powder. Bake for 35 minutes, until tomatoes look wrinkled.

Let tomato mixture cool, then add to a food processor with basil, garlic salt and salt and pepper as desired. Blend until smooth.

Use immediately or store in airtight container for use in the next couple of days – also freezes well.

photos: paulathompsonfreelance.com