Harvest Fruit, The Freshest Ever

It appears to be a consensus that we at A Collective Journal love Autumn. The colors, cooler temperatures, food, holidays, and you can even change your entire wardrobe, it's all new again.

I had a hard time selecting my theme for this week, but finally settled on the fruit harvest. I love the colors and taste of fresh fruit, and by the time I finished with these photos the only thing I wanted was my mother's famous fruit salad, with fruit juice and all.

 Here are the pictures and I don't think they need any additonal input from me. They speak for themselves perfectly.



Apples

Apricots



Blueberries

Cherries

Grapes

Oranges

Lemons

Citrus

Peaches

Pears

Cherries

Strawberries

Persimmons

Pick your favorite fruits and mix them together.  Keep all the juice, add sliced banana just before serving. (You do need some citrus for the juice and tang.) 

I hope everyone is so totally hungry for fresh picked fruit right now. LOL

Pepper

Tomato Harvest Recipe

I'm ready for Fall, cooler weather and fresh vegetables. I know it's not even September yet, but the kids are back in school today so that's close enough for me.  Here's my first recipe of the season:

White Bean Tomato Salad


1 can of Cannellini, Navy or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 beautiful tomatoes, diced

2 T. olive oil

1 t. lemon juice

2 t. white wine vinegar

1 t. minced garlic or shallot

Salt and pepper to taste

(You could substitute bottled Italian dressing for a quick meal)

Gently mix the beans and tomatoes together in a medium sized bowl. Stir together the next four ingredients in a small jar or bowl, then pour over tomatoes and beans. Mix gently and let sit for five minutes. Add salt and black pepper, then taste; if your beans do not have much salt you may find it needs more.

Serve with bread for a light supper.

Optional ingredients:

Diced fresh celery
Slivers of fresh basil leaves or a little chopped fresh parsley
A little grated Parmesan
A little feta cheese

 Pepper/Helmet Head