'O Tomatoes, Where Art Thou?'

We're not having very good luck this summer with our garden.

Our tomatoes never really grew or took off and I lost interest very quickly when my expected results weren’t happening.

Even the zucchini isn't showing the love. Or maybe it’s me.

Perhaps it started when we realized the yellow squash was mislabeled and were really gourds. Of course we found this out at dinner one night.  What does one do with a gourd anyway besides letting it dry and making a birdhouse out of it?

I've been wanting to make Buddy the Cake Boss's Zucchini and Yellow Squash Casserole so I stopped by the farmer's market in the parking lot by the Laguna Hills mall on Friday to supplement.

It's my shame—actually having to buy zucchini this summer—and truth be told it was painful on my gardening ego but it’ll be on the dinner table tonight for a small gathering that will surely understand my gardening woes. If I can't grow my own I can at least enjoy someone else's success of the season.

Here's a link to find Certified Farmer's Markets throughout OC which are open Tuesday through Sunday in various locations.  What's a Certified Farmer's Market, you ask?  From its website it is definded as: 

"California certified farmers' markets are the real thing—places where genuine farmers sell fruits, nuts and vegetables directly to the public. Every farmer who sells at a certified market is inspected by the county agricultural commissioner to make sure he/she actually grows the commodity being sold."

Give us your gardening scoop.  What wonderful bounty have you produced this summer? What have you had particularly good luck with this season or what have been your gardening disappointments?  Let us learn through you!