I've always been good at finding ways to keep myself busy, but I'm happy with small projects right now, and I have a few to share. The garden is still giving, just not at the breakneck pace of July, and I've been finding ways to preserve a little of summer for later, but without the urgency. And, of course, there are always a few knitting projects clamoring for attention.

So today, a little bit of this, a little bit of that from my slow August days in sunny California.

Another wonderful use for all that basil is this roasted tomato appetizer. There isn't really a recipe, just general directions, which is exactly the way I like to cook sometimes.

Lay a generous layer of basil leaves in the bottom of a casserole dish. Add quartered large tomatoes or halved smaller ones, then sprinkle generously with salt and chopped garlic. If you like a little heat—as we do—add some red pepper flakes. I use about a teaspoon for this amount.

Pour over a good glug of olive oil—at least ½ cup. Then put the whole thing into a hot 425°F oven and roast for an hour or two, even. The tomatoes should become very soft and caramelized, with all the juices mingling with the olive oil and basil. Keep an eye on them as they roast, and if they're getting too brown, lightly cover the dish with foil.

Serve the tomatoes over little toasts for a wonderful appetizer, or pile them onto big toasts for lunch. Leftovers keep beautifully in the refrigerator and are delicious spooned over chicken, fish, or a baked potato. 

I baked them at 400°F for about 15 minutes, and what started as a shortcut turned out to be a very good idea. We loved the way they came out—with a nice crunch on the outside, almost as if they had been fried.

We ate our fill, and the rest are going into the freezer. I'll flash-freeze them first and then pack them into freezer bags. They'll be very welcome come fall, when the garden is no longer handing me more squash than I know what to do with.

Biscuit has a BFF! Going from one extreme—being afraid of all dogs—to this, actually playing with a dog, is so heartwarming I just cannot tell you how happy we are. He has turned into such a sweet and sociable little fella that I felt he would have so much fun with a playmate; I just wished he would be a little more brave.

One morning at the school grounds, he let this little guy chase him and then the next instant they tumbled and rolled around together, and just like that, they became besties. I was shocked and thrilled! They only live a few blocks away, so we exchanged numbers and we try to get them together a few times a week. 

While he loves his new playtime with his buddy, the very best part of Biscuit’s day is his sniffy walk. We walk for an hour every morning, and I’d like to tell you it’s a brisk walk and I’m getting massive numbers of steps in, but that's a no. In reality, I spend a good amount of time standing around while Biscuit stops to sniff everything in sight.

I always knew that sniffing was important for dogs, but I had no idea just how important it is. So I asked Google, “Why is sniffing important for dogs?” and this is what came up: