I got my seeds in the mail today and was very impressed. Heather, you did a great job keeping track of such a large number of participants and getting the swap in order. I got several seeds that were on my "desperate to have" list, and quite a few others that I'm very interested in and looking forward to trying. Thanks so much! And thank you to everyone who participated and sent in such great seeds . . . hopefully we'll do this again next year!

Heather I'm not interested in a Swap unless you have any Sophies Choice Tomato Seeds,however I have about 500-600GMs(16-20oz) Cayenne Pepper seeds you can have. PM me if interested. Jim

I forgot what recipes I sent in, but here's a couple for tomatoes, peppers and one for a zucchini yeast bread. Panzanella This is an Italian bread salad. The Italians make it to use up stale bread. I make it to use up cherry tomatoes (I use halved cherry tomatoes). Ingredients Salad 1 1⁄2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 3) 1 shallot, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 cup fresh basil leaves Panzanella croutons Freshly ground black pepper Panzanella Croutons ¼ cup unsalted butter 1 tablespoon minced garlic 6 cups cubed day-old bread (½-inch cubes) Salt and ground black pepper to taste 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan Core the tomatoes and, if large, cut them into chunks; if small, halve or quarter them (I slice the cherry tomatoes in half). Toss them gently with the shallot, garlic, oil, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper. Set aside until the tomatoes are very juicy, about 10 minutes. Add croutons and give a give toss. Tear the basil over the salad and toss gently. (The bread salad can be served now or set aside at room temperature for a couple of hours.) For the croutons, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and preheat a cookie sheet in it. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the cheese and toss again while warm to melt the cheese. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 8 or 9 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container. Tortellini Salad with Pine nuts This recipe is from Picnic! By Edith Stovel. This serves 8. Ingredients Salad 2 lbs fresh tortellini pasta (spinach, cheese or mushroom fillings work well) 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup green onion, chopped ½ cup pine nuts ½ cup chopped fresh basil ¼ cup chopped fresh dill ¼ cup chopped grated parmesan cheese Dressing ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced ¼ teaspoon salt Ground black pepper ¾ cup olive oil Follow directions for cooking tortellini. Drain and place in a large bowl. Mix in remaining salad ingredients. For dressing, combine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in oil until well combined. Pour dressing over tortellini and chill. Zucchini Bread This is a little more work than the quick version. In the heart of zucchini season, youll enjoy this bread fro a change. This recipe is adapted from a Taste of Home flyer. Makes 1 loaf. 1 tablespoon dry active yeast ½ cup warm water ⅓ cup warm milk ⅓ cup sugar 3 tablespoons butter, softened 2 tablespoons grated orange peel ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini ⅓ cup raisins ¾ cup whole wheat flour ¾ cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or a blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and mace) 1 ⅔ to 2 ⅓ cups bread flour In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat in the milk, sugar, butter, and orange peel. Mix well. Add the zucchini, raisins whole wheat floor, all-purpose flour, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Add enough bread flour to form a soft dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface (5-10 minutes) until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 ½ hours). Punch down dough and shape into a loaf. Place into a greased 9x5x3 inch pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.

I'm glad the seeds are making their way to their new homes. There were some of the more unusual seeds this year so that was great - enough common varieties and unusual ones as well. The mail seems to be moving along quickly, but if someone doesn't have their seeds in another day or two, check the delivery confirmation numbers above. If for any reason someone doesn't receive their seeds, let me know! I hope I managed to put some candy in each envelope. I was trying to be careful to do that. (Riley got a dog biscuit because he was a theme! LOL) I winter sowed 16 milk jugs yesterday and today with more to follow. I know many are doing the same. If you don't already know about it, check out the Winter Sowing Forum here on GardenWeb. Winter sowing has always worked really well for me. Jeanne