Keeping the Harvest

We had so many cucumbers one week that I started making pickles. Because my husband’s favorite is dill, that batch was first in production. Some years, when hot peppers fall into the same weeks as the cucumbers, I season the jars with slices of jalapenos and garlic, but they don’t last more than a few sittings. This year, I tried a new kind of bread and butter for myself, which mixed brown sugar and ginger in the flavor. Today is testing day and I can’t wait to discover what they taste like.

I think my next projects will be salsa and ketchup since the tomato season is coming fast. But I’d really like to know what other people are doing with their excess vegetables. Post your comments and ideas, or check the recipe page of this blog to see what our favorite recipes are. You can also ask questions about pickle making or offer suggestions.

The crew and the Medina family had a long discussion about authentic Mexican salsa and so learned that different hot peppers go with different tomatoes. They personally don't preserve it in jars, maybe because of the vinegar, but I'd like to give it a shot. Black bean and corn will be my first attempt, and secondly, roasted tomato and chipolte. Testing day will be interesting.

Jake's Gig!

So, we were all at Jitter's Cafe on friday night, sipping coffee and cheering Jake on as he sang and played his guitar. The song that he wrote had great lyrics inspired by his recent reading of Walden Pond. There was a line about throwing things away jut so we could buy more, and I realized that it defined Jake really well. He's the only soul I know who can say those words without guilt. There isn't much more than what he needs stashed in his dwelling, and even that get's shared with a squirrel or two.

Someone should record this guy . . .

Early Morning Planting

I've not seen too many sunrises in years past. Not on Windflower nor from my own window. I'm not exactly a morning person, but out of necessity, 6am has been the starting time of choice. It's just been too hot for all the afternoon work.

For a few mornings Daren, Sara and I set to planting some broccoli in the back fields using the two person planter. Though Daren can drive, I got elected the job and so thoroughly enjoyed the new music on my MP3 player. Eight hours of it though . . . it's such a slow-going job doing any planting at all. The pictures show about sixty seconds of driving. Hoorah for Daren who planted all three rows at 0.2 mph by himself just we could get the shots.

I'll admit that the memory is firmly planted as something worth keeping a while. Daren grabbed some red raspberries while I was off getting a water refill in the tanks and tried to trick me into thinking that the smear all over his arm was blood. Unsuccessful. I think I know him too well. But I did have to stare for a moment before figuring it out. How else are we supposed to make memories? We could have desk jobs and miss all the misty mornings and iced coffees in our tractor cupholders. That's how we know we love what we do.