It's 95F in the shade, too hot to do much in the garden. I did go out this morning to pick tomatoes, corn and cucumbers, then I hauled six buckets of composted manure and spread it around the long pepper bed, made sure they were well watered, then covered the bed with a thick layer of leaf mulch. After that, I headed for the kitchen to get a few things done.
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The first thing I did was toss all of my smaller tomatoes into a pot, and turn them into juice. It was a mixture of Victor, Sungold, Black Cherry and Una Hartsock tomatoes. I got 5 cups of really good tomato juice from them. I was going to put it in the freezer and save it until I had enough to can, but decided instead to put it in the glass jug, chill it, and save it to drink for breakfasts this week. It was just that good! After I got the juice sampled for quality and in the fridge, I snapped a gallon bag of Fortex pole beans, blanched them, and got them out to the freezer to be frozen solid. I'll bag them tonight.
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Of course, nothing puts me in the mood to bake bread like 95-degrees-in-the-shade weather. While that was baking, I made the spiced vinegar/sugar syrup for some sweet refrigerator pickles. I had to wait for the syrup to cool, so I.....
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Ate a big slice of fresh bread while I waited. Soft, warm, lovely.....yummmmmmmmmmm.
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I did finally get the pickles made, and I didn't eat the whole loaf of bread. I really wanted to.
Dinner tonight was quite garden heavy. A simple meal, but healthy and filling. I didn't think to take a photo of it until after I started eating, so here is my partially eaten dinner.....
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Grilled salmon fillets, steamed Red Norland potatoes with parsley butter, broccoli and grilled yellow crookneck squash. Not shown, a side of cherry tomatoes. The potatoes, parsley, broccoli, squash and tomatoes were all fresh from the garden. Well, the potatoes were probably a week or two old, but everything else was picked yesterday or today. Mr. Granny even ate his broccoli and squash, with no complaints!
What's the plan for tomorrow?
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Take a guess!
Hi Granny, i like your last picture so much!! What a beautiful tomatoes! They are partying!!
ReplyDeleteThey sure are "hanging out together", Olive!
ReplyDeleteSob. I want those beans. I've never had my beans do this to me before. They are forming flower clusters just fine, but they don't set beans. All my other dried beans are setting just fine, but not either of the two varieties of green beans. Oh well. I finally have enough collected for a small serving tonight with dinner.
ReplyDeleteI'd have more, but I'm letting one planting by the patio grow for seeds. I'm so tempted to pick them, but I won't. My early planted Fortex didn't produce many pods until just last week. I blamed it on early insect damage, but I'm sure 100+ heat for several days didn't help. My fall planting is growing and blooming like crazy.
DeleteGood for Mr. Granny for not complaining! Maybe, just maybe he's starting to like veggies? I didn't like eggplants when I was little, now I do. I didn't like cilantro, now I do. See, it could happen!
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm big, and I still don't like eggplant or cilantro!
DeleteWhere the H@#$ is the butter on that bread???????????????
ReplyDeleteWell, duh...it was still in the fridge. I didn't want to get the camera all buttery! It got slathered on right after I snapped the photo.
Delete(I'm not being mean. I just can't fathom fresh bread without a GIANT glob of butter melting all over it. Forgive me. I'm having fresh bread withdrawals-I've been very busy the past few days and couldn't bake.......)
ReplyDeleteMeanie, meanie, you're a wienie!
DeleteI don't know what I did to that bread. It was softer and better than usual, and it's the same recipe I always use. The only thing I did different was to set it outside on the patio table to rise. It was 95 degrees out there, and that must have been just perfect for it. I don't often eat white bread, but who can resist? I had another slice, toasted, this morning. Then I had another slice, with butter, with my leftover corn chowder for lunch, and it was still heavenly soft. Then, since I'd already blown the diet, I said "What the he**" and ate the last of the caramel pecan ice cream right from the carton! I'll go dig a garden row in the morning, and work it off. After I have another slice of that bread for breakfast :-D
Gawd, I love ya! Butter AND ice cream!! Good for you!
DeleteAnd I always plan a day of digging when I want to have a day of that. Sometimes life does indeed even out those binges of mine.
I actually saw a license plate that just said "Butter" once. I thought to myself--I'd like to know this person!
LOL!
Are you really Paula Deen? Fess up, girl!
DeleteI only gained 1/2 pound from my binge, and I ate really light last night and made up for it ;-)
Your bread is a long loaf! My pans are not that long. It sure does look good and I couldn't resist it either! But not good for trying not to gain weight! You did all that work in 95 degree weather! You must be a lot younger than I am!!!! Nancy
ReplyDeleteNancy, I love that long loaf pan. The bread fits the toaster so much better, and there aren't quite as many calories in each slice! Hey, I hit my goal weight 99 days ago, and I've not only maintained it, but lost another 5 pounds! I've learned if I want to eat the fresh, white bread, I have to give up something else. Portion control, portion control, portion control...that's the name of the game!
DeleteIt was 99 today, I stayed inside with the AC and made salsa!
Your kitchen window ledges looks just like mine! Except that I don't have enough tomatoes to actually process into anything....I keep eating them! :)
ReplyDeleteCarolyn, I didn't think I'd have enough to can this year, but I'm doing another batch of salsa tonight. I've canned 5 batches so far, and 5 cups of tomato juice!
DeleteLook at all those delicious tomatoes! How did you manage to not eat the whole loaf of bread. It looks yummy too.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, Rhonda, it wasn't easy! I didn't even have a slice of toast this morning, but tomorrow I'm going to enjoy!
DeleteMy counter top is starting to look like yours with all the tomatoes. They are on the agenda today.I just peel, quarter, and freeze for making sauce in the fall/winter. It can get done rather quickly and the work saved for when I have more time and feel like heating the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteLangela, do you know I have my big heavy electric roaster sitting on top of the freezer to hold the lid down? It is so full, I couldn't get the lid completely shut so I could freeze the tray of peppers! I have no idea what I'm going to do with the rest of the stuff that will be coming out of the garden :-0
DeleteAt least the tomatoes can be canned right away. I'm leaning toward juicing the rest of them. The last time I canned juice, I used lemon juice to acidify it. I didn't like the taste at all! This year I bought some citric acid instead, so I hope it doesn't change the taste.