Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes

The Spicy Pickled Grape tomatoes are the bomb. One jar from the first batch didn't seal, so it's been in my fridge taunting me and on Saturday I could withstand no longer.  They are tart and spicy and totally great. The garlic I put in the jar to flavor the tomatoes is awesome, too.  Yes, I ate it.  I told you I'm a nerd.  Not only was it delicious, it now protects me from werewolves, too.  ;-)

Have a great day!

"Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Un-stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Remember when I mentioned the need to uncover some quick dinner ideas?  Well here is a winner:  Un-stuffed Cabbage Rolls!  Unfortunately, I did not take a picture, so you will just have to trust me.

1 c. uncooked long grain rice
2 c. water or chicken broth
1 T. butter
1 head of cabbage, chopped

1 T. olive oil
1 med onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
Meatballs
Pepper

Disclaimer: I'm a very casual cook.  I almost never follow a recipe for savory foods.  Even writing out these instructions, I waffle because you can add as much or as little garlic or onion or tomato products. You can use fresh from the garden, you can add other veggies...  Anyway, this is what I did to make this tonight.

I put the water, rice, and butter into a pan.  While it was coming to a boil, I chopped the cabbage.  When the water started to boil, I put the cabbage in the the pan, but did not stir it.  This technique allows the cabbage to steam above the rice.  Put a lid on, turn the temp down to simmer and set the timer for 20 minutes.

While the rice is doing it's thing, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, sauce and meatballs (as many or as few as you like). You can also make this by browning ground beef or turkey or chicken in place of the meatballs, but as I had meatballs that's what we used.  Add spices here - again, use what you like - I used black pepper and cayenne pepper.  Let this simmer together until the rice is ready.

When rice is cooked, empty entire contents into skillet and combine.  It's ready to serve immediately.

It was really good and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.

Harvest Bisque

It's that time of year again and this is the first Harvest Soup.  See this post for my "technique", which I really made up after seeing a similar picture on a facebook post.  I thought to myself, "Hey! I can do that!" and I did.  I've made it half a dozen times and every time it's a little bit different because of the veggies added and because I don't use a recipe.  But it's never bad.  I've been using chicken stock for the liquid now and I no longer fill it full of liquid, like the original post.  I put as many veggies into the pot as I can, then add liquid about 2/3 of the way.  The veggies begin to soften and condense immediately so there is more than enough liquid.

I don't know if you've had the Tomato Bisque at Brio, but my youngest loves that soup.  We also had a stellar one on vacation last year.  This Harvest Bisque is as close as I've come to either.  It's actually easy to do and everyone in my house raved about it.  LOVE when that happens.

What's the difference between Tomato Soup and Tomato Bisque you are asking...  Well as near as I can tell it's cream.  The cream gives the soup an orangey color and (no pun intended) a creamy texture.  You can add as much or as little as you like, I think.  Everybody has definite opinions on cream.  Very volatile topic. But, it's undeniable the benefit of adding it to soup.  I just choose to add enough to get the benefits, but not so much as to end up with a white soup.  I ended up using just less than a cup in a pot with 12 servings in it.   Will the soup stink if you skip it? Not a chance.

Here is the beauty of this soup, you get to make it the way you want.  Put in the veggies you like, skip ones you don't.  I recommend adding carrots because their sweetness balances the acidity in the tomatoes.  I do wait to add salt or pepper until after it's simmered a couple of hours and been blended (with the stick blender).  There is salt in the stock and you just can't know if it will need any more until it's had a chance to condense.  The only seasoning I put it are a couple of bay leaves until after it's blended.  Then you can take it any way you want by the herbs you put in.  It is also great to package by one or two cup measures in zip bags and freeze.  You can add these to spaghetti, chili or a clearer soup, like minestrone.

By the way, every time I reach into the cupboard and pull out one of the new dishes I'm tickled.  They are cute and fun and happy and make the food look better!  Nerdy I know.  Definitely, one of my most favorite things to come from the whole kitchen remodel.

If, like me, you are harvesting by the tonnage these days, give the soup a try.

Pickling, two ways!

It's been a pickling kind of weekend.  A serious amount of things harvested yesterday were cucumbers and tomatoes.  So today, with the help of my son and his girlfriend, we set out to do some pickling.


First up:  we pickled Spicy Grape Tomatoes, using this recipe as a jumping off place.  I used small jars. They are beautiful and I'm looking forward to testing them in about 10 days.


The other kind of pickling we did today is two more batches of fermented pickles.  The first crock is still working, so I purchased two glass jars for these batches.  One will be very spicy.  One will be mildly spicy.  I hope.  As I mentioned before, fermenting is a trial and error.  Also, you just never know how hot any pepper really is, unless you eat it, which makes it tough to get it into your brine!  The glass jars will mean I can watch the fermentation!  I'm excited, can you tell?  These cucumbers we quartered, so they will process quicker than the whole pickles in the crock.  I'll keep you updated, if you're interested.

Turns out I just couldn't pickle the amazing garlic we grew.  It is seriously delicious and I want to use the heads we have for meals and such.  In fact, I made my Mom's Famous 8 Makes it Great Salsa today and used some of these cloves.  Woot!

I really do love pickles.  I peruse the pickle section of my favorite grocery nearly every time I'm in there, looking for something new. Being able to make my own is pretty amazing!

Next up on the schedule are Zucchini Pickles. Gotta do something with the pounds and pounds of squash!

Big thanks to my most excellent helpers today.  They cut, hefted, measured, harvested and consoled - all in perfect measure.  ♥

Random thoughts from Harvest 2013

Wait til you see the pictures.  It's amazing what one little plant can do!

First:  I planted a bunch of Okra and not one plant grew.  Not one.  I just had to say it, first.  I'm bummed a little bit and wanted to get that out of the way.

Next, these two pics are what I harvested today.  WOW!  This is a lot of produce for one week.  I harvested a very similar amount last week.

I am totally overwhelmed by the summer squash.  What on earth can I do with it all?  I already shred and froze either 36 or 38 cups.  That's more than enough for the year I think.  I've made zucchini bread and yellow squash bread.  We've had stir fry, zucchini and yellow squash oven fries, and what is it called when you alternate rounds of zucchini and yellow squash and onions and cover the whole thing... well whatever that is called, I've done that, too. You get the idea... we've had a lot of zucchini.  I like zucchini. I really do, but this one little plant has produced a tremendous amount of zucchini.  And the Yellow squash!  Worse.

A friend at work suggested dicing and freezing, but I'm not a huge fan of mushy squash.  It's why I like it best in stir fry or oven baked.

Anyway, and much more importantly... isn't it an amazing testament to the wonder of this world that one little plant can produce so many delicious, healthy, beautiful items?! Each time I'm in the garden I'm blown away.

I've started my first crock of fermented pickles...  Here's a little peek. They've been in two weeks today. I left them whole, which takes longer for the middle to catch up with the outside. You will find a lot of people telling you a lot of things on the world wide web about how long to leave something. My advice, keep taste testing and decide what you like and what you don't.  Every single batch of fermented food depends on every factor, from temperature, to water hardness, to ingredients you included.  Just be patient. Kids all walk at different times and ages and we love them for it. Think about the pickles that way, too.

We grew garlic over winter and I harvested last week.  It's been sitting for a week to let the papery outer skin dry out.  Should make it easier to get the dirt off, too.  I've already tried one head and let me just say - so worth the long wait.  I used a head purchased from the grocery, divided into cloves and planted last fall.  I waited through spring, until the leaves started to die back and fell over, then I harvested.  This is another one of those items that everyone who has tried it has advice.  Just like the pickles, you will have to see what works for you.  This worked beautifully for me.  The garlic isn't bitter in the least, but does have a nice, strong garlic taste. I'll definitely be planting again this fall.  I'm going to try pickling this garlic. Just another way I'm a big nerd, I love pickled garlic.  mmm.... mmm...

And finally, here is the promised picture of the Dilly Beans.  Of course, I've sampled them.  I declare them really good!  Okay, confession, last week, cause I couldn't wait, I tried them and they were so-so.  Today I tried that open jar that's been hanging out in the fridge and they are FABULOUS!  Sour, garlicky, super great crunch!  If you haven't tried these before and like pickled things, Do it!  Go with your gut.  Add the things you like, leave out the things you don't! Just don't fool around with the pickling liquid too much, I'd hate for anyone to get sick!  The liquid is the preservative, so just adjust the flavorings, capisce?

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust. Gertrude Jekyll

I am smarter today!

Last year I took on a new role where I work.  Part of this role is a software program that was written in the dark ages where computer mouses didn't exist.  Not kidding.  It uses "F" commands and prints to a dot matrix printer.

The time has come to move us into a new era and I'm currently in training.  My mind is whirring with all the possibilities.  I almost want to skip tomorrow's class to try out some of the great things I learned today.  But, I won't.  Tomorrow we've been promised things that are equally as, or possibly more, exciting than today.

It's been a while since I've taken a formal training class and I'm loving it.  I really enjoy learning.  My trainer is good and the material is good and I'm actually getting the help I need.  I'm a big nerd.  I admit it.  I genuinely like school.  I was an adult college student.  I started my degree in my twenties and between husband, kids and work earned my bachelor's 20 years after I started.

Unconventional, yes.  Would I choose differently? No.  I (as I might have mentioned) was an angry teen.  I had an interesting childhood, that I simply did not know how to deal with.  Angry is no way to experience university.  Luckily it took me a couple of years to figure things out.  By the time I started, I was calmer and, dare I say it, more grown up.  I LOVED college.  LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it.  Well, except economics.  Bleh.

Anyway, enough remembrances.  My point here is that I'm in a training class.  I'm learning a lot.  So much, in fact, I'm smarter than when I started.  Now that's a good day!

“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” Robert Frost

Ahhh, today I want one!

Well, it's happened.  Today I want a Diet Coke.  The fizz, the tingle, the unmistakable taste that makes you go "Ahhhhh".  Yep.  Today I want a Diet Coke.  I'm not going to have one - it's too soon - but I want it.

The best part of this is that I'm not crazy or cranky or driving somewhere to get one.  All things that may or may not have happened before!  This time, I'm just aware that I want one.