Category Archives: kitchen stories

Tomatoes, Tomah-toes, guerrilla gardeners

Posted on by
3

I planted cilantro – in shifts, so we’d always have some. And then, as the cilantro went to seed, I replanted it. I kept replanting it. The new planting didn’t come up and didn’t come up. Eventually, the cilantro started growing again. But wait – something else came up, too.

Say what?

Say what?

There seems to be a guerrilla gardener in the neighborhood, and I suspect he or she is very sneaky and very furry.

Meanwhile, I started rescuing tomatoes a little early, as soon as they start turning orange. Another (or the same) furry critter likes to grab the low-hanging tomatoes. This critter is picky, however. He or she doesn’t pick the green ones, but aims for those that are turning color. I thought most animals were colorblind?! But anyway, the tomatoes are ripening well in the sunshine from the window.

Yum. Looks like salsa.

Yum. Looks like salsa.

Readers, what do you think? Is the same sneaky creature responsible for both?

After you answer, take a trip over to Daphne’s Dandelions for more Harvest Monday posts.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Labor Day Harvest

Posted on by
3

I’m simmering pear sauce on the stove. I’m waiting for Amigo’s laundry to be done so I can help him fold his clothes (his awesome t-shirt collection, mainly). I’m considering logging into my school account to see if anyone needs help. Meanwhile, I shall share the odd harvest for the week.

It’s odd for its amounts. The beans were nearly done, so I pulled the vines and found a few holdouts. My peppers aren’t doing well this year, but I found a few.

A Handful of Peppers and Beans

A Handful of Peppers and Beans

You can see them on the side – the root crops. I learned from my root crops this year.

Lessons in growing root crops

Lessons in growing root crops

I found turnips too close together. Either my square-foot measurements were off, or I dropped more than one seed in a space.

Parsnips are not ready yet. In fact, I had a similar problem with the parsnips. Note to self: next spring, plant carefully.

I did learn about radishes last year; I learned that I shouldn’t plant as many radishes or I should stagger the planting time. Here’s the latest: just enough for a salad or two.

Radishes, grown in a wooden box

Radishes, grown in a wooden box

Well, fellow gardeners and aficionados of fresh vegetables, enjoy your Labor Day, courtesy of the early Labor Unions. Here’s to a good harvest, and a good week to come.

Head over to Daphne’s Dandelions to see more Monday harvests across the USA and abroad.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Harvest – and potential

Posted on by
3

I spent much of July discouraging the tomatoes by plucking the blossoms as I watered and weeded. I wanted the plants to get taller and stronger before they had to support heavy tomatoes. Then we had a dry stretch followed by a cool stretch. Therefore, not much ripened.

Last night I did what teachers do as we’re facing the first full week of teaching: I worked on getting my home in order. In this case, I picked what I could and looked longingly at what I couldn’t. Here’s a taste.

Not many beans or peppers.

Not many beans or peppers.

Parsley - it all became bunny food. She loved it.

Parsley – it all became bunny food. She loved it.

It's a jungle out there! carrots, parsnips, and turnips

It’s a jungle out there! carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Later.

And the tomatoes – the potential tomatoes.

Beefsteak, I believe.

Beefsteak, I believe.

Romas - they need to fill out a bit first.

Romas – they need to fill out a bit first.

Ooh! Ooh! This one is orange!

Ooh! Ooh! This one is orange!

And when the others are ready to pick, these will be just beginning.

And when the others are ready to pick, these will be just beginning.

For other harvests, go to Daphne’s Dandelions for Harvest Monday. Meanwhile, I’ll be at my desk and in meetings and setting up a book fair for tomorrow – tomorrow!? Where did the time go?

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Pantry Raids and School Starts

Posted on by
Reply

We do it every year on my first day of school – my first day with students. We call out for pizza. We’ve had that tradition for so long – how long? I don’t even remember. Maybe Amigo or La Petite can enlighten me.

But anyway, back to the first week of school. School starts for my students on Tuesday. That’s pizza, brought to my door fully cooked. The rest of the week, Monday included, will be raiding the pantry and the fridge. You see, friends and family and new readers, we didn’t feel the need (or the energy) to go to the grocery store this weekend. We picked up enough bunny food from the farmers’ market, brought home goodies from our Date Night dinner out, and we have any number of leftovers and basic foods in the refrigerator. Add to that the potential for fresh tomatoes any minute now and I think we’ll do quite well.

The freezers are stocked now, too. Asparagus, peas, beans, corn…and a few berries here and there, too, are always there for the taking – and the cooking. In fact, I had a percent off coupon on Italian sausage at the nearby meat market, and I let it expire. I already have at least one pound of Italian sausage in the freezer.

So the plan for the week is this: create something out of what’s already in the house each and every day except for Tuesday. No last minute grocery runs allowed unless we’re out of bunny food or milk for the cereal.

I think this will be fun.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Scavenger Daisy Returns – Encore

Posted on by
1

This is an encore from last fall – or was it autumn of 2013? I don’t remember. I’m still a scavenger, within reason. I did love the way the tomatoes and onions fell so perfectly into the crock pot and posed for the camera.

I’ve talked about curb-picking. I’m not a full time full strength make-the-rounds dumpster diver, but once in a while something turns up on a curb and calls my name.

I don’t like to waste leftovers. If the leftovers are food in my own refrigerator, they’re likely to become part of a pantry raid. If the leftovers are food sitting somewhere else, it’s harder.

One year in June I staked a claim for leftover tomatoes and onions after our big school picnic at the amusement park. Someone on staff has been pooped on by a gull the last two years running, and – but that’s not suitable for mealtime conversation. Sorry. The tomatoes and onions were clean.

I rescued the leftover tomatoes and onions that were originally destined to top sub sandwiches and brought them home. They slid nicely out of their trays and into my crock pot.

Soon to be Sauce!

Soon to be Sauce!

I added fresh oregano and simmered the lovely mix overnight. The next morning we had tomato sauce, made from scratch from scavenged leftovers. Three containers of sauce, in fact. That’s quite a pantry raid for the last day of school.

And now, with the school year beginning, who knows what kind of scavenging might occur? Readers, you’ll find out here.

Oh, readers? What kind of luck have you had scavenging, food or otherwise?

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Lettuce Lately?

Posted on by
6

It feels unusual, but I’m not complaining. I brought in another batch of lettuce yesterday.

Lots of Lettuce!

Lots of Lettuce!

This awkward looking pile of rhubarb yielded almost 5 cups when cleaned up and diced. I pulled enough out of the freezer to make rhubarb barbecue sauce. I predict we’ll see this sauce in the crock pot over a pork roast or whole chicken.

There's more here than you might think.

There’s more here than you might think.

And last, but never least, I cut back the basil, the basil, and the basil. I’ll hang these bunches in the attic to dry.

basil, basil, basil

basil, basil, basil

I start school tomorrow along with several hundred other teachers. I miss my time in the dirt, but it helps to know I have all these goodies stored away for later when I’ll need a little taste of summer.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

August Harvests

Posted on by
3

For most teachers, Back to School means stocking up on notebooks, pencils, and other supplies for their classrooms. I teach online, and I don’t stock up on computers (thank goodness!). Instead, August gets me into a Stock the Pantry and the Freezer type of frenzy.

Last Wednesday while I was simmering tomato sauce in two crock pots, I harvested lettuce again. It’s been a strange year for lettuce, but I’m not complaining.

Roughly 1 1/2 pound of lettuce, mostly Romaine and red leaf

Roughly 1 1/2 pound of lettuce, mostly Romaine and red leaf

I’ve made two batches of applesauce with tart cherries. This is delicious. I may never buy applesauce from a grocery store again.

Tomatoes are driving me nuts because they’re almost ready to pick. They’ve been “almost ready” for days now. I’m almost salivating with desire for that first taste!

Not much of a harvest here, but there will be more. To see other gardeners and their weekly harvest. go to Daphne’s Dandelions. I enjoy seeing gardens from elsewhere in the U.S. every Harvest Monday!

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Harvest and Market Prep

Status

2

Green beans and Google Docs – market produce to prep, tutorials to watch, and a Google Site to create. A teacher’s work is never done, so I multi-task.

Multi-tasking Mama!

Multi-tasking Mama!

Here’s part of the actual harvest:

1 lb beans

1 lb beans and a handful of peas

I also brought in a large bucket of lettuce, but I had it washed and dried and stored in the refrigerator before I thought to take a picture. The lettuce looks great; it’ll be a week full of salads!

Meanwhile, check in with Daphne’s Dandelions for more gardeners and their harvests.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Harvest Monday – beans

Posted on by
2

Beans! 3 pounds of beans. I started picking a few and then just kept on picking until the bowl was close to overflowing. I weighed it on my tiny kitchen scale and found my first official bean harvest to measure just over 3 lb.

Beans! All from my backyard kitchen garden!

Beans! All from my backyard kitchen garden!

As for other clutter in the picture, the tomatoes were “scratch and dent” at the farmers’ market, and I wanted to make a scratch tomato sauce. Perfect. The odd looking green thing next to the cutting board is a lettuce cutter.

Here's the lettuce.

Here’s the lettuce. 

This is from the market. There’s more outside, ripe for the picking – literally. I picked about a pound of various lettuces Saturday; I smell BLTs in our future.

For more Harvest Monday, visit Daphne’s Dandelions. She has all the links for a productive week in more ways than one.

Note: Voter’s Voice will take its place on Tuesdays from here on out while I post my harvests on Mondays. Tomorrow: get reacquainted with Grandma Daisy, my alter-ego from the future who reflects oh so well on the past.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Another Use for a Coat Hook

Posted on by
Reply

I might call it repurposing. Amigo just called it “lunch”. We had to run an errand in Green Bay, so we took our Fun Day Friday lunch to a wonderful family restaurant across the street from Lambeau Field. We admired the decor (lots of Packer history) and ordered good food (and we went easy on the trainee). Amigo enjoyed exploring our little booth, including the coat hooks on the side.

It's July. We didn't have coats.

It’s July. We didn’t have coats.

A hook is a good place for a white cane, too.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares