Next step

So next I used the cut rosemary as a rack for my roast. It is now cooking in the oven and I smell the heavenly rosemary.


It is cooking for four hours. Then will be used tomorrow. Now I have moved on to using some of the basil. So I am making Roasted Tomato Soup. I have cut a variety of Tomatoes into quarters and added 6 smashed garlic cloves, a large shallot sliced and then sea salt and pepper and then some olive oil. I am roasting all of this for about 30 minutes.


Flash forward to Sunday. The soup is ready !!! It is great.

21/2 pounds fresh tomatoes
6 clove garlics, peeled
2 small yellow onions sliced
1/2 cup Extra-Virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper freshly ground.
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup heavy cream.

Wash and core the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic, and onions onto the baking sheet . Drizzle with 1/2 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes.

Transfer the tomatoes and opinions to a stock pot.Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by a third

Wash and dry basil leaves and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to purée until smooth. return to low heat and add cream and chicken broth until desired consistency.Garnish with salt and pepper.

This soup is delicious. And best thing I used a bunch of tomatoes.

Saturday

So I have a long list of things to accomplish to today. I have to take a deep breathe and accomplish things one by one.

So I have unloads the jeep from last nights talk. I have taken the spent herbs to the compost pile. Then actually looked at what I had and journeyed to the store.

Last year I did not make enough Opal Basil Vinegar. So task number 1. I used all the dark basil I had taken to the talk and I am making Opal Basil Vinegar. I brought a jug of white vinegar up to a boil, but not to boiling. Then I stuffed the plastic container full of opal basil and then add the hot vinegar. I capped it and will let it sit for about 6 weeks. Then I will strain and put into decorative bottles with a beautiful seed head in the bottle

This makes an amazing vinegar.


This is a great recipe I use this vinegar in.

Broccoli and cauliflower salad

1 head cauliflower
1 bunch broccoli
2 stalks celery cut into small pieces
1 cup sugar
2 TBLS poppy seeds
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried mustard
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 cup opal basil vinegar
1 1/4 cup oil

Break vegetables into bites size pieces. Add celery. mix together all the rest of the ingredients and add to the veggies. refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Then ENJOY.

AFTERMATH

Last night I gave a speech on herbs to 300 ladies. It was great fun but it has been a long week. I had a very important article due wed. Then this talk. So today I am dealing with the aftermath of all the herbs I picked to take to the speech.









I have some good ideas. But I never know what I will end up doing. Thanks to all who came to this neat event.

Limestone, the John Deere dealership puts this on every year. They had rides and drive on tractors and gators, free food, prizes, vendors, and me. Kentucky Gardener had sent me magazines to hand out and I had lots of handouts as well. It was great fun. Thanks to all who came to hear me talk about my passion. Herbs.

Stay tuned to hear what happens to all these harvests herbs.

Tomatoes tomatoes.

Wow. We picked tomatoes just last Saturday. So look at today. I have just finished writing an article for Kentucky Gardener that will be in 7 states. It is on Potager Gardens. My favorite garden it is a wonderful mix of herbs, veggies, flowers and fruits. I am exhausted but I need to gear up for my talk on Friday. Thanks to my husband for helping me with his article. I have taken time to make him a low carb blackberry cobbler. I used Coconut flour. I will let you know. Now I need to deal with the tomatoes. Any suggestions.

Salsa from the Great Tomatoes.

I have had several people ask me for my recipe for the salsa I have been preserving.
So here it is but beware.....when I was working on this the water boiled over and I have ended up with bad burns on my tummy.

The salsa is great. So I guess I have to say no pain no gain.

Chunky Homemade Salsa

8 lbs ripe tomatoes
2 cups seeded and chopped fresh Anaheim chile peppers
1/2 cup seeded and chopped fresh jalapeño or Serrano peppers(2 large)
2 cups chopped onions (2 large)
1/2 cup snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup tomato paste
5 clove garlics, minced
1 t salt
1 t cumin seeds toasted and crushed
1 t ground black pepper

Wash and peel tomatoes. Then coarsely chop the tomatoes, let them sit in a colander for 30 minutes then transfer to a good pan and let it simmer for for about 90 minutes.

Add Chile peppers, onions, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, tomato paste, garlic salt, cumin seeds, and black pepper. return mixture to boiling , reduce heat Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Ladle hot salsa into hot, sterilized pint canning jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace

Process filled jars Ina boiling water canner for 15 minutes

Any remaining salsa can be saved in an airtight container for a week.

ENJOY.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Wedgewood Dr,Shelbyville,United States

My tomatoes

I love my tomatoes. I have Heirloom, many varieties. Great to walk out and add these to the menu for tonight. A little salt, some vingerete, some fresh mozzarella cheese and we are good to go.




Yummy. More yummy with cheese.


It was delicious.

Rose Care

Today is a muggy drippy sort of day. So I am going to work as I can on my roses in the Potager Garden. They hate this rainy damp weather so it is a good day to give them some love.
These poor guys have to say the least been completely ignored. Since the majority of them "David Austin Roses" They have been able to hang in there.





They have Lots of black spot. so I maybe cutting them down to the barebones. I love Roses, my mom always gave me Rose Bushes for my birthday. So in spite of the lack of time I have to properly care for them, I will always have them in my garden.

I have noticed some disease, so I clipped that away and then promptly cleaned my clippers.

I also plant companion plants near these guys to hopefully help them as well, marigolds are ones that seem to be beneficial.


I believe doing this now will give me some great blooms and healthier plants in the fall. Stay tuned!!

Chinese Long Beans, Yard Long Beans, Asparagus Beans or Snake Beans

This is the second year I have grown these interesting Beans.  They are easy and very prolific in my Potager Garden. I originally started growing them just for the interest factor, but after seeing them for sell in the Athens GA Farmers Market, I decided that I needed to do some culinary experimentation with them. I really hate not using any produce that I grow so I am now on a mission to find some good recipes for this bean!

Here are such a few facts about this fun veggie:

*It can measure from 1 to 3 feet long but is best eaten when they are 12 to 20 inches long

*This bean has a soft texture that is flexible not as crisp as the western green bean

*Focus on the young beans, the older yellowing beans are not really tasty

This is a way I used them that was very successful.

Beef and Asparagus  Bundles

16 asparagus spears
2 heads Bibb lettuce leaves separated
1 (4-oz) packaged garlic and herb spreadable cheese
8 thin slices deli roast beef, halved
1 red bell pepper, cut into 16 strips
8 yard long green beans

Snap off and discard tough ends of the asparagus and cut into 4 inch pieces. Cook in boiling water until crisp and then plunge into cold water and stop the cooking process.  Drain and pat dry

On each lettuce leaf spread a strip of the herb cheese. Then put one piece of the roast beef, the a couple of the asparagus spears,  and the green pepper strip. Wrap each bundle up and tie with a steamed long bean.

They were delicious...as an appetizer or salad or main dish...this is delicious!!!

Nothing better than Family

Family is the most important thing to us. We were so lucky to have my 94 year old Mom, my sister with her new beloved son and our son with his two wonderful kids. Life does not get much better than this.....

All the food was fresh from the garden. But the love was fresh from the heart. Recipes to come.....