Buckle Up...September is here.

Dang....denial didnt work again!  I try an pretend that September and the hurry up season isnt coming but here we are. Today was another one of those days where all my plans to get 1,000,000 things done didnt happen. My idea was that while the chicken was barbecuing outside and the potatoes were boiling inside, somehow I could start waxing pots for another firing before Friday.

As I was running in and out of the house and up and down to the garage, I suddenly just stopped and said it aint gonna happen. Usually I dont like to give in, and usually crash and burn before giving in, but today I just put the pots away, moved the glazes back into the garage, and focussed on making and enjoying dinner with my little person. I am trying to stop running with the multi tasking fantasy that I can do 10 things at a time and do them well. My mother had a lot of old adages, and one of the best was - A job worth doing, is worth doing well. 

Over the next three months of working, gardening, parenting, soccer schlepping, potting, and volunteer work, I pledge not to be a crazy lady, and to enjoy the blessings of my busy life.  The season of harvest and gathering is here, 

here is a selection of baskets for physical or metaphysical gathering.

Tomato harvest around the corner

tomatoes at my house are numerous, just really green.  Perhaps this is the year where I should try fried green tomatoes.  Hoping they continue to produce through September , I have many plans for them.

One of the tough things about gardening is the timing piece I find.  How do you know how long it will take for fruits and veg to be ready for picking?? It seems like mid August is always crazy with cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes and other things and there is no time to enjoy it all.  You just find room in the freezer or steam up the kitchen with the canner until it feels like the amazon rain forest and smells like a vinegar factory.

I am going to do my best to pick out five or so recipes to stick to, marinara sauce, a chutney, dry some of the tomatoes and keep them in olive oil, and make lots of yummy zucchini chocolate cakes and fritters.

What will you be doing with your harvest???

Tuesday a great day for a new recipe using that wonderful spring Rhubarb

Harvested the first rhubarb of the season on the weekend, and need to use up what I havent frozen.

Sounds like time to offer a recipe, that isnt one that has been seen a million times before. I like this one from Epicure magazine, chicken with a rhubarb salsa, yum!

Spicy Chicken Thighs with Rhubarb-Cucumber Salsa 4

 

Ingredients

• 1 habanero, Scotch bonnet, or Thai chile, with seeds, stemmed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts divided
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 large skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups 1/4" cubes rhubarb
• 1 cup 1/4" cubes unpeeled seeded English hothouse cucumber
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 500°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Pulse chile, garlic, and white parts of scallions in a food processor until finely chopped. With machine running, drizzle in soy sauce, then olive oil; process until emulsion forms. Transfer sauce to a bowl.

Place chicken thighs, skin side up, on a work surface and slash each crosswise at 3/4" intervals down to the bone. Season lightly with salt. Place on prepared baking sheet and brush with sauce. Bake until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, 20-25 minutes. Broil on high for an additonal 2-3 minutes for crisper skin, if desired. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss rhubarb, next 5 ingredients, and green parts of scallions in a medium bowl to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let stand for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Serve chicken with rhubarb salsa alongside.

That fine farmer feeling!

turning orange, but still has a way to go!

The butternut squash is a wonderful big size but needs time too!

Patty pan, flying saucer squashes in yellows and greens should be perfect next Saturday!

 

 

Today in the heat I managed to harvest some of those ground cherries, more tomatoes, looked at all the zucchinis and squashes that will go to Many Fest next week, the flying suacer are soo beautiful.

Local Fall Fun and a Delicious Apple Sauce Cake

Applesauce Cake
Ingredients


1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons cloves

2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups raisins

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Directions

1.Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat well. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Remove 1/2 cup of flour mixture and stir into nuts and raisins. Set both aside. Alternately stir flour mixture and applesauce into creamed mixture. Mix well. Add nuts and raisins; stir to blend. Pour batter into greased and floured bundt cake pan. bake at 350 degrees F for 65-75 minutes, or until cake tests done when wooden pick is inserted near center. Cool in pan 10 minutes; turn out on rack to complete cooling.