Uploads from helloyarn, tagged garden

Oh, Salsa

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 11:16:22 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

I've been making this forever and I'm pretty sure it's the best fresh salsa I've ever had.

*recipe*
3 garlic cloves
1 sweet onion
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 tomatoes, seeded, more finely chopped than the others
1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped, some stems okay
1/4 cup yummy vinegar of choice (I like white wine)
1/2 can tomato paste
Salt & pepper to taste
I don't add hot peppers, because this is plenty zippy as is, but you certainly can!

This can all be chopped by hand, but I think it's much better to do it in a food processor. The flavors really mix but you still get the chunks of tomato. For this recipe, I used big tomatoes for the background and pretty-colored cherries for the ones added later.

Chop the garlic in the food processor. Add the onion and the roughly chopped tomato and process until very finely chopped. Add the vinegar and tomato paste and blend a bit, then add the cilantro and finely chopped tomatoes. Pulse just to blend. Salt and pepper to taste.

This isn't a canning recipe and it doesn't matter. I eat the whole recipe by myself in a frighteningly short period of time. I think the smell was coming out of my pores when I woke up this morning.

We grew some of the tomatoes and picked the rest at our CSA farm. Cheryl provided the amazing garlic, that sweetheart.

Lavender Bitters

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 07:57:35 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

*recipe*

This is great! I'm enjoying a few drops in some soda water right now.

I'm so glad I grew and dried lavender as this used a lot.

Egyptian Walking Onion vs. Pippa

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 14:00:20 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

A size comparison everyone can understand!

The bulblets are up by Pippa, at the end of the stalk.

Finally

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:10:26 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

A plan comes together. Burrata, tomatoes and basil (just picked). Maryse brought me the fantastic salt from France.

That was the end of the good balsamic! Emergency!

Tomato Jam

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 08:55:19 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

12 lbs. of tomatoes and a lot of sugar and chiles. Aw, yeah.

Jammy Jam Jam

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 08:50:41 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

Tomato jam with balsamic and hot peppers (recipe), Blueberry, Lemon and Chile Jam (recipe), and Raspberry with Mint and Lavender, from Canning for a New Generation.

I grew the blueberries and raspberries, and Cheryl, my friend Joanie, and I grew the tomatoes.

I wish we could grow lemons!

Tomato Season!

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:04:31 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

I'm having my tomatoes fried, today. I play this game with myself every year in which I want to eat all the green tomatoes so badly but I make myself wait until I'm sure there are going to be enough ripe ones to make us happy.

I'm having these with red pepper jelly I made, and a baguette from Mike and Randy, our amazing baking neighbors.

Lunch

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 11:00:14 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

I'm still crazy for plums. The salsa is just a couple of plums, some jalapeno, lime juice, and Egyptian walking onion bulblets, minced. It's a taste sensation with my tiny cheese quesadillas.

Husk Cherries

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 05:43:11 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

Our husk cherry plants have been really kicking in over the last week. We collected them over the last few days and I spent a couple of hours last night watching Midsomer Murders (THE ACTING!) and taking them out of their little papery husks.

Today, jam. This is 4 quarts of fruit, measured after husking.

New Pal

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:58:58 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

Mr. HelloYarn came home from a walk with Pippa carrying a new pal for the gnome that Amy made me. Who throws away a psychotic-looking gnome with a wheelbarrow full of flesh-colored daisies? I MEAN COME ON.

Grilled Cheese with Tomato Jam

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:24:02 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

I made some fantastic tomato jam last night. My starting point was the first recipe on this page. I've made this recipe a few times, messing around with the ingredients a little, and it's always so good. This time, I used balsamic vinegar, jalapeno peppers, light brown sugar, and lemon juice. The tomatoes were a mix of big heirlooms and cherry tomatoes from the garden. It's deep, dark, spiced, and delicious.

I get about a half pint from every lb. of tomatoes. This was a 5 lb. batch, which I wouldn't recommend doing unless you have a giant, shallow pan.

I totally copied Sarah with the sandwich photo. My sandwich is sourdough, Gruyere, and the jam.

Cherokee Purple?

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:04:51 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

I'm thinking you are right, Eunice and Nikol. It looks like one on the inside.

Cucumber Problem

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:38:36 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

Yikes. This is what happens when you go on a trip during the busy garden season. Neighbors take you up on the offer of pick-your-own tomatoes. Cucumbers, not so much.

A Nice Specimen

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:16:02 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

We experimented with picking these lemon cucumbers at different stages of development, trying to find some that didn't have so many seeds. They're all super seedy, though, so we are letting them get nice and big and yellow.

Lemon Cucumbers

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:08:30 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

It's relish day!

This is the best cucumber relish I've ever had, so if you like relish or just happen to have a bunch of cucumbers, you should totally make it.

Whitney Crabapple Harvest

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 07:28:50 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

Our little tree produced 10 lovely crabapples this year. I'm sure it would have produced many more if it hadn't been pouring rain during most of its flowering.

Whitneys are big crabapples, good for jelly and eating out of hand. They're delicious!

Dinner

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:37:22 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

That's our first big tomato. HOORAY! We will have caprese salad with that awesome burrata, and grilled summer squash/zucchini.

Before the Pickling

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:07:21 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

We grew enough jalapenos for me to pickle a (little) jar. The summer isn't over, either! There could be more! This is exciting because I never seem to grow peppers very well.

The cucumbers are growing like crazy, so I'm pickling them, too. The round slices will be especially nice on burgers, I think.

I'm using the same recipe as for these, which I think is my favorite.

Garden-y

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:44:20 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

Now is the time of year when I just want to make food from the garden.

I am loving farmer cheese mixed with herbs, salt and pepper, and a little balsamic vinegar. We've been eating it on bread with tomatoes.

The salad is lemon cukes, onion, and sweetened rice vinegar.

YUM.

Fermented Pickles

nobody@flickr.com (helloyarn) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:09:25 -0700

helloyarn posted a photo:

I used whole lemon cucumbers this year, garlic that we grew, and a commercial pickling spice. These will be full sours. Recipe here.