Brother Tom and sister Lisa arrived today to spend the weekend.
I spent the morning canning, and by the time they got here was totally wiped out. But I had new pickles, canned green beans, and blueberry confit to brighted next winter.
After the profligacy of the last week, tonight everything came together. A chicken stuffed with cilantro, lemon and onion slices went on the barbecue, accompanied by new potatoes sliced thin and sprinkled with butter, kosher salt, and rosemary, then wrapped in foil to steam.
The summer squash got a dose of cheese, cracker crumbs, fresh basil, and egg and went into the new electric oven to bake.
The fresh green beans got steamed, then tossed with butter.
We all ate more than we should have.
This is the first real dinner in which 90% or more of the food came from our garden, and it was truly wonderful. It’s always amazing how much different food from the garden tastes.
It tastes like food tasted when I was a child and has never tasted since.
Tomorrow will be another workday. Lisa promised to come only if I could keep her busy. I think she was a little taken aback when I began laughing hysterically. The leather gloves, pruners, and weeding tools are laid out for her.
Marianne's Virtual Salon 
August 4, 2007 at 6:22 am |
Congratulations on your first 90% from your garden dinner! And heres to many more! I agree that food from the garden is different and so much better.
I don’t blame you for writing about it. It sounds delicious. And you are canning and able to cook on a wood stove also. Those are pretty much lost arts.
Again, congratulations on your fine meal.
August 5, 2007 at 1:09 am |
Oh, summer, it’s so glorious!
Our berry bramble is bursting so juicily forth we made turnovers and I brought them in to work; the tomato cages have turned jungleous.
I suppose some of the point of the rest of the year is to make us appreciate the delicious abundance of late summer.
August 5, 2007 at 3:01 am |
Jolynna, we’re wallowing in surplus tight now. I’m giving away at lot, but it’s very hard to eat that fast.
As to the lost arts–I like knowing how to do things. Tomorrow I’ll be canning apples so we can have summer in the middle of winter.
August 5, 2007 at 3:02 am |
Ben, your turnovers sound terrific.
I agree about the condition of the tomato cages. Mine aren’t staked yet, and there are a couple of them that are teetering.
The purpose of preserving the summer’s harvest is definitely to remind you why it’s worth putting in all that work in spring. . .
August 8, 2007 at 7:28 am |
I could almost smell the fabulous garden fresh flavours of your meal. It’s really great to know others enjoy preserving the fruits of their garden labours. Ripe home-grown quinces was a signal for my late mother-in-law to visit and help me bottle that all the aromatic fruit. She always made her big time favourite Quince tart and served it with a dollop of whippped cream.
August 9, 2007 at 4:14 am |
Jenny, there’s no doubt that a garden is a great joy, accompanied of course, by aches and pains, frustrations and bugs, but when you pick its fruits, still a great joy.
I took some produce to town a couple of days ago to a friend who has no garden. I included several bunches of basil, which I have in abundance. My truck smelled so wonderful I was reluctant to get out of it.
August 11, 2007 at 7:45 am |
You have been given an award.
Tag you’re it!
The scientifically impossible I do right away
The spiritually miraculous takes a bit longer
August 11, 2007 at 9:24 pm |
I’m not gay, but I am mysteriously intrigued.
August 13, 2007 at 12:35 am |
ClapSo, I’m so flattered. I’ll respond very shortly with my five picks, but I need to think about it.
August 13, 2007 at 12:36 am |
David, I have no idea what being gay or not has to do with dinner, but if I had a clue what was intriguing I could respond better.
August 16, 2007 at 2:13 am |
That must have been an amazing meal.