tomato harvest

This was today's haul of tomatoes: October 11, 2012.  Tomorrow the rain is supposed to begin.  Will it be our last harvest, I wonder?

busy summertime

Lately I've noticed something.  As summer is ending, when I chat with  people about it has gone for them they talk about how busy it was.  Lots of activities and gatherings.  Go, go, go.  It always strikes me as slightly odd, because the main reason my summer was busy had to do with me standing in my kitchen and chopping things.

Don't misunderstand: we took outings.  We traveled the central and western United States for three weeks in our Suburban.  We've had gatherings with friends.  We went swimming.  We did stuff - although I think we probably did less of that stuff than a lot of people took on.  Because, let's face it: I am a homebody.  A homebody and an introvert, which is not really the most exciting combination.  Still, I kept my self busy...

I blanched beans and roasted tomatoes.  I froze and bagged berries.  I made jam.  And rendered tallow.  And made some more jam.   Then I prayed for more tomatoes.  

So...I think it's safe to say that I kept pretty busy - even beyond the regular stuff like school and laundry and diaper changing.

Was it worth it?  I suppose that's a matter of opinion.  I know that for me, it's important to do what I can to preserve the harvest, to use what I can now and save some for cold weather.  It's important to make use of fresh, organic goods, of healthy, clean animal fats, and of my freezer space.  It is very satisfying to pull out summer goods in the middle of winter, to taste those gorgeous summer tomatoes, the sweetness of summer berries.  It's good to know I'm providing for my family with my own two hands - even if my feet do get tired sometimes.  I want to seize the opportunities I've been given at every chance.

For me, it is worth it.  The work of my hands is rewarding in its own way, and it does my heart good to know I've done what I could.

my sweet addiction

I have a tiny little problem.

I'm pretty sure that I can stop whenever I want to.  But the thing is, I'm not sure that I want to.

Stop, that is.  I'm absolutely sure that I want to jam.

Is it proper to use "jam" as a verb?  I'm not sure.  Usually I care, but not in this case.  Right now, I've thrown caution to the wind.  Grammar rules be scorned.

I am hooked on jamming.  Or jam-making, if you prefer.

Strawberry jam.  Raspberry jam.  Marionberry jam.

Sweet and summery.

Soon there will be blackberries to jam, too.

Frankly, I cannot wait.  

Jam, jam, jam, jam, jam.  

All through the year, on cold rainy days...let us eat jam.

(If you're curious, the recipe I use for honey-sweetened freezer jam is HERE.)

a seasonal jackpot

summer squash, zucchini

I was hugely bummed to miss the first three weeks of the season for the CSA (Community  Supported Agriculture) baskets we purchase in summer.  As it turned out, the very first one was to be delivered on the day we drove out of town.  What timing!  My neighbor kindly offered to receive them and reimburse us for the produce - part of the arrangement of the CSA program is that the consumer commits to buying from the farmer for the growing season.  I hated the idea of paying for three weeks' worth of produce we'd never see, and I also hated the idea of asking for a refund for those three weeks.  This program is built to support the local farmer; that's one of the many reasons I love getting seasonal produce in this way.

kohlrabi

Well, we got home on Saturday and I discovered that my neighbor had sweetly put the perishable vegetables away in my kitchen.  When I poked around to see what there was, I was amazed at the quantity!  Three weeks in, and we are rolling in produce.  Let me take you on a little tour of my refrigerator's crisper, if I may...

beets

green onions
cauliflower
kohlrabi
beets
lettuce
cucumbers
red chard
green chard
English peas
snap peas
carrots
cabbage
zucchini
yellow summer squash

cucumbers

Did I score, or what?!

using summer strawberries

Here in the Pacific northwest, it is strawberry time!  Oregonians are proud of their berries, particularly the petite, oh-so-sweet Hood variety.  In this town and in my home there is much rejoicing when the strawberries "come in."  We've been enjoying our first flat of strawberries very much, and in light of that I thought I'd share my favorite ways to use these stunning little gems - aside from simply eating them, that is!

Popsicles
1 cup berries
1 banana
1 cup whole plain yogurt OR kefir
1/2 cup raw honey

Blend well to combine, pour into molds and freeze.  Enjoy on a warm summer afternoon!

Smoothies
Here's my little secret: to make smoothies, I simply mix up the popsicle recipe above.  Pour into cups and serve.  Easy and convenient if you don't have time to wait.

Shh...don't tell my kids.

Jam
One of the most versatile ways to use summer strawberries is in freezer jam.  For several years now, I've been using this recipe from Kimi at The Nourishing Gourmet.  Using a product called Pomona's Pectin, it's happily possible to use only honey to sweeten your jam!  Long time readers of this blog will know that I really dig honey-sweetened stuff.  My family loves having a stash of freezer jam in supply; it's so refreshing to have that taste of summer all year long.

Kombucha
I mentioned in my post on How To Make Kombucha, I mentioned that I often flavor our kombucha (during a second ferment) with fruit.  During the summer -and while our supply of frozen fruit holds out- I use berries.  My very favorite berry for kombucha?  Strawberry.  So sweet, yet tangy and fizzy...and bright red. It doesn't get much more festive than that, if you ask me.



There you have it, my favorite ways to use summer strawberries.  Of course, the possibilities are pretty much endless, but that's how we do it at my house.  Happy end of June to you!

autumn gush

I love autumn.

I know it's not technically here yet, and even if one were to go by "school has started, it's autumn"... the weather is pretty warm still. But in spite of all that, there's a nip in the air, and...well, after all, it is September. So I'm going to officially embrace autumn's arrival, come what may.

Today I changed the bedding in the master bedroom. It's become a bit of a ceremonial thing with me; I change the bedspread & sheets every autumn and every spring. The spring/summer bedding is cream, blue, and mauve (including a beautiful quilt that Jeff's mom and grandmother made as a wedding present), and the autumn/winter bedding is a warm brown & deep brick red. It always makes me feel so happy to make the seasonal bedding change...it feels like I am ringing in the new part of the year in my own little way.

I can't help it, I just love autumn. I love the crisp morning air, the sunny days (well, while they last) and the smell of dried leaves. I love the other smells of autumn, too: pumpkin, spiced apple... I love the colors of autumn: the warm reds, oranges, browns, yellows, and even grays & blacks. I love the clothes of autumn: my beloved corduroy pants, my cozy sweaters. Getting out my clothes when the weather gets cooler is a bit like getting reacquainted with some old, dear friends.

All this said, I may be singing a different tune come November, when the rain starts in (and doesn't relent for four or five months). But for now, I am going to enjoy this beautiful Oregon autumn while I can. It is truly my favorite time of year.