I've been neglecting writing because I seem to be spending too much time with my own harvest and (literal) gleanings. As long as I have the oven on to bake zucchini muffins, I might as well roast the excess grape tomatoes for the freezer - that kind of thing.
I've also made muffins with the first pumpkin and grated some zucchini for the freezer, for more muffins later. And frozen some single portions of marinara and giardiniera sauce.
And as long as I have enough green tomatoes and a donation of some backyard pears, why not say yes to an ad for free apples? So tomorrow I can make and can green tomato mincemeat.
But I might have to make applesauce, too - there are so many. They are a beautiful variety - pink pearl (no, no - not erasers, apples) and would make beautiful sauce - or a galette or kuchen.
And with the apples came some tomatillos - and the poor woman was so tired of canning, I could not say no, take them home! No more produce! So instead of sitting with my knitting and watching a ballgame this evening, I made a small batch of salsa verde.
The apples also came with a copy of a recipe for zucchini relish. Frankly, I don't eat much relish - but I suppose it could be a novelty for the fantasy league reunion next winter. But as long as I can find anybody to take zucchini and crooknecks - still producing like their lives depended on it - and, of course, they do (since summer squash are harvested immature, they keep making new ones in pursuit of seeding the next generation) - I think I will keep giving them away.
One of the wonderful things about the garden project is the happy responses of people to whom I give extra produce. I don't know which is more edifying - to look at a colorful basket of tomatoes you grew yourself, or to see the happy smiles of people with whom you share them.
But really plants - time to slow down, and relax into fall, so I can get out of the kitchen in the evenings before the 10:45 weather report. I do want to extend the harvest, with local food put by to enrich winter meals. But I don't want to be building bigger barns.
2 comments:
How about sharing your recipe for zucchini relish? Perhaps some one else in the fantasy baseball league (that would be me) would like to try making some relish. I'd like to taste some on the popcorn salad appetiser at the winter dinner. Susan
Well, the recipe isn't really mine. It's a xerox from a cookbook, handed on to me by Mercedes, the pink pearl apple lady. No clues that would enable me to track down the author and give a credit and I've never made this recipe - so I am reluctant to reproduce it here. The one time I did try zucchini relish it turned out squishy rather than crispy like good sweet pickle relish, which it aims to ape. Maybe I'll break down and try a small batch. But then I will feel the need to make homemade mustard, too - added to My Famous Kethchup -the only fantasy league with 100% homemade condiments.
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