FauxPas

Maybe try again. There are two numbers listed for Customer Service. 🙂 1 (866) 290-1851 may be the number you tried. When I tried calling it using Google Voice, the call just didn't complete. No answer, no message - just kept trying to dial. However, 1- 888-506-9580 answered (with an automated system) when I called. This number is listed on the website FAQ page.

We were talking about how to use garlic scapes on the Farmers' Market thread and I decided it was time I pickled some. I love pesto and usually use up my scapes that way, but I ended up with extras this week and thought I would try some quick fridge pickles. Basically used Marisa McClellan's recipe at Serious Eats (also in her book, Preserving by the PInt (eG-friendly Amazon.com link), which I happen to have), but used a Thai chili pepper instead of pepper flakes and some fresh dill in place of seeds. And I added a really tiny bit of sugar. I just made one jar. Added dill and chili to jar, then poured hot vinegar brine over and will keep in fridge for a week or two before sampling. Also made a very small batch of raspberry-strawberry jam. Probably about 3 parts raspberries to 1 part strawberry with some lemon zest, lemon juice and 1 part sugar. A tiny bit of Grand Marnier. Cooked until thickened to spreading consistency and will store it in the fridge. I usually make a raspberry-only jam, but the addition of some strawberries was really tasty in this case. I think I'll keep doing that, if I have them both on hand. Speaking of Marisa and her recipes, she has a website called Food in Jars as well as a few books on canning and preserving.

I just now made a small batch of refrigerator pickled scapes. Basically used the Marisa McClellan (Serious Eats) recipe but used a bit of fresh dill in place of dill seeds and added a Thai chili pepper and a tiny bit of sugar. Loaded the jar with scapes, dill and pepper and poured hot vinegar brine over. Will leave in fridge for a week or two before sampling. I have a couple of preserving books by Marisa, some good recipes in them.

I posted this recipe in the Dinner thread for a salad dressing using green garlic a while back, but I'm sure you could use garlic scapes as well. Green Garlic Salad Dressing 3 stalks green garlic (white and green parts) chopped 1/2 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon mustard (I use The Mustard Lady’s honey garlic mustard) 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste *Blend until dressing is smooth and emulsified (like a smoothy). Refrigerate. Drizzle green garlic dressing on anything to add a sweet, intense garlic flavor. From salads to pasta, to bruschetta and roasted vegetables.

I'm not @Smithyand I'd also like to know how she used her scapes, but I often make a pesto with them - cut the scapes up a bit, add olive oil and then I use my immersion blender to blend. Add basil (if you wish, I usually do), nuts (I use walnuts these days as pine nuts are getting so pricey) and grated Parm cheese and continue to blend. Add a splash of lemon juice if you like and I usually add a bit of salt. Freezes well. I've been getting a lot of scapes in my CSA boxes this year and even after freezing a couple of batches of pesto, I still have scapes to spare. I might try pickling them similar to this recipe at Serious Eats. I like dilly beans and this is similar. I've always been told to use the scapes anywhere you might like a bit of garlic flavour - sautéed with greens, etc.

yeah, I'd like to know also. Peas on the right side there along with what looks like beans. But beans should be a lot further along than that unless they had something else growing there first. It was a really late season here because we had an unusually cool Spring and a lot of rain, but that garden was still producing quite early. It's active through Spring, Summer and Fall so they definitely do succession planting. I can't really identify what some of the plants are. Sorry! I would have expected tomatoes, but I think they have a separate bed for them.

Just repackage them into your usual freezer bags when he's not nearby and tell him you skinned and boned them, if he asks. He probably won't ask. 🙂

There's a garden that I drive by quite often and it just amazes me. Year after year, there is a perfectly organized bed there with militarily precise planting lines. I wonder if they even have to weed, as the weeds are likely too scared to make an appearance. These photos don't even do it justice. They have another section also. It's tricky to get a good photo as it's along a narrow rural road with nowhere to pull over. I have never have a garden like this one. My gardens tended to be somewhat chaotic and over-planted. 🙂

@Shelby, how are your tomatoes coming along? Will you be doing the usual canning (whole, I think) with them? I was just reading about making sauce from the skins/cores. I'm sure someone has talked about this here but this is new to me. I hadn't thought of making sauce from the 'waste' bits. http://nwedible.com/stop-throwing-away-free-tomato-sauce-making-sauce-from-tomato-skin/

I never get tired of seeing these processes! Will you show us your taste test in 2 weeks? 🙂

Don Guerra of Barrio Bread has won a James Beard award for "Outstanding Baker." This is really lovely news. He's contributed a lot to the Tucson food scene. It was fun to see him on the finale of Top Chef! https://tucsonfoodie.com/2022/06/13/don-guerra-wins-james-beard-award/ That said, big congratulations to Don Guerra — the sweetest, most hardworking, and generous man to grace Tucson’s landscape with some of the most talented chefs, bakers, and producers this city has to offer the rest of the world. His bread is just one aspect of that award. His heart is the other 99 percent. That reason alone is why that award means so much to us and for him, we would assume.

You've made @Shelby's day, I suspect. 😄

That is so beautiful to look at! And I bet it was delightful to sop up with bread. Wow.

Amazon has recently dropped MOBI (for new transfers) and added some ePub support (with more to come). I think AZW is now the preferred format for Kindle, especially Kindle Paperwhite. https://ebookfriendly.com/mobi-file-kindle-things-to-know/ https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2022/05/03/amazon-dropping-mobi-support-on-send-to-kindle-apps/

I was thinking of subscribing to David Lebovitz's blog/newsletter but it seemed uncertain. $50/year US and you don't really know what you are going to get. Would you recommend it? I could potentially buy a couple of books for that price and get to keep them. The price seemed a bit high to me, but maybe there's more there than I think. I get his free newsletter and it seems a bit sparse. Edited to add: I did buy his book about his earlier apartment and renos, so it's not that I'm not interested. It's just that I would be paying 2 to 3 times what I did for that book just to get maybe a few stories about his new apartment?

wow, that is a lot of water. I hope your plants are mostly ok. What does your forecast look like?

I'm pretty sure you could make a nice dressing with the ramps. I don't know when I've had ramps, they aren't native to this region! Maybe taste and add a bit of garlic to the dressing as well, if needed.

We have a similar approach to Strip Loin steaks - one very large ideally or two smaller ones. Grilled the first night and then leftovers are often used to make fajitas the next day. I sauté the onions, peppers and garlic and then add the leftover meat slices in at the end, just to barely heat through. We've been starting dinner this week with simple salads. Our local farms are behind because it's been an unusually cool Spring, but we can get some greens and early veggies and we have greenhouse-assisted tomatoes and cukes. And Spring garlic right now! I used to wait until scapes were available but the inmature/green garlic is so good and makes a wonderful dressing. I was also going to make pesto with some tonight but strangely have no walnuts/pine nuts or similar in the pantry. Tomorrow! Shannon at the local Shamrock Farm gave me permission to share her Green Garlic Dressing, which we adore! In her words: Green Garlic It’s one of those crops we eagerly anticipate every spring. A vegetable you’ll seldom, if ever, find at a grocery store. Green garlic is in season. Green garlic is young, uncured, not fully formed bulb garlic. The raw flavor is sweeter and less intense then regular bulb garlic. They’re similar to wild ramps but with a delicious sweet, garlicky flavour. Green Garlic Salad Dressing 3 stalks green garlic (white and green parts) chopped 1/2 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon mustard (I use The Mustard Lady’s honey garlic mustard) 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste *Blend until dressing is smooth and emulsified (like a smoothy). Refrigerate. Drizzle green garlic dressing on anything to add a sweet, intense garlic flavor. From salads to pasta, to bruschetta and roasted vegetables. Farmer Mike describes it as “a garlic smoothy”. It’s not a smoothy per say but it is the most amazing garlic dressing you will ever taste. Promise. *********************** Here's last night's super-simple salad, Green Garlic Dressing ready to pour. I used a regular Dijon mustard, The Mustard Lady is another local provider who sells at a storefront and at the farmers' market.

Stunning! Are you willing to share any of your pruning/deadheading/fertilizing etc tips?

You are Ronnie worked very hard and will have so much lovely produce to show for your efforts. I hope you'll keep us updated with photos! I love seeing your garden pickings!

Remind me to store my excess wooster sauce in zipped baggies with bubble wrap surround. 🤔 😀 Edited to add: Maybe my hot sauces also. 😄

yes!

I love reading these travelogues! It's so much fun to feel the flavour of the locale through photos and descriptions. Thank you!! 🙂

Hahahaha. That is one thing I am always obsessing over - trying to keep the countertops clear so that when I do want to make a proper old mess, I have the space to do it and don't have to waste any time moving stuff around! I like having a fairly big prep area and since this kitchen is not that big to begin with, I like to try and keep it fairly clear. 🙂 For any one else doing kitchen or home renos now (or in the past couple of years), have you had issues with supply chains and seen prices on some things rise exponentially? We were thinking of getting all new baseboards throughout the house until we saw the crazy price increases. It's less to pay a finishing carpenter to fill in the gaps around the house (due to removal of electric baseboard heaters, etc) with the baseboards from our small bedroom and then use a similar baseboard in that bedroom. We weren't able to match the baseboards exactly, so had to think creatively. And same with the trim around the pantries and the window - it's almost the same, but not exact. Though close enough in both cases that I doubt anyone will notice as long as they aren't immediately side by side. And once our painter is done, they should look great. I shopped around a bit for fridges that I liked and most have a delivery date of 3 to 6 months. Wowza. I can't remember if I said that we sold our old cabinets (which weren't really all that old, 15 years) and now I kinda wish we had kept some for our garage. But our friends are making good use of them. See their kitchen renovations just getting underway (photo below). The original cabinetry on the left and one of the pantry units they bought from us is between the two door openings (they moved the door to their garage, as it really limited their kitchen layout). Their house is 25 or 30 years older than ours, with very limited updates, so they have some work ahead of them. (I'm just really happy that our old cabinets didn't have to go to the dump! We knew someone could make use of them and they think they can use almost all of them.)

Pretty sure they won't stay empty for long! There are still a few things in the garage that need to be brought in. And some extra stocking-up to be done, now that we have a kitchen to store it in again, ha. 🙂