Shelby

One must sit down and rehydrate from time to time and stopping to talk to you guys is the perfect excuse Okanagancook asked the same thing about the Cherokee Red.......I swear I bought a couple of Brandywine plants, but maybe I'm wrong? I've been calling them Brandywines....... I absolutely love the eggplant in there. Just gives it a slightly different "boost". I didn't strain the seeds...I pulled a lot of them out before putting chunks in the sauce. We don't mind a few seeds. Exactly. I feel the same way about less acidy tomatoes. I want them to taste like tomatoes! Bring on the acid!

It would come in handy.....I've just never been around those or learned how to use them. Maybe I'm a bit scared of them kinda like I'm ....well, I hate to use the word "scared"....lets say I'm very respectful of the pressure cooker we have.

Thank you for the recipe! I don't have a pressure canner, either. What type of container do you use to freeze it in?

LOL and that's the site that I found it on! I skip the garlic, though, out of laziness. I'm in Kansas, it differs if you are in a high elevation, but I do just like you're doing. 45 minutes. I agree that 85 minutes is way too long.

That sounds super good. I think I'll make this towards the end of the season to use up the green tomatoes that are always left. I bet the long skinny red ones are Thai chile peppers. I grow those too...although none of my peppers are going great guns this year.

That makes complete sense. I do only use the older varieties because we like the taste the best. We don't care for the yellow type. I bet those might be lower in acid. Believe me, ours have enough acid. Just ask the canker sores I get at the end of summer after eating a zillion 'maters.

We've been keeping a list of our tomato weights. We have a little contest every morning to see who picks the biggest tomato. I'm not winning because someone seems to have scoped out where all of the big guys are growing. 1.66 lbs. seems to be as big as they get........

Oh no! It's such hard work and then to have so much rain that you can't control. I'm sorry I've found stinkbugs on my 'maters this year, too. Nasty little creatures. I just tried to say "pick a peck of purple podded poles" five times and failed Phew. I'm not alone! I'm putzing around the kitchen getting organized so I'll be canning tomatoes soon.

I may have a few more ears to do. I did quite a few last week. This was my first time growing corn (well, growing sweet corn) and I planted 200 seeds. Not near that many came up. I planted them all the same so I don't know what went wrong. Thus, I didn't have all that much. And, some of it turned into huitlacoche (smut). I cut it off the cob. Do you freeze yours on the cob?

Yes please! I think both Anna and Dejah have had this recently and it looked so good. Breakfast this morning tomatoes and scrambled eggs:

In the past I've canned salsa. I kind of like just having the plain tomatoes so I can do what ever I want with them. I hope your 'maters come on soon! It's so hard waiting for them .... I do pickle. I have crock pickles going and I have quick pickles made. I'm also going to do some pickled eggs later this week inspired by HungryChris on the pickling thread. I'd be interested in the V8 recipe. My husband drinks it most every morning. Yes! Just a few days ago I did something. I took some pictures of what I did. It was a lot of fun doing something so foreign and new (to me). Good morning everyone! View into the garden this morning. I was trying to catch my husband's head showing, but I failed. He's 6' tall and the tomatoes are taller than he is. Annnnnnnd, your okra pictures of the day (I am obsessed with the okra, can you tell?) I love how the flowers dry after the okra grows. It stays on the tip like a little hat. Pickage from this morning. (Pickage should be word) I have to introduce you to Matilda. I don't know what kind of spider she is (or if she's even a she). I call her a garden spider. She's BIG. I wish I could get a better picture. The web is absolutely gorgeous. We go and talk to her every morning. She normally has a huge grasshopper she's munching on. She's the protector of the tomatoes.

P.S. SO sorry for the pictures....I have to get used to using a nice camera again rather than my iPhone. Sweet dreams everyone!

Oh wow, just wow. Thank you everyone for your interest. I'm honestly overwhelmed. I'm not lying...this blog isn't going to be as fast paced and full like my first one was. This is very garden-centric (LOL is that a word???). I will be back tomorrow morning early to answer and talk about all the new questions and topics going on. I can't wait!!!! But I'm pooped right now. I'm older than I was last blog and....well, I have less energy I guess. Plus I get up super early to garden due to heat. For now I will post dinner pictures: I should have canned tomatoes today but with all that was going on I wouldn't have gotten a good start early enough and so I didn't. So, I sorted the tomatoes and found some that I didn't think would make it overnight and I also had some leftover 'maters that weren't enough to fill a whole quart canning jar the last time I canned. Thus, it was pasta and venison meatball night. So boring....to most but a few pics of the sauce in progress..... I love doing eggplant like this. Adds a great thickness and a touch of smoke to the sauce. I made these venison meatballs last year--I'm sure some of you remember. The zucchini made these SO tender. This is my last package Finished sauce Salads, homemade bread and pasta. What could be better? Again, I'm so so happy to have you guys with me this week. It makes all the canning and all SO much more fun! I'm having another swallow or two of wine and then I'm going to go snuggle in bed. See you bright and early in the morning!!!!!

I just will have to make that sauce. Period. Oh yeah, I have about 30 quarts of tomatoes already put up. And six quarts of juice. I'm probably going to make you guys leave me forever, but I don't add any acid or lemon juice to my canned tomatoes. Haven't ever and I've canned for twenty years. Never ever had a problem. A google showed me that in 1994 the experts changed and started to recommend adding acid. I didn't learn that way, and for me, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But, don't think of me as an expert and you guys should do what you want to do. *Shelby ducks and runs from the canning experts*

Oh that sounds so good. I've been drying them in the oven with drizzled olive oil, sea salt, rosemary...basil etc and pepper. 225 degrees for 3 hours or so. Then I put them in mason jars and cover with more olive oil. Super good on pasta....pizza....salad....right out of the jar..... But, I'm on jar #5 so I better find some different ways to preserve them or use them up.

Got the cherry 'maters all cleaned up. If I had one of those really cool, old wooden farm house tables, I'd use this as the centerpiece. I think they are cheerful Now I gotta nail down what to make for dinner. We eat around 8 so, I have some time if I want to make something that takes time....we'll see. Oh, and it's happy hour....time for wine.

Annnnnnd, here's the harvest from this morning. Some mornings it's more than others. Today's was heavy on the cherry tomatoes.

Still thinking about the stuffing of okra blossoms......Here is a side view. They are much smaller than squash blossoms, but if you were gentle, I think it could happen?

Ok. Got the box mailed. Mom, if you want to be surprised when you get it, skip this post. Here's what went: Eggplant, okra, cukes, zukes, cherry and big tomatoes. Forgot to add the cherry 'maters in the first picture

I bet you're not hopeless....it may be the climate or any number of things. Someone else around here killed their mint recently. You're not alone. Yes...it's a fine cornmeal. It looks like flour with a bit of cornmeal mixed in. Forgive the crumpled bag.

I love it when someone makes the quickles. They are so easy and good. Ya did good!!! This is the first year that I've planted okra. I don't know why....laziness I suppose. I really thought I'd have it coming out of my ears by now, but I don't. I guess that's because Ronnie has decided that he really likes it so we're eating it a couple times a week. So far I've fried it in cornmeal, fried it in a beer batter and stewed it with some tomatoes. I want to freeze some for this winter so I can have it in gumbo. I know you miss having your own garden, but you do have those lovely farmer's markets. I envy you on that! Smoked gouda on a meatloaf sandwich. Heavenly. Oh! Thanks for the okra answer. Ok, I'll do some like that. Have you ever frozen it plain? I assume I could do it the same way..... Color me ignorant, I didn't know rice was grown around there! What a shame that 'maters were affected Maybe we will be canning together Nice!! 20 lbs! You were a busy person! I'd love to hear more about the green tomato and pepper jam. Jalapeño peppers?

My mom always peeled our tomatoes (the homegrown ones, not the grocery store kind) so I guess that's why I prefer them like that....I don't want any skin getting in the way of that tomato goodness lol. She grew a garden here in Kansas when I was little. The neighbors were always very jealous of her 'maters. She grows a garden now, too, but up in the mountains the tomatoes just aren't the same. Anyway, back to the peeling.....If I'm peeling just a few for dinner I turn the tomato bottom side up and run the back side of my knife down the tomato on all areas. This loosens the skin. Then, I slide my knife just under the skin and peel away. I'll take a picture later....my verbal description might not be very clear. If I'm peeling a bunch like for sauce or canning, I bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop the 'maters in for just a second and then out into a cold water bath in the sink. Skins slide right off. The first time my husband ever saw my mom running the backside of her knife down a tomato to loosen the peels, he thought she had partaken of too much wine and he was trying to figure out how to delicately tell her that she should put the knife down LOL. The skin issue causes a great divide between my husband and I when it comes to sandwiches. I like no skin. He insists on skin because he says the "sandwich holds together better". Thus, (except for this morning) I make his with his very own skin-on sliced tomato. I do mine just like KayB does. I slice them and put them in a ziplock and let them sit for a while so that the "slime" comes out. About 20-30 mins. Then I toss with self-rising cornmeal and fry it in a bit of oil. After they are nice and fried sprinkle with salt and pepper and that's it! The "slime" makes the corneal stick nicely and there is no slime at all after they are fried. Suzi! That would have traumatized me, too! I'm not sure what this week will bring. You never know what could happen around here. Somewhere around here someone was talking about doing that like squash. I can't remember where or who though lol. I think you could. I know you can eat them in salads and I should try that this week. They are just so pretty. I couldn't have a garden this big without my husband's help, that's for sure. Or, if I still worked. Good point. Forgot about that one. I'm glad you guys are with me. It will make my chores a lot more fun. I bet they will do great for soup. Yeah, cukes are kinda like squash...they overrun you after a while. I tried this recipe for baked cucumbers and we really liked it. That might get rid of one of them for you

Curls, that is AMAZING! I literally just drooled.

Forgot to add breakfast this morning was a bologna sandwich on homemade bread with homemade mayo. Nothing beats a messy tomato sandwich. (Anna, I do really like that KA flour bread recipe.) I split it with Ronnie.

Ok, so, like I said, I'm packing up a box and I need to get it to the post office. I'll post this really quick, get that done and I'll be back Dinner last night was venison meatloaf. I had great intentions. I made a big one so we'd have some to freeze and some for meatloaf sandwiches later this week. I baked it too long and it got a bit dry. Sigh. It should be good on sandwiches, though. Cornmeal fried okra, mashed taters and 'maters to go with