Okanagancook

Oh crap, you guys are making me have second thoughts about feeding the compost with green tomatoes. All wonderful suggestions everyone. Thank you. I will think on it.

Pig feet on the soup setting. Needed to run through the cycle twice in order to get them really tender-gelatinous.

That is one mean looking bug. I hate insects! Luckily, this year no tomato worms which are really gross green squishy enormous caterpillars. TFTC, yes, fried green tomatoes. I am dieting so no frying for me at the moment. Most of the tomatoes aren't that big and I have so many already frozen, dried or cooked with the copious number of green beans I got this year. So, I really can't face putting them down in the wine cellar under newspaper (I usually do this). I am, again, feeling guilty. BUT I told myself THIS YEAR I will not be a slave to the garden as has happened since we moved to the Okanagan 11 years ago. And I am happy to say, I did achieve a good balance of abundance. Well, except for the squash. I have around 28 buttercup squash on three plants that grew spontaneously out of my compost. I did not murder any of them and they took over. Anyway, I am on a giveaway mission and so far the count is 13 out of 28 have new homes :-) Thanks for the ideas. Ok, ok, I will put a few down stairs for immediate consumption once ripe. Shame on me.

Shelby, your okra always look so good! I have some in the fridge for tomorrow! Our Superstore seems to have them quite regularly but you have to get there early 'cause they sometimes aren't that small. Yesterday I had just raked over the two boxes, picking out almost all of the small ones...did a bit more shopping and then I saw a lady over at the okra peering into the piles of six inch okra. I felt sooooo guilty.

Very clever!

Yes,same here...sparkling grapes. A lot of wineries are starting to make sparkling wines....getting popular.

Beautiful greens Wayne. Out here in the Okanagan it's too hot to grow summer greens. Our weather has turned and all of a sudden the air smells like fall. However, next week looks like a return to sun and mid-twenty (C) weather. The wine grapes are getting near picking time. Some varieties are already being picked. I just have root veggies left out there. I do have green tomatoes on the plants but they are just getting rough skinned and will never really ripen so they will be headed to the compost bin next week.

Thanks for the link. I will start testing them after ten minutes, they are not that big. I have a basil vinaigrette from making infused basil oil so will use that to dress they right out of the pot.

Thank you for the great information. I found my bill for the beans and I think they are the Anasazi. The Appaloosa are more slender. I don't think I have ever had fresh beans so I will cook them fresh and freeze some, but after I taste them fresh. Not sure how many I have. they probably take 20 minutes to 30 minutes to cook? IP for 7 min? i just picked the ones in the picture. I can leave them in the garden longer.

Brush on some glaze flavouring and use on pizzas. Chicken pot pies, just put pre-cooked puff pastry on top. Chicken fried rice. Chicken and shrimp gumbo adding the chicken at the end with the shrimp. Finely chopped or ground, mixed with mashed potatoes and dipped in flour, egg, bread crumbs and then fried...rissoles! Calsones. Chili. Make a stuffing for veggies.....peppers, eggplant, zucchini.....top with cheese. Hearty soups.

Do you have to dry them before cooking? i wasn't in the mood to write stuff down when I planted them so I am not sure what I have. Duh. They are from a bulk food place that had bean varieties I had never seen before. Could be Anasazi or Appaloosa. Or more likely the third bean I bought which is not labelled, pic of the dried bean and my fresh one. They look ready? Yes or no?

I use a time line whEnever I am cooking a meal for guests. Try to get as much done ahead of time as possible that way I can relax when guests arrive. This is especially necessary when cocktails and wine are involved.

Or a steak and a bottle of your fav Zin!

After seeing you plant some beans I did the same. How do I know when they are ready to harvest?

I strain the oil so I end up with a nice clear green oil. I use the strained out basil in a salad dressing. I freeze the oil that I cannot use within a few days. Most of the food safety experts recommend against keeping home made infused oils longer due to the danger of botulism. Here is a quote from Colorado University website. "Herbs may be added to vinegar or oil and used in the seasoning of salads and sauces. It is important to store homemade herb infused oils in the refrigerator and use within four days because they have the potential to support the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Commercially made herb/oil mixtures are often stored at room temperature but this is because of special processing or acidification steps. Always check the label before storing."

Sar, you're killin me! Looks awesome especially 'cause I am dieting.

I use my flavoured oils for delicate applications such as salad dressings or as a finishing oil. I feel ones gets the full flavour of the oil using it this way. Funny, I made some basil oil just as this thread was started. I blanched my leaves then dried really well. They were blended with just plain olive oil and some grape seed oil. I find by using a more neutral oil , rather than a fruity OO, the flavour of the basil comes through more. I strained the oil though a fine strainer twice and it is in the fridge for a few days and then I will put it through a coffee filter to get the oil clear. the blanching helps to kill bacteria and keeps the leaves green.

Coulda used the CCO for the reheat, if you have one.

I ordered a spare when I ordered my machine because I had read they do wear out. So the first sign of wear is a loose fitting gasket? Is yours a year old AnnaN?

Captain, great results for your first try. Lightly smoked? My DH likes doing some non-smoked rashers too. We cure it with pepper, bay leaves and a little garlic.

The photos are indeed excellent. The whales look very close. here on the other side of the continent this encounter is quite amazing.http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouver/2016/08/16/humpback-whales-catch-bc-kayakers-by-surprise.html

Welcome lisaSon. What is your favourite drink and how do you make it? Anything to nibble on with the drink?

A friend of mine does grilled zucs but she grates some Parmesan on them as they are on the grill.

Here is a link to the summary of athe Millon Dollar Critic show I mentioned up thread. Raymond's is at the end.

Raymond's was the restaurant selected by the tv show Milliom Dollar Review (I think that's the name) the reviewer raved about the chef's creativity and the ingredients. I would love to go there before they are done. thanks for the trip documentary. All very inspiring.