Okanagancook

I ran across this very informative video on making hand formed pasta shapes. I wish he took a little more time to show the details of the difficult shapes...my only complaint.

From Canada Services website on fiddleheads: “ Cooking Cook fiddleheads in a generous amount of boiling water for 15 minutes, or steam them for 10 to 12 minutes until tender. Discard the water used for boiling or steaming the fiddleheads. Cook fiddleheads before sautéing, frying, baking, or using them other foods like mousses and soups.

Or even into pasta sauces.

It is an annual so it must have self-seeded. I got it going one year but it bolted because it is too hot here. The next year I did find a few scattered plants but I have none now. They do not transplant well because of their tap root. I love the flavour of it. Never see it commercially grown.

Time to make some brodo!

@Kerry Beal nice chervil plant. Did you buy it or grow it from seed. I find it difficult to get the seeds to germinate.

Now I think it is mice that are eating my strawberries. Traps set.......a la Monty Python....mice on a stick!

Here's my garlic. Starting to throw scapes. Next picture is the Sea Island Peas. Fencing to keep the quails out. Next up are my fave bean plants. They have really taken off and have flowers on them already.

I am attempting to learn how to make pastry for pies and such. I have the book The Art of the Pie which is wonderful and has great instructions. I found some leaf lard and rendered that so I am set. I made my first batch of dough and had a heck of a time knowing how to get the crumbly dough together at the stage when water is added. I added a LOT of water and I thought this can't be right. Anyway the pie wasn't half bad. But how to get the dough together.....then I stumbled on to this video. You can fast forward it to where she starts adding water.

We have deer all around but they stay out of our property which is fenced and gated with 5 foot high fencing. We've had one deer jump the fence in the 14 years we have been here. We had three dogs which kept pretty much all the critters avoiding our space. Especially all the California quails living here. Our dogs would chase them away the instant they made their way out of hiding. But now, no dogs, we have quail. So brash they run across our patio right in front of the patio door. And the little beggers are pulling up my bean seedlings. So, I now have some chicken wire around specific raised beds and the strawberries.

I have the beef too so will give that a try. Thanks

Made our first batch of chicken gravy. Very easy. The flavour is quite bland...I even added some salt believe it or not. i think if I made it with some of my concentrated home made stock it would be better. Need to play around with it.

I will take some pictures for you. you still have time to plant some, if you have some that is

The Sea Island Peas which I got from Anson Mills have come up! :-))) Planted them about 10 days ago. They were no where to be seen this morning but with some sun they popped up after lunch. I planted another lot. It would be great if I could get a nice crop.

I made Julia Child's hamburger bun recipe. She says to make it in the food processor. I started with that but the dough was so stiff I was concerned my machine would pack it in so switched the dough to my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook. They take awhile to make with all the dough rising and they are larger than the kind of buns we prefer. My first attempt at buns so pleased with how they turned out.

Parsnip puree (they were steamed in the IP then pureed in the Vitamix with a spot of cream/milk and chive flower butter); roasted asparagus in CSO on steam bake with a mixed herb compound butter; Keller's pan fried duck breast with a little orange sauce. The duck recipe always seems to work well.

I much prefer the thick stalks and yes, peeling them is essential.

I don’t really eat chocolate. Nor do I usually eat sweets. I haven’t a clue about candy making nor tempering chocolate (although I understand it is hard to do.). BUT, good Lord, you folks are amazing! Hummmm, perhaps I am missing something.

So, my freezers are full. My fridge is pretty buff. I go to the store for a few things. So tempted by various good looking stuff which I would normally have purchased but I resisted probably for the first time. Gotta keep it up. Sheesh

Just keep a n extinguisher handy.

OMG my teeth hurt

I ordered mine from amazon.ca and it took maybe two weeks.

Wish I knew this when I had peonies

I have used it in salads. Deb Madison has a number of recipes using it in sauces and soups. She often pairs it with sorrel. I will probably make a soup with it, the sorrel and potatoes/small pasta pieces. The plant is so big. I think I will have to cut it back a bit.

We have two short rows of Cab Franc; the rest is split between Merlot and Pino Gris. We use single cordon pruning. And yes, we make our own wine using the two reds together and then the white