eG Foodblog: Shelby--The Everlasting Garden...Canning...Canning...Canning...

[Shelby]

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

 

 

[Anna N]

Thank you. I have only just started to use cornmeal. I am making a bread now that calls for coarse cornmeal and I am starting to think I might make a cornbread with some finer cornmeal. Did not believe I like cornbread until Kerry Beal made some while we were up north this summer and it was quite tasty.

[Shelby]

I've never seen an okra flower before. It's very pretty! Would it lend itself to stuffing and frying like a squash blossom?

Add me to the list of readers who are staggered by the size of your garden. I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle it all! :-)

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?

 

[Shelby]

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

 

 

[MelissaH]

Wow. So many tomatoes, so little time, so few stomachs!

[Smithy]

"So few stomachs" is never a problem in our household when the ripe tomatoes (cherry or otherwise) are rolling in.  

[Darienne]

Hooray for Shelby.  This will be both educational and great fun.  Beautiful okra flowers.  Okra?  Not so much.

[Shelby]

 

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.

[Okanagancook]

Wine and 'maters!  or should I say 'thoughts of 'maters' and wine.  Oh heck, wine goes with anything, I think.

Hey, I have a pile of those little beggars.  I shall be interested to see what you come up with.  There is always that roasted tomatonand garlic recipe over in the garden thread.

 

Don't know who to do a link to there but here is the recipe from Elaina:

 

I always grow too many cherry tomatoes. Here's one of my favorite uses:

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce with Basil and Parmesan. It takes along time to cook but it is worth it.

Preheat oven to 250. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Add 1 large onion, diced and 6 cloves garlic, diced. Cook about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 18 (yes! the recipe is this specific! You don't have to be!) shredded basil leaves and 1/8 t. red pepper flakes. 

In a deep roasting pan, combine 50 cherry tomatoes (I told you the recipe is specific - and I use more) with 2 t. sugar, 1 t. salt and onion mixture. Drizzle with 1/4 c. olive oil. Roast in 250 degree oven for 3 hours, stirring once. Serve over pasta with 1/2 c. parmesan and 1/4 c. basil ribbons.

I like this with a mix of different colored cherry tomatoes - I grow red, orange,black and white cherries. None ripe yet so I'm still waiting. 

Enjoy.

Elaina

 

Host's note: ElainaA's original post is here.

Edited June 14, 2017 by Smithy
Added host's note (log)

[Shelby]

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.

[David Ross]

I'm so glad to follow your adventures. 

[Okanagancook]

Shelby, it's the amount of garlic in those roasted cherry tomatoes that make them special.  I've got three batches in the freezer...think'n pizza sauce/ravioli sauce and 18 egg yolk pasta tossed with a batch with copious amounts of freshly grated Parm/Romano!  

They also make a nice sweet sauce just simmered alone then strained and reduced a bit...pure tomato summer.

 

I've looked up some canned tomato recipes using citric acid because that's what I have and a trip into town (30 min round trip) for lemons is not going to happen tomorrow.  Are you going to can some of your bigger 'mater's?

[Shelby]

Shelby, it's the amount of garlic in those roasted cherry tomatoes that make them special.  I've got three batches in the freezer...think'n pizza sauce/ravioli sauce and 18 egg yolk pasta tossed with a batch with copious amounts of freshly grated Parm/Romano!  

They also make a nice sweet sauce just simmered alone then strained and reduced a bit...pure tomato summer.

 

I've looked up some canned tomato recipes using citric acid because that's what I have and a trip into town (30 min round trip) for lemons is not going to happen tomorrow.  Are you going to can some of your bigger 'mater's?

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*

[ElainaA]

Thank you. I have only just started to use cornmeal. 

Have you tried anadama bread? It's one of my absolute favorites. The Peter Reinhart recipe is great but there are lots of others out there. In my hippie days many years ago in Vermont it was almost a requirement. (The story about the name might amuse you, given your name. Supposedly Anna ran out of flour so she used cornmeal in her bread. Her husband said "Anna, damn it, what did you put in the bread." Hence, anadama bread.)

[ElainaA]

Shelby - I will be following your projects.

 

So many tomatoes! Wonderful! Do you do anything other than canning whole tomatoes? I've dried cherry tomatoes to use in salads or just as snacks.   I still have only 2-3 tomatoes ripe. I may be buying some for all the canning projects. But later - our growing season is much later than yours. (sigh.)

 

Do you do pickles? What kinds? I am just starting to have  enough cukes to pickle - I'll be starting a batch of mixed mustard pickles tomorrow.

Elaina

[ElainaA]

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.

 

 

 

 

How can so many posts come in when I'm, still typing!

I am so glad people like this sauce - it is one of my favorites.

If any one is interested I also have a really good recipe for a faux-V8 juice - not safe for canning because of the vegetable content but safe for freezing. We have just finished the last jar from last years tomatoes - I expect to find my husband in the garden staring at the tomato plants trying to get them to ripen faster.

Elaina

[Alex]

Found some more smut   

 

P8100342.JPG

 

Shelby, have you ever cooked something using the corn smut (huitlacoche)? Quesadillas, maybe?

[Ann_T]

Shelby, I'm really enjoying following you this week.   

 

Especially love all the tomatoes .  Moe always says that I haven't met a tomato I didn't like.   My favourite season.  I'm happy to eat a tomato like an apple with salt and pepper grinder in hand.   I'm with your husband though.  I like the peel.

 

Look forward to the rest of the week.

 

~Ann

[Shelby]

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!!!!!

 

 

 

 

[Shelby]

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!

[Shelby]

Shelby - I will be following your projects.

 

So many tomatoes! Wonderful! Do you do anything other than canning whole tomatoes? I've dried cherry tomatoes to use in salads or just as snacks.   I still have only 2-3 tomatoes ripe. I may be buying some for all the canning projects. But later - our growing season is much later than yours. (sigh.)

 

Do you do pickles? What kinds? I am just starting to have  enough cukes to pickle - I'll be starting a batch of mixed mustard pickles tomorrow.

Elaina

 

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.

 

How can so many posts come in when I'm, still typing!

I am so glad people like this sauce - it is one of my favorites.

If any one is interested I also have a really good recipe for a faux-V8 juice - not safe for canning because of the vegetable content but safe for freezing. We have just finished the last jar from last years tomatoes - I expect to find my husband in the garden staring at the tomato plants trying to get them to ripen faster.

Elaina

I'd be interested in the V8 recipe.  My husband drinks it most every morning.

 

Shelby, have you ever cooked something using the corn smut (huitlacoche)? Quesadillas, maybe?

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.

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

I have an excellent tomato juice recipe if you are interested. 

[Shelby]

I have an excellent tomato juice recipe if you are interested. 

Yes please!

 

 

I think both Anna and Dejah have had this recently and it looked so good.  

 

Breakfast this morning tomatoes and scrambled eggs:

 

 

 

[kayb]

Re: cornmeal mix -- it's actually a mix of cornmeal and self-rising flour, or flour with baking soda, baking powder and salt added. I keep regular cornmeal around for a number of purposes, as well as masa harina and masarepa, or precooked masa, for making arepas. But i use cornmeal mix to bread my okra; seems like the flour helps it stick.

 

Shelby, will you be working up corn this week? Do you freeze your Silver Queen on the cob, or cut it off?

[Shelby]

Re: cornmeal mix -- it's actually a mix of cornmeal and self-rising flour, or flour with baking soda, baking powder and salt added. I keep regular cornmeal around for a number of purposes, as well as masa harina and masarepa, or precooked masa, for making arepas. But i use cornmeal mix to bread my okra; seems like the flour helps it stick.

 

Shelby, will you be working up corn this week? Do you freeze your Silver Queen on the cob, or cut it off?

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?