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

[FauxPas]

Does Ronnie clean and prep the fish? I would love to see you do a tutorial some day showing his most likely well-honed method.

 

I suspect Shelby does a lot of cleaning/prepping herself. She certainly knows how to butcher venison! She's not a girl who's afraid to dip her hands in some fish guts!  

 

Though I should probably let her speak for herself.  

[suzilightning]

Ronnie has wanted me to make pickled eggs for a looooooong time.  I've had one that was store bought.  I really didn't like it.  Strong vinegar taste and....rubbery.  Maybe I'll like these better?  

 

I've been saving some eggs from my girl down the road so that they wouldn't be so fresh and hard to peel.  They were still hard to peel  I find shelling peas relaxing.  I find shelling eggs to be an activity that makes me want to hurl the eggs out the window.

P8140507.JPG

 

 

Exactly why I do purchase some eggs at the grocery...usually half a dozen.

[Shelby]

Does Ronnie clean and prep the fish? I would love to see you do a tutorial some day showing his most likely well-honed method.

 

He does.  If we have a whole lot to clean, I help.  I like cleaning fish.  I like cutting up venison.  I've long said that I was a butcher in some past life lol.  I'll try to remember next time we catch some to take pics of the cleaning process.

Your sizzling eggplant looks lovely and delicious, but raises the same question I face when I fry eggplant: how much of that oil is left after frying the eggplant, and what do you do with the oil afterward?

I keep "used" oil for quite some time.  If I've fried 'taters , I'll save that and use it for eggplant and then save it again.  Fish oil....I don't keep, although I wouldn't fault those that did.  I would if I fried a lot of fish.

 

Ronnie has wanted me to make pickled eggs for a looooooong time.  I've had one that was store bought.  I really didn't like it.  Strong vinegar taste and....rubbery.  Maybe I'll like these better?  

 

I've been saving some eggs from my girl down the road so that they wouldn't be so fresh and hard to peel.  They were still hard to peel  I find shelling peas relaxing.  I find shelling eggs to be an activity that makes me want to hurl the eggs out the window.

P8140507.JPG

 

 

Exactly why I do purchase some eggs at the grocery...usually half a dozen.

You're a smart woman.

 

Well, it's Monday.  Not the most favorite day of the week for some of you I'm sure.  Hang in there...it'll be Tuesday soon

 

It's a nice, cool, cloudy morning so after we picked the garden we decided to go down to our river and fish for a bit.  No luck, but it was nice sitting there watching the grass frogs, squirrels, ducks and other assorted critters run around.  

 

 

 

Flower for today....not a garden flower, but I love these.  I think they are Morning Glory??  They wind around my back porch.

 

 

Gardenage :

 

 

What's better than cold pizza for breakfast

 

 

Dishes to be done.....cherry 'maters to dry.....'maters to can.....I'll be back in a bit

[Shelby]

Farmers are here.  Corn harvest has begun!  
 

When they are finished I take my big baskets out and collect the corn that doesn't make it in the hopper.  I can usually find a lot of corn still on the cob that I put out for the birds to eat all winter.  Plus it makes good fall decor.  I also go an cut some of the dried corn stalks that I use for decor on the porches.

Edited August 17, 2015 by Shelby (log)

[rotuts]

thank you for the pics of the River.

 

Where is the Tire Swing ?

 

"""  watching the grass frogs, squirrels, ducks and other assorted critters run around.  ""

 

what about Mosquitos ?  Big'Uns ?

[Shelby]

thank you for the pics of the River.

 

Where is the Tire Swing ?

 

"""  watching the grass frogs, squirrels, ducks and other assorted critters run around.  ""

 

what about Mosquitos ?  Big'Uns ?

They left me alone this morning.  Guess I wasn't sweet enough.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Are you a Southpaw, Shelby? I noticed the way you hold the Thermapen in your left hand. I'm a southie and it drives me nuts that the Thermapen is so obviously designed for Northpaws, I was thinking of asking them if they make left-hander models!

 

I'm right handed but I find I am almost always holding my (red) Thermapen in my left hand, which is very awkward.  The way I compensate is to extend the probe out all the way so I can read the numbers upside down...at least until the food gets almost to temperature, at which point the display, of course, shuts down.

[Shelby]

I'm right handed but I find I am almost always holding my (red) Thermapen in my left hand, which is very awkward.  The way I compensate is to extend the probe out all the way so I can read the numbers upside down...at least until the food gets almost to temperature, at which point the display, of course, shuts down.

I think they should make the Thermapens read-out flip around like a smart phone does so that no matter which way you're holding it the numbers are right-side up.

[rotuts]

learning to read UpSide down

 

( It takes about 20 minutes )

 

has been proven to increased blood flow to parts of the Brain.

 

that's not really a joke.

 

BFtoBrain is something that will allow you to think and cook  longer by a good degree.

 

Im not implying that its going to be Tasty, BTW

 

ref :

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vicar_of_Dibley

 

the elderly lady who brought very interesting things to the vestry meetings.

[Okanagancook]

My new way of cooking eggplant is in the microwave from Modernist Cuisine @ Home:  Peel and slice 1/2 inch.  Place on paper towels, then cover with paper towels.  Microwave on full for 3 minutes.  Perfectly tender.  Put on rack to dry a little and they are ready for a quick grill or quick fry if you want some oil. 

[ElainaA]

Shelby - I'm going to miss this! I hope you continue to let us know what you are doing via the gardening and preserving threads.

Elaina

[IowaDee]

I have really enjoyed spending the week with you.  Keep us posted as to how you use all those wonderful garden goodies.  Don't tell anyone but a couple of our windows have big garden spiders that live on them.  Once in a while i get a kick out of tossing a bug into the web for them.  They can wrap those things up at warp speed.  Lord, but I'm easy to entertain or as my husband once said, "a cheap date."

[Shelby]

I have really enjoyed spending the week with you.  Keep us posted as to how you use all those wonderful garden goodies.  Don't tell anyone but a couple of our windows have big garden spiders that live on them.  Once in a while i get a kick out of tossing a bug into the web for them.  They can wrap those things up at warp speed.  Lord, but I'm easy to entertain or as my husband once said, "a cheap date."

Oh I would LOVE to have Matilda in my window.  You are not alone, that would entertain me all day long.....put us together and we'd be the cheapest dates ever. 

 

Something bad happened today.  

 

I got a case of the lazies.  

 

I didn't can.....I will do it tomorrow for sure.

 

I did dry some cherry 'maters--or rather grape 'maters

 

Before the oven.  About 3 1/2 hours at 225 degrees.  Sprinkled with sea salt, pepper and drizzled olive oil.

 

 

After

 

We snack heavily on them while they are cooling off.  Super good.

 

I froze a bag of peaches for a pie later.....put some in a container for us over ice cream and saved the juice for a batch of jelly (GOD help me on that)

 

 

Also made a peach "cobbler".  It's more like peach cake to me.  It's good.  One of the only recipes I use from a popular blogger who I shall not name except for the initials of PW.  I have not had good luck with a lot of her stuff.  Especially a Thanksgiving turkey recipe.....I won't say more except to tell you that it ended in a word that rhymes with zizaster.  

 

[Mmmpomps]

Shelby! This was awesome...I feel like you take me to a Modern Day Little House on the Prairie! Thanks so much for the adventure

[Shelby]

A friend of ours gave us this electric smoker.  It's pretty handy

 

 

Inside pic

 

 

 

 

My folks gave us these wonderful Colorado trout....seriously the best eating.

 

 

Ronnie thawed them out and did a salt brine..not a long time, just a few hours.

 

Into the smoker they go....

 

All done

 

 

  

Salads

 

 

Alfredo sauce of sorts with hatch chile, onion, tomato and smoked trout.  Very good.

 

 

 

Dessert....peach cobbler with ice cream...Ronnie loved it.

 

 

 

My dessert

 

Baileys on ice

 

I can't thank you all enough for your comments and for reading.  This is our life.

 

I'm gonna drink my Baileys and hit the sack....another day of canning tomorrow

 

[Deryn]

Between Kerry and Anna 'cutting down the number of dishes' they cooked on the BGE at the festival (from 50 to 49, I think) and you, Shelby, getting a case of 'the lazies' (meaning that in one day you only accomplished what normal people would do in two weeks), I am feeling just a little inadequate right now. Keep up the good work!

Thank you so much for adding us to your already hectic schedule for the week!

Edited August 18, 2015 by Deryn (log)

[Smithy]

I'll get in a last word of thanks and admiration. Your schedule this week would have been strenuous enough without having to document and write about it all; you went an extra mile or three . Speaking as someone who has trouble talking and cooking at the same time, I'm especially impressed. I've picked up some nice tips and recipes this week, seen some great photos, and thoroughly enjoyed the visit. Many thanks for bringing us along!