Wednesday, October 16, 2013

My New Fascination--Ferns & Food


I have brought in two of my ferns--for fresh (bug free) soil and larger pots before the cold wind gets here.  I have a very nice asparagus fern and a "table fern"  I have the Latin name, but have forgotten the spelling and spell check keeps taking over with it's own words.  So, we'll settle for "table fern".  I also purchased a new fern which is still nameless.  I will need to do research on a fern website.

I don't know what I will be doing with the three (now) huge Bostons on the front porch.  Remember I got them for $8 each in the summer from one of the big chain stores.We have, easily, enjoyed them much more than $8 worth each.  So, I can let them go.  Or I can clean them of insects and insect eggs, give them a butch haircut and hang them in the upstairs (unused) bath.  Lots of light.  No heat.  But not freezing.  Any ideas?

I am loving the organic rolled oats from the bulk section of my grocery.  Chewy. I won't be going back to Quaker.  Equal amounts of oats and water. 3.40 minutes in the microwave.  Easy.

I just peeled another sink full of "fallen" peaches we collected from my friend's yard.  I got a large bowl of slices and a grocery bag of "compost".  In the oven the slices went with a melted stick of butter, a batter of 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup flour, 2 t baking powder and 3/4 cup milk.  Pour the batter in on top of the melted butter (no mixing together) then dump the peaches in and bake at 350 for one hour.  The batter will puff and mingle with the peaches and the whole is so much more than the parts.  This is a Georgia Cobbler.  Not for the faint of heart when it comes to butter and sugar.  The original wants 2 cups of sugar.  I always cut the sugar to half in all recipes.

Also in the fridge is a whole mess of BBQ pork.  I had to find room in the new freezer for peach slices, green pepper slices and those surprise raspberries.  So, out came the biggest pork blade roast and in it went into the slow cooker with a rub of brown sugar, garlic and cayenne.  The liquid was about a cup of apple cider vinegar.  It was fall apart tender when I got home from work at 6:30 ( I ran it on high).  I picked and shredded it and then added  2 bottles of store BBQ sauce and a handful of brown sugar.  Let it cook another few hours.  G had some, I had some and the rest will be used in burritos, sandwiches and nachos.  I will eat mine with a mixed green salad.  BBQ salad is one of my favorite meals.  I'll add shredded cheese and carrots.

I also cubed up all the useable parts of the ripening October tomatoes.  The seem to go bad before fully turning red.  I got a good 4 quart saucepan full.  I added stuff and cooked it down for 3 to 4 hours into a delightfully "adult" ketchup.  I finished the four half pints in a water bath and look forward to dipping French fries in the stuff this winter.  I also tried making a Peach Jalapeño Jam.  But, while nice and peachy--it has no jalapeño kick.  So a disappointment.  I added four jalapeños from my October garden and they tasted hot but didn't hold the heat while cooking.  Two of the half pints sealed in the water bath but one did not.  G has to use it in the next 2 weeks.  I should make him a pan of biscuits.

I am working, mostly, in the greenhouse this week and no complaining.  I'm pleased.

6 pm is dark here in Maine, already.  I have two good books from the library.  But I am sad to see the end of summer this year.  It must be my age.  Or something.  I am also wondering if I will get my Social Security check this month.  Bills to pay.

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