The ICE bucket

Thirty one years ago I received a re-gifted ice bucket for a wedding gift. I know this because I know my former sister-in-law is a doop-dee-doo. I thought it was pretty funny then and kept the ICE bucket knowing that someday I would use that spray painted, bright brass thing for something not ice. Thirty one years to the month I pulled it from the back of cabinet where I placed it, mused peacefully about the past thirty one years and !Epiphany! I realized that I held in my hands a new, very handy, and useful compost bucket. She who laughs, lasts.

Green Tomatoes

Green as the finest emeralds. Sliced tomatoes for a Southern delicacy.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Combine on a plate
Flour
Cornmeal
Salt
Ground cayenne or red pepper
Lightly dust/dip sliced green tomatoes and fry in a small amount of flour over medium high heat. Drain on paper towels.

Eggplant

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Super Eggplant! I had to hold it upside-down like those pictures on the pier at the beach of people who've caught uber big fish because, well, I just had to! We pulled it out because, sadly ,it's time to move on. The clock ticks, the sun turns, and a new season is upon us.
The part of the plant you see in the picture probably weighed 30lbs and had about that many fruit on it.

Ah the joy of a beautiful Fall day in the garden!

Epicurous Roasted Eggplant Soup

3 medium tomatoes, halved
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise
1 small onion, halved
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
4 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth


1 cup whipping cream (I used half and half)
3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (about 3 1/2 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet. Brush vegetables with oil. Roast until vegetables are tender and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Scoop eggplant from skin into heavy large saucepan; discard skin. Add remaining roasted vegetables and thyme to same saucepan. Add 4 cups chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Stir in cream. Bring to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with goat cheese; serve.

The (Perfect)End

Pick a Peck a Peppers

Scott went crazy and planted hot peppers all around the garden! Their color indicates their degree of heat. Beautiful aren't they? I am personally afraid to get near the habenero (it's the lumpy, bumpy orange one) for fear that the capsasien will jump off the plant right straight into my eyes. I admire that bad boy from a distance. If you have the courage, stop by. It's free.

And the heat goes on, la di da duh di, la di da duh die

We're still dressing for summer down here. Labor Day means nothing in the southeastern US. Our first date for expected frost is the end of October or even early November. Heck, we go back to school before Labor Day. Why wait? It's still going to be hot,which is a good thing for the garden. Tomotoes? Still got them. Okra? Comin' on. Eggplant? Can I get a break? Please. Marigolds? Late summer is their time. My impatients are full of blossoms. 'Tis the season for...butterflies. Tomorrow I'll start a unit on caterpillars because they are all over my parsley.
Johnny Appleseed? He'll will just have to wait until October.
The picture above is of an okra flower. They are relatives of hibiscus and are very pretty looking out of my kitchen window. Most of the plants are showing signs of age-related stress, a phenomenon I am slowly coming to understand. But here is the most important thing: they are still productive,and occassionally pretty, despite being dried up and scraggly looking overall.

Tomatoes and Okra

Some okra, cut up
One onion, cut up
Some peppers, cut up
Garlic chopped (one or two cloves)
Chopped tomatoes (or one 15 oz can diced tomatoes)

Sautee the onion, peppers, garlic and okra in oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the tomatoes. Cover and cook over medium to low heat until softened to your liking. Very nice with polenta, known as grits in the South, y'all.

9/11

It was a clear, crisp, blue-skyed morning. Down South it's the kind of morning that signals a shift, an unmistakable change in Earth's movement. We know that the long summer has passed and that, even though there will be more warm days, relief has come. We celebrate The Day. August is so hot, you see. But by mid-morning on That Day we were transfixed by tragedy unfolding in New York City. Appalled and speechless as first one, then a second, skyscaper filled with workers, people like us, collasped taking them to certain death. Disbelieving, we wrenched ourselves from the TV to do the day's work knowing that there would be more blood shed. War. Years later I photographed this memorial to those who died that day. It is painted tiles hanging on a chain link fence in Greenwich Village. The tiles, reportedly the work of children, are mostly hearts, doves of peace and American flags. But when I singled out the tiles and looked closely there is one, of twin towers that no longer stand, with a beautiful blue sky and a golden yellow sun reminding us of the clear September day when our world shifted and changed.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord shine the Light of his countenance upon you.
May the Lord be gracious unto you.
And give you Peace.

Seedlings!

The seeds are now seedlings! We've had extreme heat and I started back to school so there were a few days where I thought maybe I'd let them sprout and die. But no! They live! We are on the road to having a spinach patch, broccoli, collards and all kinds of lettuces. Something to look forward to I'd say.


Did I forget to mention the turnips? We'll be having neeps if all goes well.