My Cantaloupes Are Ripe!

These are called Melon Golden Jenny (an heirloom).  They are succulent, sweet little 2 pound beauties.  My first time to grow cantaloupes.  They let go of the vine when they are ripe.  I was out picking things from the garden yesterday evening and saw that they had turned yellow and the smell was so sweet.  I was so happy to taste how wonderful they are.  I have already started saving the seeds so if any one would like some, I would love to share with you. I was reading about these cantaloupes and they are a version of the Jenny Lind variety. 

I forgot to take a picture of one cut open but I will post one soon so you can see the inside. 

Food Straight From Heaven

Basil Pesto, greens for juicing, fresh salsa and my lunch today....fresh tomatoes with basil pesto.  I can't even begin to tell you how good this was.  I love basil pesto.  It's just wonderful and it goes so great with so many things.  My youngest son called while I was making the pesto and he put his order in.  He loves it as much as I do.  The fresh salsa is to eat with the brown beans I'm cooking for dinner.  It's nice to not have to go to the store to buy all the food you need to eat not to mention the quality is a thousand times better.  If you don't have a recipe for pesto, here's mine.

2 tightly packed cups of fresh basil
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pack in all in the blender and let it go.  You might need a little more olive oil.  Store with a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto in an air tight container in the frig for up to 10 days or freeze up to 4 months.

Other uses for basil pesto:

add to unsalted butter for herb butter
spread on bread as a condiment for sandwiches
serve on steamed vegetables
use as a topping or sauce for pizza
use on grilled chicken or fish
put inside a warmed tortilla
toss pesto with hot pasta

Fresh Salsa

As many fresh tomatoes as your blender will hold
1 large sweet onion, quartered
1 1/2 to 2 Serrano peppers, cut in chunks
3 to 4 cloves of fresh garlic
salt to taste

Put all the ingredients into the blender and pulse.  I like salsa that is a little chunky especially to eat with brown beans. 

P.S.  Aren't the colors pretty .....red and yellow tomatoes and the green pesto.

Enjoy!

ENJOY!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHCOQ938EqQ

Come Visit Chickasha

Let me see if I can lure you to Chickasha for a visit.  We have our Farmer's Market every Tuesday and Saturday mornings from 7:00 to Noon.  Come early because the early bird really does get the goods down here.  Mrs. Foster from Windmill Corner Farms sells farm fresh eggs as well as baked goods, jellies and relishes.  I get the sweetest onions and great okra, peas from a man who gardens around Lindsay.  The couple from Windy Hill Farms in Rush Springs has wonderful vegetables also as well as the best pickled yellow squash I've ever tasted.  It is wonderful with brown beans really wonderful with just about anything you would eat pickles with.  She also has wonderful salsa and other canned goods. There is a farmer that comes from Rush Springs every Saturday with the best watermelon and cantaloupes you've ever tasted.   Mr. Herman Stephens sells about the best local honey I've tasted.  His phone number is 224-4529.  He said, "to give him a call and he can have your order ready to go."  The Farmer's Market is located in the parking lot of the YMCA.  It's not hard to find.  I'm terrible at directions so just stop at any gas station in the area and they can tell you how to get there.

After your stop at the Farmer's Market, you have to go to Ross Feed and Seed.  It's the great hardware store in town and it's just several blocks from the Farmer's market.  Again, ask someone at the market and they can point you in the right direction. It's really not far.  The first 3 or 4 pictures are from Ross hardware.  They have a home décor section and I just love it.  They have wonderful kitchen towels.  The old flour sack kind that get soft and soak up the water when drying dishes.  They're great and they have wonderful colors and patterns.  Plus, you will enjoy just walking through the hardware part of the store and in the back they sell seeds.  I love it! 

There are several new antique malls on main street.  Just one block to the south of Ross.  Lots of creative people in this area....you'll find something you love.

Last but certainly not least, you can't leave Chickasha without eating at J.W. Grill again just a block away. The last picture says it all.....slaw dogs and not pictured but get chili cheese fries and a big root beer.  OMG you will need a nap before you drive home. 

Come for a visit to this small farming community.  The people are friendly and you'll leave feeling good!

Eggplant Parmesan

I am getting lots and lots of eggplant so I made us eggplant Parmesan yesterday for dinner.  I made up the recipe as I was making it and I was very pleased with the way it turned out.  I also want to show you these yellow tomatoes.  They are heirloom and they have a wonderful flavor.  Although they are called lemon tomatoes there is not the slightest taste of lemon but the flavor is great.  These mixed with red and black tomatoes make a beautiful presentation.  Alternate the different colors and drizzle some balsamic syrup over the top with thinly sliced basil ....it's heaven!

1 large eggplant, medium slice, I didn't peel mine but you can is you desire.
2 cups flour
2 eggs plus 1 cup milk, whisk
3 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, add to flour and mix well
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1 jar of Ragu
1-16 ounce mozzarella cheese, grated
1 to 2 cups of coconut oil or veggie oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

After slicing the eggplant put it on a baking sheet and salt, pepper and garlic powder both sides.  Put your oil in a large skillet and let it start to heat up.  Have an assembly line with flour and egg wash.  First put eggplant into flour  pat both sides then dip into egg wash and then back into flour.  Then place eggplant into hot grease (325  to 350 degrees).  Let both sides get golden brown and remove and rest on a paper towel.  Continue until all slices have been cooked.  In a small casserole dish, put some of the ragu in the bottom (if you want to make homemade marinara, that's great) then place a layer of the fried eggplant, sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese, then top with some mozzarella cheese, continue this process and top with the remaining mozzarella.  I didn't quit use the whole 16 ounces and I didn't use the whole jar of Ragu.  I didn't want the eggplant smothered in sauce.  Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.

I didn't do this but some fettuccine Alfredo would be wonderful with this.  My favorite Italian restaurant serves their eggplant Parmesan with fettuccine Alfredo.   The Alfredo sauce with their wonderful marinara sauce .....well, my mouth is watering!

My husband loved this so that has to tell you it was pretty good.  It reminded him of lasagna.

Old Garden Area

This is the old garden area where I have seven raised beds.  This used to be so well kept.  It was a beautiful garden about 10 years ago.  The picket fence rotted, something happened to the water line that goes to this garden and it became more than I could handle.  In the day, I had a wonderful asparagus patch, blackberries, really the size of quarters along the back rail fence.  I have grown everything in this area.  Three of the raised beds have rotted and they need to be replaced.  This is a little bit of info for you in constructing raised beds.  We did not use cedar and our raised beds lasted almost 20 years. 

I have just been mowing down this area this summer and thinking about what I wanted to do with it.  My other garden area is just about all I can handle but I thought if I could get my raised beds going again that they are easy to take care of.  So my plan is to replace the rotten raised beds and just to mow all the rest of this space.  I have cleaned out the rail fence and I'm going to put blackberries back in that space.  I'm going to use a couple of raised beds for asparagus, one for cantaloupe, one for watermelon and maybe strawberries in a couple.  Anyway, that's the plan.  Gary has already started rebuilding the picket fence for me. 

I had planned on this being an early fall project but after the rain on Monday I got out there and started working.  It was cool and misting rain and the weeds were popping out so easily......well, I over did it.  I majorly pulled a muscle in my lower back.  I don't use prescription drugs but I was thinking I wished I had a muscle relaxer.  My dear friend and cohort oily (essential oils) called and I told her about my back.  I was out of PanAway which is great for pulled muscles and inflammation.  She suggested using wintergreen which I did not have, but I had peppermint and clove which is in Pan Away. I mixed the two oils with a little Jojoba oil in the palm of my hand and rub that over the area that was hurting and within an hour it totally relaxed that muscle.  I was amazed!  Essential oils never cease to amaze me.  So for several days, I didn't do much.  I did enjoy the rain and the cool weather.  What a wonderful blessing and break in the middle of summer. 

Most people I know are concerned about the economy.  A dear friend from homeschooling days called me back in the spring and was asking what I was doing about "prepping."  I think this was a blog entry but I would like to say this again.  Back in the Y2K days we were buying and storing and doing all sorts of things and my friend did too.  That's why she was wondering what I was doing in preparation for whatever is going to happen.  I told her and I would like to suggest to you that all I'm doing is buying heirloom seeds and getting all my garden areas as ready as I can.  I'm also going to prepare or I should say Gary and I are going to prepare a cold frame so we can grow greens in the winter.  This is what I have felt inspired to do other than to have a good medical kit and medical supplies.  If you have room, fruit trees would be nice to have.

Wonderful Summertime Meal and Cornbread for Two

Yesterday, we had all of these wonderful summer vegetables for dinner.  Blackeye peas, steamed yellow squash, new potatoes, fried okra, garden tomatoes and sweet onions from the garden and last but not least is my wonderful cornbread.

Since it's just the two of us now, it has been a challenge for me to cut quantities in cooking for just two people.  We both enjoy cornbread but I usually end up throwing away quite a bit of it.  Closer to the holidays, I will freeze left overs to use for dressing.  So yesterday when I was making cornbread I decided to cut the recipe in half.  I thought you might like to have a good cornbread recipe for two people.

3/4 cup of cornmeal
1/4 cup of flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk

Mix all ingredients together.  Melt a little bacon drippings in a cast iron skillet or baking dish or one tablespoon of butter.  Then pour the ingredients into the skillet.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

We really like the flavor of onion in our cornbread so I chopped a small onion and added to the mixture.  I have also used this basic recipe and added one jalapeno pepper chopped, onion chopped and cheddar cheese for a Mexican flare to go with brown beans.  It's very good!  It's hard to tell from the picture but the cast iron skillet that I used for this amount is about a 8 inch skillet. 

My dad always crumbled left over cornbread into a glass of milk.  I can remember getting bites from him as he was eating that but it doesn't appeal to me now.  I thought it might appeal to some one.  This cornbread recipe does make wonderful dressing for the holidays.

Wishing you a wonderful week.