Harvest 2011 - Sweet Corn

Tassels are parching. Silk is browning.  The sweet corn is starting to ripen. 

Since we planted successional crops, we should be eating sweet corn on a regular basis from now through September.  No complaints from me.

Glenn (6'2") harvesting sweet corn

Sweet corn is difficult to harvest; not in terms of actually picking the ears off the stalks, but in terms of determining its maturity.  Sweet corn is not forgiving.  The ears must be picked when the kernels are just mature, not under mature and not overly mature, otherwise; the corn taste is just OK, so-so.

I want my sweet corn to be perfect - firm, milky, sweet, melt-in-my mouth flavor with the added butter dripping down from the sides of my mouth as I methodically eat the rows of the golden kernels off the cob - that is the only way sweet corn should be eaten.

Mealy, over-mature - a treat for Ember or the buck sheep, but not for me!

The shucks are fed to the animals.  I have said it before, I will keep saying it, " Nothing goes to waste on the farm!"

If there is a surplus, and there will not be much this year;  the sweet corn is blanched on the cob, the kernels cut off and packaged into freezer bags.  No canning for this veggie; the flavor is lost. Come winter, eating this corn will be a bit like revisiting summer in January.

Fresh, tender sweet corn is, by far, my favorite vegetable.  Bring on the corn!

Harvest 2011 - Onions, Cucumbers

The vegetable harvest of 2011 is coming into full swing at Mountain Glen Farm.  The vegetables are maturing not every few days, not daily, but what seems like every hour - no exaggeration. Those of you who have vegetable gardens can relate - the kitchen counters fill with piles of peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash and the like; friends duck from view as they see you coming loaded down with heavy paper grocery sacks, knowing that the sacks contain vegetable surplus (they, too, have zucchini up the kazoo) and fruit flies have become the fly du jour not only in the kitchen, but throughout the house.  Yep, the produce is accumulating fast!

Like always, though; the harvest is unpredictable.  This year's harvest is, generally, on the light side due to the drought at the height of the growing period. 

The onions, three varieties - white, yellow, red;  are out of the ground and on a drying table.  Here, the onions will hang out until they are put to use or until the air temperatures drop below freezing.  This year's crop are a bit small, but will still serve our needs adequately.  My favorites are the reds because they add a dimension of color to any recipe.

Onions are a must in many of the dishes we prepare.  Glenn loves onions.  So, onions go into salads -  chef, macaroni, potato; stews; omelets; sauces; fried potatoes; pizza; and more.  He might even be thinking of using them as an ice cream topping one day....naw.  Well, maybe.

The cucumber vines have been producing well since early summer and are continuing to produce abundantly.

Last year, the cucumber vines died before any cukes developed - not a one.    This year, we are gathering cucumbers daily, our table is overflowing.  Two people can only eat a certain amount of fresh cucumbers.  This is one veggie that I do not put up.  We eat it fresh, and that's that.  The large ones that were initially overlooked when small, the huge green leaves are a fabulous cover for green fruit, are fed to the chickens - a real treat.  Nothing goes to waste on the farm. 

We eat the small to mid-sized fruits diced into salads or sliced, as a side, when combined with a sour cream dressing.  I have several Gladys Taber recipes for stuffed, baked cucumbers (even using those giant ones that have turned yellow - the ones that normally do go to the chickens) that I need to try.  This would be the year to experiment - maybe tonight.....

Personally, cucumbers do nothing for me as they taste rather bland, almost no taste at all.  Basically, with a cucumber, I am getting crunch.  Crunch is OK.

Then, there's the burp...

Little Ol' Bread Maker - Me (focaccia)

I really like to bake my own bread from scratch.

Over the years, I have devised a few personal techniques that aid in the success of my bread-making.  Don't get me wrong...I still have failures - working with yeast is tricky, but I have learned to keep those failures to a minimum because nothing tastes better than a flavorful slice(s) of homemade bread.  Usually, no one in this house can stop at only one slice.  The norm...the loaf is gone, as is eaten, by bedtime.  Now, that's the sign of a good loaf of bread.

Yesterday, I made a pasta casserole for dinner.  I used only fresh vegetables from my garden to make the sauce.  That, in itself, was yummy!  What goes better with Italian than a fabulous focaccia.  And,  I make a lip-smacking one - the herbs, the cheeses, the pepperoni. May I repeat, yummy!  Do not take my word for it, ask my husband Glenn or daughter Becky if you can get them to answer between  bites.

The recipe is not my original; it is my version of a recipe from allrecipes.com combined with an idea I gleaned from a restaurant.

When I knead the dough, I already know whether the bread is going to be good, or not.  My touch lets me know. So, even before the loaves go into the oven, I know if I should be salivating or not.  If the sensation is absolute,  the result is a focaccia that is delicious when served with tomato-based meals or that is delicious when eaten alone - no butter necessary.

My helpful hints to my successful bread-making?  Well......for a start, my best tip is to use Rapid Rise yeast as it saves a lot of time and makes the entire process easier.  Another....shape the loaves, cover, and place in a 145 degree oven for 30 minutes to rise, then bake.  Two risings are not necessary.

More tips?  Try making bread yourself.   You will find out what works best for you, and you will have a scrumptious reward  for your efforts. 

Excuse me while I go get another slice of that fabulous focaccia before Glenn devours it all...

Full Moon

The past few nights have been brightened by the fulling moon. 

I can see the boards fence, the trees, the outline of the distant mountains, the ghostly clouds quite clearly by the light of the moon.

As the moon light directly shines into my window and onto me,  I think that perhaps a pair of moonglasses would be in order or a swathing of moontan lotion - the light is that bright.  Only kidding, even though; the source of the light is the sun.

In reality, I relish the uniqueness, the unearthly aura.  I look forward to sleeping enveloped in this mystical glow;  to those nights which are illuminated by moon beams.  I am tranquil, at peace. 

And, in another 30 days, I will get to experience this unrivaled serenity over again.

What Happened to the Watermelon?

The verdict is in...the vine growing in the small, raised, flower bed on the mountain side (sometimes I call it the back of the house, sometimes the front) of the house is not the long anticipated watermelon, but decorative gourds instead - boo, hoo!

 

For the past two summers, we have been growing, almost by accident; the reddest, the juiciest, the best tasting watermelon ever in a small (4' X 10') raised bed adjacent to the deck.  Glenn and I usually sit on this deck to eat the dripping melon, then spit the seeds into the bed. The blooming flowers hide our bad manners. The following summer, those same seeds produce delicious fruit without any help from us.

This year, I decided to deliberately plant two different varieties of watermelon in that same bed.  I was getting the best of both worlds - my choice of melon with all the flavor.  What happened?  I guess I tempted fate as a gourd vine grew instead of a watermelon vine, any watermelon vine - how disappointing!

The gourds are beautiful and will make quite a lovely fall decoration, but they are not quite the mouth-watering, juice dribbling down the chin, sticky finger harvest we were waiting on.

Starry Sky

I was awaken by the barking of the fox. He was quite near, but by the sounds of his bark; on the move. 

I thought about my chickens...had they been closed-up for the night.  Becky was here for supper and she was given that task.  So, at 4:15 AM, flashlight in hand, I walked out to the chicken house.  Buddy joined me half way.  The chickens were secure.  Whew!  Thank you Becky.

The bonus from my early walk was the starry sky above.  The full sweep of my view was filled with stars, and a planet or two.  Gee, I wonder if I can get a picture of this. (I guess by now you have figured out that I am not only obsessed with writing, but also with taking photographs.) I quietly went back into the house, trying to keep from waking Glenn, and grabbed my camera and tripod.

Back outside, I set the camera for both night and starry sky trying to find which setting would get me the best night sky photo.  A very slow click....click....click came from the camera as it was on a fifteen second delay due to the darkness.

Not bad for a first attempt if you really strain your eyes.  No, those specks are not dust, those specks are stars.  If you look closely, you can see the constellation Orion, or at least, in part.

Hmmm...there will be a full moon soon...

Golden Silk Orb-Weaver

I was out in the garden early, as usually, to beat the heat. 

I noticed a difference in the air - not as humid, and more bearable - not quite the sense of autumn around the corner, but definitely a welcomed change.  I was able to putter longer than I have in recent weeks with no sweat running down into my eyes.  Sweet!  I was actually enjoying my gardening, again.

I went inside to fetch my camera.  I really should just keep my camera hanging permanently from my neck, as I always seem to be running to get it for a great photo op, then; I miss the op.

This time, I wanted to get a few pictures of our the three bucks - as in male sheep.  But, by the time it took to get the camera, they had moved into a combination sunny, shady area and the lighting was too tricky for my novice photography abilities.  I moved into the veggie garden hoping to get a few good vegetable shots.  Again, lighting all wrong.

Nevertheless, I did happen upon a golden orb spider that just nabbed what looked like a huge June bug.  He started spinning his prey - round and round.  A thin layer of silk swiftly held the beetle, then a few more turns of the spider's legs (all eight were working) and soon the bug was encased in a thick capsule of perfectly rolled white thread.  I quickly adjusted the  camera settings and took a few  shots.  I come upon golden orb-weavers quite frequently, but never had I seen any prey in the webs until now.  And, to witness the actual capture and spinning was absolutely amazing to watch. 

I wanted a video.  From past experience, a video without the aid of a tripod is always shaky, but I did not have time to retrieve my tripod.  I attempted the video, handheld.  Unfortunately, I was already standing unbalanced, a bit contorted, straining myself as I reached over a massive tomato plant to get my close-up photos (anything for that 'good' shot).  I was at a disadvantage. Within seconds, I felt myself falling. I was able to shoot about two seconds of video.

I am satisfied with two seconds.  I might never get a similar chance ever again.

For some reason, I always liked the orb-weaver spiders (as far as spiders go)  - maybe because I could always see them (they are large),  I always knew their location.