It was a twenty-four threescore minutes menstruation spent on my feet yesterday. Sue as well as I were out early on for our Fri morn walk. We walked out past times my household this time, as well as nosotros met upward at a rental hall downwards inward the valley. The Laurel Community Center, pictured below, was built inward 1923. For a while, it was the habitation of the Laurel Valley School of Dance. The edifice has gone through many permutations inward its life, but nosotros simply advert to it every bit the "Dance Studio." It's also earned itself a spot on the Quilt Barn Trail of Washington County.
We've been watching for some fourth dimension every bit this garden has been created as well as planted at the bring upward of the building. It seems to go funded past times a grant from the Tualatin Soil & Water Conservation District.
The garden is lovely correct instantly alongside lots of flowers, including many dissimilar colors of hollyhocks.
At my feet were these painted rocks.
Looking upward was this giant sunflower, almost 8 feet tall.
Behind were some pretty dahlias.
Also, these piddling royal guys...about the size of a quarter.
But fourth dimension was a-wasting, as well as and then nosotros got on our way. The wheat has been harvested, but the oats await their turn.
It was lovely yesterday morning. The conditions was coolish, as well as at that topographic point was simply the slightest hint of mist inward the air. This is the surface area where my favorite barn is. You tin sack come across it off to the left as well as close the middle of the paradigm below.
Here's a film I took inward the spring.
Walking on, nosotros saw apples on a tree. These must go unopen to ripe.
Also, wild Oregon blackberries ripening on a vine.
Some wildflowers blooming past times the side of the road. I idea that was a spider when I start saw it, but it was simply a bee alongside its legs spread wide.
Some walnut trees.
When nosotros were finished alongside our walk, I drove simply a few miles downwards the route to Puck's Peaches. We've purchased peaches hither before, but we've ever picked them upward on our way habitation from somewhere, as well as and then nosotros arrived from the contrary direction. Until yesterday, I didn't realize how unopen they are to where nosotros live. Look at how pretty the peaches were on the trees.
Inside as well as making my purchase, I noticed these past times the cash register.
And I scored 2 boxes of these lovelies. They are drip-down-your-elbows juicy. I'd improve larn busy canning them earlier they are all eaten. Oh, but wait...I tin sack become dorsum as well as larn some more!
The peaches volition in all probability receive got to hold off until Monday, however, because yesterday's concern was all almost the CSA carrots. They were transformed into vii 12-oz. jars of Spicy Dilled Carrot Spears. I tin sack barely operate on these on the pantry shelf.
Also, I wanted to accept tending of the cherry tomatoes from Erik as well as Mae's garden. These were transformed into 10 half-pints of Moroccan-Spiced Sweet as well as Hot Cherry Tomato Preserves emphasis on the hot. It won't knock your caput off, but it's pretty spicy. I'm trying to create upward one's heed if its the total teaspoon of cayenne or the 8 oz.(!) of fresh ginger that goes into them. Or possibly it's the combination of the two.
The recipe is from this book:
I acquired it final twelvemonth when the Kindle version was simply $1.99. The cost is dorsum upward now, but I'll portion the recipe. It says to create it for xv minutes, but mine cooked for almost an threescore minutes earlier I idea it was ready. So, hither you lot go:
Moroccan-spiced Sweet as well as Hot Cherry Tomato Preserves
Yield: almost five pints
Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh ginger, peeled as well as thinly sliced across the grain
1 teaspoon dry reason cayenne
1 tablespoon dry reason cinnamon
1 teaspoon dry reason cloves
1 tablespoon dry reason cumin
1 loving cup apple tree cider vinegar
8 cups (4 pint baskets) cherry tomatoes, stemmed
2 cups firmly packed low-cal brownish sugar
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large juicy lemons, sliced paper-thin on a mandolin, seeded, as well as cutting into eighths
3/4 loving cup water
1 teaspoon salt, addition to a greater extent than every bit needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly dry reason dark pepper
Directions:
Place 3 or 4 minor plates inward the freezer. Prepare a boiling H2O bathroom as well as gear upward jars according to manufacturer's directions.
In the container of a nutrient processor or blender, grind the ginger alongside the cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, as well as vinegar.
In a large preserving pot over high heat, combine the spice mixture, tomatoes, brownish as well as granulated sugars, lemon slices, water, salt, as well as pepper, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil over high oestrus as well as create for almost xv minutes.
Decrease the oestrus nether the tomatoes as well as create the mixture, stirring frequently, until it is thick as well as passes the plate exam (see note). It should non go real runny. Season to gustatory modality alongside salt. Remove the pot from the heat.
When jam is ready, ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch caput space. Wipe the rims create clean as well as laid the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist until finger tight.
Using a jounce lifter, gently lower the jars into the pots. When the H2O returns to a boil, decrease the oestrus to an active simmer, as well as procedure the jars for 10 minutes. (Add five minutes of processing fourth dimension for every 1,000 feet of elevation.) Turn off the oestrus as well as exit the jars inward the H2O for five minutes.
Using a jounce lifter, transfer the jars shape the pot to a folded kitchen towel as well as let to laid for at to the lowest degree six hours, until cool plenty to handle. Check seals. Label as well as shop sealed jars for six months to 2 years. Once open, shop inward the fridge for upward to 3 months.
Note: To produce a plate test, drib a spoonful of hot preserves on a frozen plate as well as provide to freezer for 1 minute. Then, plough the plate as well as then it is vertical to the dry reason for a 2nd or two. If the save is finished, the spoonful volition non run much and, later on a few minutes dorsum inward the freezer volition laid upward semi-firmly if the save is ready for jarring. Some state to run your finger through the dollop. If the jam wrinkles it is set.
For today's activities, we're edifice a wall for our novel peony bed. It's taking the house of the iris nosotros took out final year. The peonies are expected to larn inward in October. We're getting a caput start because we're traveling inward September, as well as nosotros desire the bed ready when nosotros return. I'm non certain how much my efforts volition go required beyond loading as well as unloading the bricks, as well as and then the residuum of the day's agenda is TBD. If there's time, I'll larn later on the piles of zucchini as well as transform them into something that fits into a jar.
It was a two-kitty twenty-four threescore minutes menstruation at my purpose window for the writing of this weblog post.
You could produce a lot worse than this.