Salsa and Sauce for the Cooler Months Ahead

While the Blind Boys of Alabama sang their gospel and soulful blues and Abby and Scout napped, John and I peeled, chopped, simmered, and canned... and laughed, sang, and sweated... and thankfully put a dent in the tomatoes that had lined our kitchen countertops in every direction. Oh yes, there are still tomatoes sitting there in the windowsill and in the sunlight around the sink, waiting to turn wondrously ripe, waiting for their time to be turned into pico de gallo or sauce or quiche or to be simply sliced for sandwiches. And there are still tomatoes on the vines in the garden. But at least we got our first day of canning done yesterday (or as our Southern rural neighbors say, we "put up" some tomatoes) and are proud of our fresh, homemade sauce for pasta and hot, lively salsa for autumn afternoons and winter evenings. And there's some fresh, chopped tomatoes on hand in the fridge for other uses this week, including tonight's meal of shrimp and linguini and salad.

We spent several hours at this project. It's definitely a labor of love for fresh, organic, and homegrown because it takes a lot of time and energy. Our yield yesterday won't last us too long, but we'll enjoy every bite of it.

Here is the first batch of tomatoes, mostly Romas but we also used Mountain Pride, German Johnson, and Celebrity, waiting to be parboiled and then dunked into ice cold water so their skins could be easily removed.

Here I am at the sink, peeling away and peeling away and peeling away. I can't tell you how many tomatoes we went through, but it was a lot!

Now everything's been peeled, chopped, blended, and ready to be lightly boiled... oh wait... not quite enough garlic. John and I adore garlic. After this step, the tomatoes and their various counterparts will be placed into sterilized jars and dropped into a hot water bath for approximately 45 minutes. That's when we can sit down and enjoy a glass of wine (me) or another cup of coffee (John).

The results? Five pints of salsa and four quarts and a pint of pasta sauce. They might look the same in the jars, but trust me, they are not. Oh no, they definitely are quite different.

And one last photo... blueberries picked yesterday morning while it was raining and the temperature was bearable. I brought them in, dumped them on a towel across the table, and spread them out in one layer to dry.... probably about ten cups, and more on the bushes still.

Fortunately these are much easier to deal with as they freeze so well, and many of them will be made into another Blueberry Streusel Cobbler that we will take to our son's house when we go to enjoy dinner and a visit this weekend, and to bring Empi back to Camp Dresser while our son goes to Las Vegas... for work!

It's Canning Time

Our tomatoes are coming in strong and heavy. Looks like Monday will be canning day for us. These photos show the yield from a couple days ago, which means that there have been two more collections made since then. We'd thought our plants were looking rather shabby with their spotted and dying leaves, but after much worry and lots of tender care, I think they'll be okay. So homemade salsa and pasta sauce will be available through at least part of the winter.

We've picked a few poblano peppers, my personal favorite. But the pepper plants are being a little slow... they need lots of sun and heat... which we're now getting again, after a lovely little cool spell. Our beans and squash are still looking good, though not quite ready for harvesting. We got a late start on those because our lettuce was so productive this year and we waited to pull those up before we planted other veggies.

The blueberries bushes are loaded, and I've picked a few pints, but I'm waiting a few more days for the berries to get a little bigger, a little darker, and a little bit sweeter; the rain we had this week should help with that.

The apples are growing like crazy in my neighbor's meadow where I've been walking his dogs, so there'll be plenty of those for more apple pies, baked and fried. Our grape vines are amazingly full... gotta figure out what to do with those come September. Same with the pear tree.

On another note, it's been a good week for wildlife. Birds seen both here at home and at my neighbor's home, three miles up the road where I am dog-sitting, have included, with much excitment on our part, Scarlet Tanagers which seem to be regular visitors, at least this week, in and around the blueberry bushes. Making regular appearances as well are the Indigo Buntings and Eastern Bluebirds with their beautiful flashes of blue feathers. And we have the usual, or shall I say oft-sighted, Goldfinches and Purple Finches, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, and many more.

We have had our part in six Box Turtle crossings. And we have seen several deer in our yard, including this beauty yesterday evening.

Happy harvesting, and remember to count your blessings!

Garden's End

Today has been another lovely day in a string of warm, October-like days. I have loved this weather... more like autumn than October was! I did some yard work today, clearing out dead vines, raking, cleaning out the gutters... and I picked the final veggies out of the garden. Sad to see that end, but it sure was good while it lasted! And we'll be enjoying these fresh peppers in some yummy meals this week! Nothing like a little heat to liven up a meal!


Summer has its fresh greens... but autumn has its own earthy, rich colors... a perfect background for the last bowl of veggies from the garden.


And from a different point on the color wheel...let's not forget that gorgeous blue, autumnal sky... the background for one of our persimmon trees... ripe red fruit still hanging on. Our dogs love to eat these when they fall to the ground!


Until tomorrow, when I'll post my Tuesday's Treasures, have a great evening!