Harvest and Preservation

Adam with a bowl full of tomatoes he picked from our back yard garden.

This week we have seen a change in weather. It started out fairly sunny and warm and then we have gotten some rain, wind and cooler temperatures in the past few days. It starting to really look like fall around here. However, with the late gardening season we are still working on harvesting and preserving some things from the garden as they ripen and mature.

Although I am happy that we finally got a nice, warm summer I am glad that fall is here. I love the cozy feeling that comes with harvesting and enjoying the summer's bounty. This past week we have had many adventures here in the suburbs, in the country and out on the Oregon coast. We have been enjoying the best this area has to offer and we are so lucky to live here!

Suburban Garden:

Since I have been very busy this week canning pears the only thing that we did in the garden was to pick tomatoes. One day when I came to pick up Adam from preschool he asked me about the tomatoes in the school garden. He asked "Are they ready yet?" I said that some of them were ready but they were not ours. I did say that we had some tomato plants in our garden and we could pick those. So, later on that afternoon we took our bowls out and picked tomatoes. It was great fun! Adam even said "This is so much fun!" He really enjoyed picking lots of tomatoes and seeing which ones were ripe. He loves to take a big bite out of the tomatoes too! Yum! I was so happy that we already had such a great harvest from only 5 plants! I was amazed that everything did so well despite the fact that I had almost completely ignored most of the garden and yard in the past few weeks because of being so busy with canning.

A big bowl full of tomatoes from our garden.

Adam with a tomato he just picked out of the garden.

Country Garden:

Last Friday we visited the country garden again and many vegetables and fruits are getting ready to harvest. Because of the rain we had the previous weekend many of the cornstalks had fallen down because they got so tall and had a hard time in all of the rain and wind. However, there are still so many great things to harvest and with any luck we will be able to harvest some corn in the next few days. As you can see from the photos below many of the vegetables in the garden have small yields but many more like the tomatoes and grapes will give us a lot to harvest and preserve. My mom has been doing a lot of canning and drying lately. She has canned and dried over 50 pounds of tomatoes so far as well as dried large quart bags full of pears. Later on in the season I will post the totals of all of the canned/frozen vegetables and fruits we have preserved. It is a lot of work to do but well worth it when we think of how well we will be eating this winter!

Also on this lovely Friday Adam got a chance to "drive" the tractor by himself by steering the wheel. Luckily the tractor goes very slowly so Grandpa Dale walked alongside Adam and corrected his steering along the way. Adam was so thrilled to be able to drive the tractor almost by himself! He also got to take a very short ride on Grandpa Dale's motorcycle down the driveway and back slowly- what a thrill for him! He said that it was "the best ride ever" just like the tractor ride!

Adam walking through the "corn forest" in the country garden.

A small cauliflower forming inside the plant.

Small brussels sprouts forming on the branches of the plant.

A large winter squash forming on the vine.

A bell pepper.

Green beans ready to harvest.

I love the look of these heirloom tomatoes on the vine.

Some lovely grapes that we will use to make delicious juice.

An amazing and beautiful head of cabbage.

Some sweet green grapes that are almost ready.

Adam eating grapes from the vine. He ate a whole bunch by himself!

A beautifully shaped old apple tree on the edge of the orchard. These apples make great cider!

Apples on the old tree. They are almost ready to harvest!

Grandpa Dale and Adam on Grandpa's motorcycle.

Adam "driving" the tractor with Grandpa Dale by his side in the orchard.

Adam was so proud to be able to steer the tractor himself.

A Trip to Cannon Beach:

Me with Adam and Paul near the tide pools at Cannon Beach.

The weekend before last we took a trip to the coast with some friends of ours. We rented a house together in the Cannon Beach area. Although it was sunny on Friday, Saturday and Sunday were rainy, cold and windy. We still made the most of it as Adam loves to go into the ocean and doesn't seem to mind the cold. One of the days we all headed out to the tide pools and saw sea stars, sea anemones and mussels. It was so magical!

Griffin and Adam on the train.

We also rode the scenic coastal railroad from Rockaway Beach to Garibaldi and back. Both Adam and our friend's son Griffin really enjoyed the train.

Paul with Adam in the ocean. Adam loves the waves!

Every day, rain or shine Adam loved to go into the ocean waves. He does not seem to mind the cold and really loves the water. I can imagine him doing lots of water sports as soon as he is able to swim! It is a wonder and a delight for me to see how fearless Adam is and how much he enjoys everything!

Spiced Ginger Pears:

A jar of the spiced ginger pears that I canned.

This canning season I wanted to can pears but I got bored with the thought of plain canned pears. So, I came up with this spiced pears recipe that is so delicious! These pears are great with breakfast or spooned over vanilla ice cream! Yum!

Spiced Ginger Pears:

This recipes yields around 2 quarts of pears.

12 cups pears- peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
-lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup brown sugar

As you cut the pears place them in a dutch oven or cooking pot. Pour lemon juice over the pears as you cut them and stir them occasionally so that they don't brown. Once you have all of your chopped pears done, add the cinnamon stick, brown sugar and candied ginger to the pot. Stir it thoroughly and cook on the stove on medium heat until it bubbles and simmers. Ladle the pears into hot sterilized jars and seal. Process the jars in a boiling hot water bath for 15 minutes. Enjoy!


Making a Lantern:

Adam with some of the materials to make his lantern.

Last Friday Adam's preschool The Creative Children's Center had a lantern walk at a local park in the evening. A few days before we made the lantern at home. Adam loved cutting the paper, ribbons and fabric to decorate the soda bottle lantern. He also really loved dipping a brush in a glue/water mixture to glue the decorations to the lantern. Here are some photos of the process:

Adam cutting out paper to decorate the lantern while Paul looks on.

Adam ready to glue a piece of paper.

The finished lantern. Later we added a handle and put a small flashlight inside.


Paul and Adam on the lantern walk at Rood Bridge Park.

Sour Cream Whole Wheat Bread:

A loaf of the sour cream whole wheat bread.

Last week I was almost out of bread so I decided to make another different type of bread from the book I have by James Beard "Beard on Bread." I love this bread because it is very soft and has a great flavor. I changed the recipe a bit because I only had 1 cup of sour cream so I put in 1 cup of whole milk yogurt to go with it. Also, I substituted whole wheat flour for half of the flour in the recipe to make it healthier. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons yeast
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups sour cream (or 1 cup sour cream + 1 cup whole milk yogurt)
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 to 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour

1. Combine the yeast, sugar, and water in a small bowl and allow to proof for 5 minutes.

2. Put the sour cream, salt, and soda in a mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture.

3. Then add 4 cups of the flours, cup by cup, to make a very wet, sticky dough, beating hard with a wooden spoon after each addition.

4. Scrape the dough out onto a floured board. Lift the dough up and fold it over. Then, move the dough clockwise and repeat the folding process until the dough is not as sticky and can be worked with your hands. Add a little flour if needed to prevent sticking but do not add too much. This process will take about 10 minutes.

5. Place the dough into a clean, oiled bowl and let rise until doubled in bulk- about 2 hours. Punch down the dough.

6. Then, divide dough into 2 equal pieces and form into loaves. Place into greased 9x5 loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

7. Heat your oven to 375F. Bake the loaves for 30-35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the top and the bottom.

8. Let the loaves cool thoroughly before slicing.

Enjoy!


Note: I should have let the dough rise more in the pans before baking the loaves so they didn't rise as much as I would have liked. I was in a hurry that day- but the bread is still delicious!


Spiced Pumpkin Carrot Cupcakes:

Last Friday for Adam's preschool's lantern walk I made these cupcakes to share with the families after the walk. They were a big hit and I was glad everyone enjoyed them!

Spiced pumpkin carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing.

Spiced Pumpkin Carrot Cupcakes or Layer Cake:

I found out about this recipe from my husband Paul who saw it made by Ben Starr on Master Chef. I made this cake to try it out this summer and we really liked it. It also makes excellent cupcakes. This recipe makes about 18 cupcakes or a 3 layer cake with 9 inch cake pans. Enjoy!

Wet Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened (do NOT use margarine)

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

3 large egg yolks

1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups grated carrots

Dry Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour (I use unbleached and I prefer King Arthur flour)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ginger

1 tablespoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon each nutmeg, allspice, cloves

1 teaspoon salt

Fold In:

6 egg whites

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting Ingredients:

1 8oz package cream cheese (room temperature)

1 stick softened butter

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. 1. Grease your muffin tins with pan spray if making the cupcakes or line them with muffin papers. I also like to grease the muffin papers as well. If you are making the layer cake spray the bottom of the pan with pan spray then fit the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper circle and then grease the entire pan with pan spray. After that flour the pans by putting around a tablespoon of flour into each pan then then shaking out the excess into the sink.

2. 2. Preheat your oven to 325F.

3. 3. Beat the softened butter in an electric mixer until it is light and creamy.

4. 4. Add the granulated sugar and the brown sugar to the butter. Beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until it is light and fluffy.

5. Add the egg yolks to the mixture and beat for 3 more minutes.

6inAdd the pumpkin puree and vanilla and beat for 3 more minutes.

7. Fold in the grated carrots by hand or beat at a very low speed to incorporate them.

8. In a separate bowl combine with a whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt.

9. Sift the dry ingredients through a sifter and add them to the wet ingredients in the mixer. Mix on the slowest speed until combined.

10. In a separate bowl or in a clean mixing bowl beat the 6 egg whites and the cream of tartar until stiff peaks are formed. Start out at a very high speed but slow down to a lower speed once the egg whites change from a yellow color to a very white color. Once the egg whites reach the stiff peak consistency gently fold in 1/3 of them into the batter by hand using a rubber spatula. Then, add the rest of the egg whites into the batter until no more white streaks show.

11. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins/cups or cake pans. Bake the cake layers for about 30 minutes at 325F. Bake the cupcakes for around 20-25 minutes at 325F. Check the cakes with a toothpick- when it comes out clean without any batter clinging to it the cakes are done.

12. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Then dump upside down (gently!) onto a cooling rack to cool completely. If you are making the layer cake you may want to freeze the layers for about 45 minutes after they are fully cooled to room temperature. This will make them easier to frost and assemble.

13. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting:

Frosting Ingredients:

1 8oz package cream cheese (room temperature)

1 stick softened butter

3-4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter with a hand or stand mixer on high speed until it’s light and fluffy.

2. Then slowly begin to add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until it is fully incorporated and the frosting begins to thicken up.

3. Add the vanilla. Beat on slow speed until the vanilla begins to get mixed in, then beat on the highest speed possible for 2 minutes to ensure a light and fluffy frosting.

To frost cupcakes:

I like to just add a swirl of the cream cheese icing in the center of the cupcake using a decorating tube filled with frosting. Then, I sprinkle large sugar crystals (like turbinado sugar) on top. Or, you may frost the entire top of the cupcake if you wish.

To frost a layer cake:

1. Place 1 layer of cake on a cake plate or stand- place it so the flat side/bottom faces up. Frost this side.

2. Add the second layer and repeat.

3. Add the final layer and then frost the sides and top of the cake. If the frosting is uneven or not smooth I like to decorate the cake with something like coconut or nuts to cover it up and add some interest. You could also add some frosting swirls or other decorations.

Souffleed Macaroni and Cheese:

I made this dish the other night for dinner alongside a large portion of steamed green beans from the country garden and some broccoli. It was delicious!

Souffleed Macaroni and Cheese hot out of the oven!

This is a recipe that I enjoy making in the fall and winter. It is a satisfying and comforting dish to serve alongside a large serving of steamed veggies or a salad! This recipe is one that I clipped from Gourmet magazine when it was still being published. This recipe can also be doubled to make a 13x9 casserole size.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups scalded milk
1 cup soft bread crumbs (you can also use whole wheat bread to add some whole grain)
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked macaroni (I used whole wheat shell pasta)
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped onions
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted butter


-Pour hot milk over the soft bread crumbs; add cheese. Cover and let stand until the cheese melts. Add macaroni. Combine and add beaten egg yolks, bell peppers, onion, salt and melted butter.

-Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into mixture. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350F until puffed and golden, about 35 minutes.

Enjoy the beginning of the fall season and have a great week! Next week I'll return with gardening news, recipes and more!

Summer Adventures!

Adam eating a ripe, juicy peach at Grossen Peaches- a U-Pick farm in Hillsboro, Oregon.

We had another busy week with off and on sunny weather. We had some cold cloudy mornings but most of the afternoons have been sunny and pleasant. It has been nice to enjoy the warmth and the sun all that we can! It has been another very busy week and this current one is busier than ever. We are having a lot of fun but also looking forward to some vacation time and a change of scenery.

The apples on our dwarf apple tree are getting bigger!

Suburban Garden Report:

There are a few new things happening in the suburban garden this week. I have noticed that we have a lot of tomatoes forming on our plants. They are still small and green but I am hoping that one day we will be able to enjoy some fresh ones off of the vine when they are juicy and red!

Although they are still small and green there will be a big crop of tomatoes!

Also, I think I ended up with a jalapeno pepper plant! It is doing very well and has one pepper forming. There are also a lot of blooms on it! It'll be great to be able to make some salsa.

I think that I got a jalapeno pepper plant instead of a bell pepper plant!

Our little garden is growing well and I am enjoying using some of the fresh herbs and lettuce in salads and other dishes. It is such a great luxury to be able to go out and pick what we need and have such fresh and delicious food this summer! I am also going to try to dry as many herbs as I can to use in the fall and winter. I think I will have a lot of sage, parsley, basil, rosemary, tarragon and thyme to dry and save.

Berry Picking:

This past Wednesday we went berry picking with my friend Carol. We decided to go to the Smith Berry Barn in Hillsboro, Oregon. It was a nice sunny day to pick berries. We ended up picking triple crown blackberries as well as blueberries.

Adam really enjoyed eating some triple crown blackberries at Smith Berry Barn.

Adam really enjoyed going down the row with us and "sampling" a lot of the blackberries. However, later on he decided to go on his own adventure- running into the woods beyond the berry farm! We had quite the adventure running after him and getting him to come back with us! After that, we decided to move on to the blueberry area. The bushes were small and so were the blueberries there. Adam sure liked it though because the bushes were just his size and he stayed by one bush further down the row for quite while.

Later on, Adam was on the move again and I chased him through the apple orchard and back!! After that we decided it was time for lunch and we headed across the street to the South Store Cafe for a lovely lunch out on the sunny patio.

The triple crown blackberries at Smith Berry Barn.

Adam with Carol picking blueberries.

Carol and Adam eating lunch at the South Store Cafe.

Carol and both had the turkey club sandwiches with avocado and a side salad with almonds, blue cheese and almonds. Delicious!! Adam enjoyed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and apple juice. It was a lovely lunch and a nice rest from berry picking. After lunch we headed to another farm down the road to pick bigger blueberries. There, we were not disappointed as this farm had large blueberry bushes and super big, ripe blueberries were easy to pick! What a fun day!

Adam picking blueberries. He put some in his bucket and then dumped them into mine.

Grilled Pizza and a Lovely Visit:

This past Wednesday my Aunt Echo came to visit in the afternoon and stayed for dinner with us. It was so much fun to get the chance to chat with her and also show her around the garden and house. She is such a delight to have around and I am so glad that she was here this summer to visit! I decided to make a grilled pizza with a salad on the side for dinner as a special treat!

My Aunt Echo with Adam on our back deck after dinner.

A pepperoni, pepper, onion and mushroom pizza on the grill.

The pizza hot off the grill!

Grilled Pizza/Toppings Recipe:

This pizza dough recipe is one that has been in our family for a long time. I want to thank my friend Suzanne Hoselton for the original idea for grilled pizza. I actually searched high and low for her recipe before I made the dough last Wednesday but I could not find it. So, I made it a different way and I liked it as well. Her pizza goes directly on the grill without a pan and is also fabulous!

Pizza Dough:

1/1/2 cups hot tap water (the hottest you can touch)
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all purpose flour (I like to use King Arthur's unbleached)

1. Put yeast and water in a bowl and let rest for about 5 minutes.

2. When dissolved, add salt and two cups of flour. Mix together with a spoon until combined.

3. Add the last 2 cups of flour and mix together. (Not all of the flour will mix in yet.)

4. Pour the dough (and extra flour) out onto a floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes or until soft and elastic.

5. When the dough is thoroughly kneaded put it into a clean, oiled or buttered bowl and let rise for 1 hour. I like to put my dough-bowl in the sink with a clean kitchen towel over the bowl and fill the sink part way up with hot water.

6. After the 1 hour or when the dough has doubled divide the dough in half.

7. Form two pizza crusts on two greased pans or pizza stones.

8. Let the pizza dough rounds rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.

Then, top with the tomato sauce recipe below and the toppings listed below or the toppings that you desire.

Tomato Pizza Sauce:

olive oil
2-cloves minced garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2/3 cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
-ground pepper to taste.

1. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil.

3. Add the remaining ingredients.

4. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer as you wait for your pizza crusts to rise and you heat up your grill.

Topping ideas:

-pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onion

or

-Canadian bacon/pineapple

-shredded mozzarella cheese

-shredded Parmesan cheese

Top each pizza this way: Spread a little tomato sauce on each pizza. Put the meat and veggies on next. Then top with the mozzarella and a little bit of shredded Parmesan cheese.

We did one of each of these pizzas- but the possibilities are endless!

I suggest that you saute the vegetables in some olive oil until they are slightly softened. If they are partially cooked when they go on the pizza they will be much tastier when the pizza is done because grilled pizzas cook very fast!

Cooking the Pizza:

In this cooking method the grill becomes a sort of "wood fired oven" I have discovered. First, I let the grill heat up on high for about 15 minutes. Then, I turned both burners down to medium low. Next, put the pizza on the grill and close the lid. I learned (by the second pizza) that is takes around 7 minutes to cook the pizza thoroughly with this method without charring the crust. Although the first pizza was still very good the bottom was a bit charred.

Enjoy your pizza this summer!

For dessert we enjoyed some gourmet smores made with toasted marshmallows toasted over the flame of the side burner of the barbecue. Yum!

Our dessert: A gourmet smore made with shortbread cookies and homemade lemon curd!

A Birthday Dinner:

This past Friday instead of our normal trek out to see the garden and woods we prepared a nice summer birthday dinner for my Dad. This year he turned 69 years old. How time flies! It was a lovely party that came together with Aunt Echo, Kim my mom and I working together.

Grandpa Dale on his 69th birthday with Adam.

My Aunt Echo made one of her favorite salads for the party- Waldorf Salad. I really like how she made it with fresh apples from the orchard and a nice dressing that wasn't too thick- and plenty of raisins which I love! Delicious! We sure enjoyed visiting together while we cooked!

A delicious Waldorf salad my Aunt Echo made with home-grown yellow transparent apples.

Both my Aunt Echo and my mom worked on this lovely brined/barbecued turkey. It was so delicious and moist! Next week I will be sure to post the recipe for it.

A lovely smoked turkey that my mom made!

Adam enjoying his corn on the cob with my Aunt Echo in the background.

My contribution was a potato salad and also these fresh basil biscuits. They were some simple baking powder biscuits with fresh, chopped basil mixed in.

Some yummy basil biscuits that I made.

Kim made a wonderful, homemade angel food cake for the celebration that was topped with rice pudding and raspberries provided by family friends Sandy and Jim. Yum!!

My dad with his birthday cake. Kim made a delicious homemade angel food cake.

Swimming:

This past Saturday we had the fortune of being invited to go swimming at my cousin Helen's house. She has such a beautiful garden and a lovely house. We had fun touring her gardens as well as her home while we were there. What a treat! It was a lot of fun!

My aunt Echo, cousin Helen, mom and Adam by Helen's lovely pool.

Adam had a lot of fun "swimming" with help. He just loves the water and this was the perfect place for him to be! It was a bit of a cold morning so we had some delicious Mediterranean snacks by the pool as well as hot tea and coffee. Yum!

Me with Adam in the pool. What fun we had!

We hope to come back another day to visit Helen and swim in the pool together. Adam was so sad when he left he almost cried! He sure had the best time ever!

Berry Cobbler and Berry Crisp:

For a barbecue with friends on Saturday evening I made a berry cobbler and a crisp. I love these types of desserts in the summer!

A triple berry cobbler that I made for a barbecue.

A gluten and dairy free triple berry crisp.

Triple Berry Cobbler/Crisp:

For this cobbler and crisp I used blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. I topped the cobbler with a scone topping and the crisp with a gluten free oatmeal-hazelnut topping.

For Cobbler or Berry Crisp Filling:

about 3 pints berries of your choice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2-2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla

Crisp Topping: (this is the gluten free/dairy free version)

6 tablespoons brown rice flour
5 tablespoons rolled oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
5 tablespoons margarine or butter
3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

Scone Topping for Cobbler:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
11 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream

1 cup mix in: dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc), chocolate chips, coconut, etc. (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly butter baking sheet or cover with a sheet of parchment paper.

2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder together in a medium size bowl.

3. Cut in small chunks of butter with a fork or with a pastry blender. Blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

4. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the cream. Stir just until moist.

5. Transfer dough to a floured surface and gently knead until smooth, about 8 turns.

6. Make a large round out of the dough (enough to cover the berries in the cobbler dish. Brush the top with heavy cream sprinkle with sugar.

To Assemble:

-Heat the oven to 375F.

I used a pie plate for the berry cobbler and a casserole dish for the berry crisp but any glass or ceramic oven-proof dish will work. Mix the berry mixture together. Place the mixture into the pan or pans. Then, make the cobbler or crisp topping and top according to your taste.

-Then, bake for about 40 minutes. Make sure the filling is bubbling and the toppings are golden or crisp. If needed bake a few more minutes. Enjoy!!

Corn Meal Bread:

This Sunday after many weeks without baking bread I decided I wanted to get back into it with this new recipe. It is such a fabulous bread! It is very soft and like my husband Paul says the texture is like the inside of French bread which I love! It is delicious with butter on it and I've also enjoyed it with peanut butter or berry jam. Enjoy!

Corn Meal Bread Recipe:

This recipe is from my James Beard book "Beard on Bread". I just love his bread recipes!

1/2 cup cornmeal (I like to buy the whole grain Bob's Red Mill brand)
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup very warm tap water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup warm milk
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1. Place 1 cup of boiling water into a small bowl. Add the cornmeal and salt and stir vigorously until it "cooks" and gets thick. (About 4 minutes)

2. Place this mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool.

3. Mix the yeast with the granulated sugar in a glass measuring cup or a small mixing bowl. Add the hot tap water and mix well. Let it stand about 5 minutes to proof. Then, pour this mixture into the mixing bowl with the cornmeal mixture. Mix well.

4. Add the warm milk salt, brown sugar. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.

5. When the mixture is well blended and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl turn out onto a floured surface to knead the dough.

6. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic- about 10-12 minutes.

7. Butter or oil a large, clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the butter or oil on all sides. Cover the bowl and set it in a draft free, warm place to rise until double in bulk.

8. Punch the dough down and turn out onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half and form into 2 loaves. Butter or oil 2 loaf pans. Then place the dough into the pans.

9, Cover the pans and let the dough rise until almost doubled in bulk.

10. Bake in a preheated 425F oven for 10 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 350F and continue baking for 20-25 minutes, until the bread is nicely browned.

11. Let cool on racks before serving.

I love how this bread makes delicious toast in the morning as well as good bread for grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. Enjoy!

Peach Picking:

This Monday we decided to go peach picking. It was a lot of fun! We really enjoyed ourselves. It was also easier than berry picking with Adam on tow because I could pick a lot of peaches fairly quickly since they are large. By the time he was interested in running off I was almost done picking peaches. He also enjoyed eating a couple of peaches right off of the tree. Nothing could be better!! We went to Grossen Peaches in the Helvatia area of Hillsboro to pick peaches. It was their opening day for the first ripe peaches and we were lucky to be there! I am so glad that we made it!

Some of the first peaches of the season at Grossen Peaches in Hillsboro.

Adam about to bite into a peach. He sure loved it here!

Some of the peaches that I picked.

Adam running down a row at the peach orchard.

A queen Anne's lace flower near the peach orchard.

Adam had such fun exploring in this field by the peach orchard.

We had such a fun & busy week! We will have a lot to report next week too! Enjoy your summer and enjoy your day to the fullest!