Some of the huckleberries that I picked near the Peterson Prairie Camp area in Washington.
Wow! The past 2 weeks have been very busy around here so I haven't had a chance to get a blog post done! And, it's just going to get busier with Adam starting preschool next week! So, I wanted to make sure and post an overview of what has been going on in our gardens as well as fun, celebrations and recipes to share with you all.
Suburban Garden Report:
Our garden is coming along well this week. My lettuce is starting to bolt. It has been a great season for lettuce and we have enjoyed a lot of salads from it. I will let some of the lettuce go to seed and try to collect the seeds. We still have many green tomatoes but I got our first two small, ripe ones today. Adam ate them both right away! Also, we still have many huckleberries on the bush as well as herbs. I am collecting some lavender to dry and make some shortbread cookies with.
Country Garden Report:
This report is brought to you by my mom Serena. I didn't make it out to the garden last week because we all went camping. Here is what my mom had to say about what is coming along in the garden and orchard this week:
Adam turns Three!:
On Sunday, August 21, 2011 we celebrated Adam's birthday with a fun, traditional barbecue. Fun was had by all as the kids enjoyed playing in little pools and a slip n slide outside in the backyard. We also had snow cones, hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages and chicken along with baked beans, potato salad, green salad and chips. It is hard to believe that Adam is already 3! Time sure does fly when you are having fun! We had a wonderful party but we missed most of my side of the family because my Dad got the same illness we battled part of the summer and we were afraid of others at the party getting it. They surely were missed!!
Last weekend we took a lovely family trip to Trout Lake/Peterson Prairie in Washington state. It was fantastic! Many family members stayed at a big campsite in the Peterson Prairie area while we stayed in a nearby cabin in the little town of Trout Lake. The town was very charming with a general store that had everything! It sure was lucky that the store was well stocked because as soon as we arrived at our cabin Paul and I realized that we had forgotten our suitcase full of clothes. We had all of our supplies and plenty of clothes for Adam but nothing extra for us! So, off to the general store we went where we were able to find sweatpants, yoga pants, t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. They were all very well made and comfortable! How lucky! What an adventure! We enjoyed sharing some meals with my parents, Aunt Debbie, Uncle Mark, Stuart, Kim, cousins Helen and Rachel at the campsite as well as exploring a bit on our own and enjoying the peaceful cabin.
Adam enjoying a smore around the campfire.
Suburban Garden Report:
Our garden is coming along well this week. My lettuce is starting to bolt. It has been a great season for lettuce and we have enjoyed a lot of salads from it. I will let some of the lettuce go to seed and try to collect the seeds. We still have many green tomatoes but I got our first two small, ripe ones today. Adam ate them both right away! Also, we still have many huckleberries on the bush as well as herbs. I am collecting some lavender to dry and make some shortbread cookies with.
Our apple harvest from our dwarf apple tree in the backyard. Hopefully we'll make apple and blackberry turnovers soon. Adam said he'd like turnovers. Yum!
Adam eating one of the apples off the tree.
Our tomatoes are growing well, but I hope for some red ones soon!
A handful of my own lavender blossoms!
Huckleberries on one of our bushes. They are loaded with berries!
Some huckleberries that Adam helped to gather.
I just love these roses!
This impatien in the front yard is spectacular!
Adam eating one of the apples off the tree.
Our tomatoes are growing well, but I hope for some red ones soon!
A handful of my own lavender blossoms!
Huckleberries on one of our bushes. They are loaded with berries!
Some huckleberries that Adam helped to gather.
I just love these roses!
This impatien in the front yard is spectacular!
As the gardening season draws to a close and harvest season is here, I still really enjoy my flowers but many of them are waning. I have to pick and choose what I decide to do day by day because I cannot do everything. As a result, there are many weeds to be pulled and things to be done in the garden, but it will have to wait until later in the fall. Right now I am going to concentrate on harvesting everything from the garden and preserving as much as I can of it. At the beginning I was overwhelmed by everything but I decided that if I could do one preserving project a day, that would suffice. I am happy with that and pleased with all I have accomplished. I think it is better to take it one step at a time.
This report is brought to you by my mom Serena. I didn't make it out to the garden last week because we all went camping. Here is what my mom had to say about what is coming along in the garden and orchard this week:
"There are lots of blackberries for Adam to enjoy fresh, besides picking them for other purposes. We also have Gravenstein apples ready for sauce and pie slices.
I have three huge zucchini on the counter right now, and smaller ones in the garden, so you can do anything you want with zucchini. There are some pumpkins and winter squash developing.
The corn has finally begun to tassel, and I see silk on some of the cornstalks.
I have a small batch of sweet cucumber pickles started. The beets are fairly springing out of the ground, so maybe we want to start using them in some way. Uncle Mark won't be making his pickled beets, so we could do some of those besides enjoying them fresh. I haven't looked at other recipes to see possibilities.
The green beans along the fence are in full flower, with some small beans forming. One variety of bush beans has been producing very well, but about 3/4 of the row didn't come up, so we don't have as many as we might. The other type of bush beans has flowered, but none have developed so far.
The tomatoes continue to be green. We have jalapeno peppers forming, and one green bell pepper.
My lettuce has begun to bolt. It has given us many nights of salad and sandwich and burger fixings, so I can't complain. I will probably pull up most of it and let some go to seed to save for next year.
We need to assess the kale and chard. I wonder if it would be a good idea to pick it and freeze some, so the plants will continue to produce. I am going to see what I can find on the subject.
The dill is beginning to flower. Again, I am going to let some go to seed to save it for planting next year, and the rest will be used fresh for pickles or dried for seasoning during the year.
The prune plums and Bartlett pears are close to ready to pick. They are right on schedule. I can always count on them around Labor Day more or less.
There are other apples and pears that will be ready to pick toward the end of September or October.
We can look over the other plantings in the garden and see what else might need to be done, but I think that is the majority of the possibilities. I enjoyed walking down the row, looking and the corn and beans, and saw one winter squash vine climbing up into the corn, about as high as the stalk of corn could take it. There was a lovely big blossom on it, and a bee was happily investigating the interior. It will be interesting to see what we might get from the corn patch besides corn!" Serena Johnston- Tuesday, August 30, 2011.
On Sunday, August 21, 2011 we celebrated Adam's birthday with a fun, traditional barbecue. Fun was had by all as the kids enjoyed playing in little pools and a slip n slide outside in the backyard. We also had snow cones, hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages and chicken along with baked beans, potato salad, green salad and chips. It is hard to believe that Adam is already 3! Time sure does fly when you are having fun! We had a wonderful party but we missed most of my side of the family because my Dad got the same illness we battled part of the summer and we were afraid of others at the party getting it. They surely were missed!!
Adam with Mommy and Daddy during his birthday party on August 21, 2011.
The peach cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes I made for Adam's birthday.
The peach cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes I made for Adam's birthday.
Adam working on blowing out his birthday candle on his cupcake.
Adam taking a swing at his kitty pinata. The kids sure had fun with it!
Camping/Staying in a Cabin in Washington:
Adam taking a swing at his kitty pinata. The kids sure had fun with it!
Last weekend we took a lovely family trip to Trout Lake/Peterson Prairie in Washington state. It was fantastic! Many family members stayed at a big campsite in the Peterson Prairie area while we stayed in a nearby cabin in the little town of Trout Lake. The town was very charming with a general store that had everything! It sure was lucky that the store was well stocked because as soon as we arrived at our cabin Paul and I realized that we had forgotten our suitcase full of clothes. We had all of our supplies and plenty of clothes for Adam but nothing extra for us! So, off to the general store we went where we were able to find sweatpants, yoga pants, t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. They were all very well made and comfortable! How lucky! What an adventure! We enjoyed sharing some meals with my parents, Aunt Debbie, Uncle Mark, Stuart, Kim, cousins Helen and Rachel at the campsite as well as exploring a bit on our own and enjoying the peaceful cabin.
Ladies at the campsite: Kim, Me, Aunt Debbie and Mom.
Paul with Adam along the trail. Adam loved to hike around the camp area.
The cute cabin "Songbird" we stayed in at Serenity's in Trout Lake. We enjoyed evenings out on the porch chatting as Adam slept.
Paul and Adam in a cave that connects up with an ice cave near the camp area.
The berry pickers: Me, cousin Rachel, Aunt Debbie, cousin Helen, Mom and Dad after picking lots of huckleberries.
Dad and Uncle Mark enjoying a beer along the road near the berry picking area.
Paul with Adam at Langfield Falls. Adam wanted to get close to the falls! We sure had a wonderful trip! It was fun to visit with family, pick berries, enjoy meals and relax on our vacation. We are already ready for next year!
Camp Chili:
On Saturday night we were in charge of dinner so we brought some of our favorite chili and corn chips to share. Here is our recipe:
On Saturday night we were in charge of dinner so we brought some of our favorite chili and corn chips to share. Here is our recipe:
The corn and beef chili I made for a camp dinner.
This is a James Beard Recipe that I just love!
Chili Con Carne:
6 tablespoons butter
6 medium onions, sliced
2-3 pounds ground beef (I only used 2 pounds of beef)
6 tablespoons butter
6 medium onions, sliced
2-3 pounds ground beef (I only used 2 pounds of beef)
3 20 oz, cans tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup beer or ale
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1-2 tablespoons chili powder (or to your taste) ( I only added 1 tablespoon to make it mild)
5-6 ears of fresh corn on the cob, boiled and cut off the cob
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook until they are tender but not brown.
2. Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned, breaking it up with a fork.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beer, salt, Tabasco and chili powder. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Add the corn and simmer 15 minutes longer.
In order to take this to the campsite in a container already cooked, I simmered the chili, added the corn but did not simmer it again the full 15 minutes. I wanted to corn to stay fresh and vibrant.
This chili was a great hit! We served it along with some corn chips and some lovely fruit that my cousin Helen brought to camp.
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup beer or ale
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1-2 tablespoons chili powder (or to your taste) ( I only added 1 tablespoon to make it mild)
5-6 ears of fresh corn on the cob, boiled and cut off the cob
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook until they are tender but not brown.
2. Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned, breaking it up with a fork.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, beer, salt, Tabasco and chili powder. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Add the corn and simmer 15 minutes longer.
In order to take this to the campsite in a container already cooked, I simmered the chili, added the corn but did not simmer it again the full 15 minutes. I wanted to corn to stay fresh and vibrant.
This chili was a great hit! We served it along with some corn chips and some lovely fruit that my cousin Helen brought to camp.
This week I have made rhubarb-cinnamon, huckleberry, rhubarb-strawberry and rhubarb-fig jam. Last week I made spiced peach jam from the peaches we picked in the peach orchard. Next week I hope to make some blackberry jam and some applesauce and apple butter with apples and blackberries that we are going to pick at my parent's place this Friday along with other produce from the garden. Delicious! I will post more jam and other canning recipes next week when I get a chance.
Here is the spiced peach jam I made last week:
Delicious spiced peach jam bubbling away!
Spiced Peach Jam:
I really like the flavor of this jam. It is similar to the recipe that my Aunt Norma gave me. Because I could not find her recipe I used this one.
* To test jam, before you begin cooking, place a small plate into the freezer to chill. When jam begins to thicken slightly, place a small amount of jam on chilled plate; return to freezer for 1 to 2 minutes (remove jam from heat during testing time). When set, jam will be slightly set and will not run on plate. If jam is too liquid, cook an addition 1 to 2 minutes before testing again.
I really like the flavor of this jam. It is similar to the recipe that my Aunt Norma gave me. Because I could not find her recipe I used this one.
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 1/2 lbs peaches, peeled and chopped (about 6 cups)
Directions:
- Place all ingredients in a heavy large pot; stir to combine. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain an even boil.
- While the mixture boils, mash fruit with a potato masher to desired consistency. Boil an additional 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until slightly thickened (you'll see the bottom of the pot when stirring) and set.** (Temperature should be about 221 F.) Remove from heat; remove cinnamon stick. I found that I needed to stir the jam for 30 minutes or more.
- Pour hot jam into 4 sterilized 8-oz. jars. Carefully wipe jar rims; cover. Place jars upside down on a clean towel until sealed.
* To test jam, before you begin cooking, place a small plate into the freezer to chill. When jam begins to thicken slightly, place a small amount of jam on chilled plate; return to freezer for 1 to 2 minutes (remove jam from heat during testing time). When set, jam will be slightly set and will not run on plate. If jam is too liquid, cook an addition 1 to 2 minutes before testing again.
Huckleberry jam cooking in the pot.
Huckleberry Jam:
4 cups huckleberries
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
To prepare fruit: Sort, wash and remove any stems from fresh huckleberries.
To make jam: Measure fruit into a kettle, cover, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes — stirring occasionally. Add sugar and cornstarch and stir well. Boil rapidly, stirring constantly, to 9 degrees over the boiling point of water, or until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and skim. Fill and seal containers.Jam making tips:
-I always have boiling on the stove along-side my jam pot: a pot of boiling water with clean half pint jars in it and a frying pan of boiling/simmering water with lids and rings in it. This way, as soon as the jam is done I can take some tongs and get a sterilized jar out and then seal it. I like to put the lid on, seal it tight with a ring and then turn the jar upside down to let it seal. This is the way that my mom taught me and it works very well.
Enjoy your harvest season!
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