Not wanting myself to spiral down into self-hatred because of that little remark (hey, it doesn't take much with our heat induced low morales), I decided to go ahead and do something with the harvest that has been accumulating.
Today's Harvest:
Raspberries are always eaten fresh right away, but these blackberries were combined with the ones from yesterday and juiced. I ended up with 2 more pints of pure blackberry juice for the freezer and a little extra for an adult beverage tonight for the lazy mom! I am actually thinking of making blackberry wine I have so much coming in this year. A few years ago I would have turned my nose up at the thought of such a sweet wine, but now that I grow my own the wonderful redneck-ness of the idea has got me wanting to try it!
By now I was feeling a bit more energetic so I decided to move on to the tomatoes that have been staged on my counter from the past couple of days. This is an odd time for tomatoes, a bit much to eat fresh right away, but not yet the saucing & canning days of late summer...
Salsa Time!
Back out to the garden to get some jalapenos and a couple of immature mini-stuffing bell peppers, fish peppers and cilantro. I combined this with one of the onions still hanging, and the very last of 2009's garlic and shallot.
After mixing it all and adding a bit of lime juice and vinegar, it is now "chilling out" in the fridge to be enjoyed as a meal for me! Loch won't eat it and it's a bit much to expect them to eat this as a meal in itself, but I will thoroughly enjoy it! I think Finn will have a bit with some chips, though... see the video below for a huge step in the vegetable/kid combo!
The video below just blows me away....!
Honestly, I really want to get back to being "lazy" - I am reading a lovely trashy romance/murder novel set in the hot and humid Louisiana swamps... I have been reading so much non-fiction and biography type stuff I forgot how wonderful it is to get lost in a good fiction novel! This is the perfect book for me in the lawn chair tonight watching the kids play while I'm sweating and swatting skeeters off of me, I can pretend I'm right there in the swamps!
That salsa looks delicious! I can't wait to make salsa with the tomatoes, peppers and onions from my garden :)
ReplyDeleteAnd those berries look great ;)
HA! You're down in the mid 80s, now I'm up in the 90s! Is there never a happy medium?
ReplyDeleteThat salsa looks so good. I have a bajillion green tomatoes and pepper blossoms, but I'm weeks away from salsa.
If you are by any stretch of the imagination lazy, that makes the rest of us COMATOSE!! The only reason the kiddlies called you lazy was because they've never seen you not moving before.
ReplyDeleteMmmm-mm, does that salsa ever look goooood!
Guess what we're getting today? RAIN!
I'm so jealous! We are miles away from the salsa garden being ready for salsa making!
ReplyDeleteThe salsa looks delicious. That is great that your son likes it! Are the blackberries sweet when you pick them? How big is your blackberry bush, we want to grow more fruit but not sure what to get yet.
ReplyDeleteOh good lord not only did that whole spoonfull go into his mouth, it actually looked like he was chewing and swallowing it?
ReplyDeleteOh, Magical Woman o'The Food, tell me of your wisdom, Wise One. Maybe I ought to try bribing with video.....Hmmmm it may just work, but I'll have the choking and gagging to go along with it.
How jealous am I?! Still waiting for the tomatoes to do their thing. Hopefully salsa won't be too far away in our future.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea about juicing your excess blackberries. Maybe I'll make a blackberry martini one of these nights.
That salsa looks amazing Erin! I am heading for the beach today...the heat & humidity + no AC = beach!
ReplyDeleteYummy! That salsa looks delicious! I just put some jalapenos in the garden hoping to use them for some homemade salsa. Of course it's been so cool and wet here lately that the peppers and tomatoes are STILL sulking. Those blackberries look gorgeous! And YOU lazy? Hahahhahah!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone, it was tasty, but a bit mild - my jalapenos have not yet taken on the "heat" they really get at the end of summer, I think that's why my kid didn't freak out!'
ReplyDeleteMeemsnyc, I only have 4 blackberry bushes, planted in-ground in a space about 1.5 ft x 10 ft. They are the thornless variety, this is the 2nd year. They produced sporadically last year, but this year I am getting a steady 1 1/2 lbs every 2-3 days. They are MUCH better behaved than the raspberries, sweet but very seedy, so I use them for juicing only.
Thomas, my kids won't eat too many of the blackberries (and I don't either) fresh since the seeds are a bit much, so 100% of my blackberries go to juice. I use it later for spiking iced tea, blackberry lemonade, smoothies, and with some club soda and vodka it always gets used up by fall! The raspberries however, get eaten fresh right away! Blackberries are nice for juicing since they are so large, you don't need many to put away a few jars.
Kelly, have fun at the beach, still too hot out for the beach here!
Fiona, I am sure your peppers will explode at the end of summer, mine always love that time of year the best. The jalapenos yesterday were easy to eat by themselves, only the barest hint of the heat that will come later.
Ribbit, I am in complete shock... I was always in awe of other parents who could get their kids to even eat one piece of a vegetable! I honestly didn't bribe or do anything other than ask him to smell it and see if he could tell me what he smelled, and he just came out with "can I taste it"? I almost fainted... (my other child has the gag reflex, I can sympathize!)
ReplyDeleteYour salsa looks soooo fresh and tasty. I can not wait to get my first batch made. Well, I will have to wait, as the tomatoes just started to flower and no peppers yet wither. But they will come. Enjoy your book!
ReplyDeleteSALSA!!! My favorite thing in the world!
ReplyDeleteHello from Lookout Mtn(Gadsden--2miles from Noccalula Falls) in Alabama! Our blackberries have been wonderful this year as well! I've picked about 5 gallons off of 100 yds of fence line in our pasture! I love your blog.
ReplyDeleteErin, that's awesome!! :) Your son is so adorable...Umm, I mean handsome!! Yummy looking salsa!
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