The Thick of Summer

We seem to be alternating between air conditioning, cold swimming holes and eating anything we can coming out of our garden and the gardens of others.

My vegetable garden is starting to look like typical early August. Totally overrun with weeds and neglected by me. This has been our relationship for years now. I need to be okay with it, because I don't seem to make any attempts to change how it plays out. Grumbling about the weeds, without the where-with-all to do anything about them, is just starting to feel silly.

Inside with a book and a tall glass of iced sweet tea is where I want to be, not hacking away at weeds in 98-degree heat with high, hair-raising humidity.

There, I said it.

More on indoor pursuits:

Reading: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; Bossypants; The Glass Castle; Old School (by Tobias Wolff); The Little House (a childhood favorite that Uncle Chris bought for Willa).

Watching: True Blood Season 3; Kitchen Nightmares (the early, more palatable seasons with more coaching, less screaming); and we are starting Treme tonight. Also, I went to see a Sunday afternoon matinee of Crazy Stupid Love with a friend - *GO*.

Eating: Homemade applesauce with those tart, midsummer green apples from Henley's; also from Henley's - their peach ice cream; pickles (still); 'Sugar Baby' watermelon ice pops (just puree watermelon in the blender and pour into molds); Sungold tomatoes - warm from the garden; corn-corn-corn; iced Republic of Tea Ginger Peach refrigerator tea.

Visiting: Various Sugar Hollow swimming spots and thinking about Grand Caverns sometime this week. Where it stays a cool 54-degrees year-round.

Thank you: To Albemarle Family for a sweet LISH mention in their magazine.

The Let's Eat Post

We have ten (!) jars of strawberry freezer jam tucked away in our freezer. I can't wait to try my hand at blackberry and peach preserves, too. Or maybe a hot pepper jam. If you've been intimidated by making jams or jellies, start with freezer jam. No scary boiling or canning involved. Look for freezer jam pectin or try Pomona's Pectin.

The recent trip to New York included lobster rolls, clams and oysters on the half shell, Italian food, Greek festivals and German bakeries such as Front Street. I bought a new Tiffany blue kettle and one pound of Irish tea when I was up there - tea I can't find down here, including Punjana (from Cork!). (I also promptly renewed my gym membership upon my return. I think my derriere was the sole ballast on the prop plane back into Charlottesville.)

I bought my first cocktail shaker for dirty and fruity martinis. Maybe I'll concoct something with the syrup I made last week with local black raspberries. Whatever I make - it will seem supremely refined and grown up coming from that chilled stainless steel shaker. To me, at least.

Peaches-peaches-peaches. I feel as if, living near all of the orchards (including Henley's low-spray orchard), everything smells like peaches these days. Drizzle some home-made blackberry syrup over them. Or grill them. Or cut them up and freeze them for later use in smoothies. But I always have a brown paper bag filled with a half-dozen - softening and ripening.

I had time to stop by the Yoder's Shady Lane Greenhouses farm stand last Thursday - the one near the Hunt Country Store on Garth Road. They had organic potatoes and squash. I also bought a few melon, hot pepper and tomato plant starts. And a whoopie pie. Wait, two whoopie pies. One for me and one for Corey. Wait one-and-a-half for me and one-half for Corey. Actually, I hid them both. For me and me alone. I nyum-nyum-nyumed them before bed and I left pathetic whoopie pie crumbs in the bed sheets.

Make this burger. And as mentioned, don't forget the onions.

I know I talk often of the insanely awesome local food movement here in Charlottesville. But I have a confession to make - I rarely make it to a farmers' market. I try to buy at local shops or directly from orchards and the occasional farm stand. But my very active and curious toddler is drawn to all of the grab-able goodies - making strolling a farmers market tricky and kinda stressful. So, there's Relay Foods. Check out their on-line farmers' market. I have my eye on Babes in the Woods sausages, organic swiss chard, no-spray kale, Carpe Donuts, anything from Revolutionary Soup, fresh fettuccine-cut pasta and vodka sauce from Mona Lisa pasta and I plan on trying new-ish shops such as Holy Grael sorbet (mango or green tea chai coconut sorbet!), Ties and Pies bakery (scones!) and Agnes' Bagels with Salmon and Caper cream cheese. They've also added Whole Foods. I love what they are doing so much and I love that they are a young company.

The Charlottesville Cooking School :: Canning Class!

Learning how to can has been on my wish list for a very long time. The thought of winter pantry shelves stocked with rows of Ball mason jars makes my heart race.

On August 29th, I will be taking a class at The Charlottesville Cooking School with Leni Sorensen. Here's a description:

Learn the art of canning peaches and tomatoes at this fun and interactive class with Leni Sorensen. Leni is a culinary historian at Monticello. Each student will leave with one jar of tomatoes and one jar of peaches.

I especially love that it is interactive, as that is the only way I absorb anything these days.

Thinking I might treat myself to this, too. I hear that it is the bible of all-things-canning-slash-preserving.

Spring Dreaming :: CSAs

Two of my mama friends are also organic farmers and run CSA's (community supported agriculture). Steph owns New Branch Farm and is offering unique options for those interested in a CSA this year. From her website:

**********

One of the distinctions of our CSA is the season. We are offering both:

• a spring share (12 weeks) and
• an autumn share (9 weeks).

In each season, you also have choice of the "Traditional Share" or the "Salad Share".

Traditional Share: A variety of seasonal, certified organic vegetables and herbs: we strive to provide 6-10 items weekly in quantities ample for 2 people. Our goal is to provide a diversity of vegetables. For example, our popular greens mix, arugula, and lettuces mixed with traditional favorites like potatoes, garlic, and tomatoes as well as more specialty items like haricot vert beans. In the spring, an assortment of potted plants for home growing are also offered.

Salad Share: If you're a salad lover, this share is sure to excite. Inspired by our mixed greens and arugula - City Market customer favorites. The weekly bag includes over a pound of various lettuces and greens (items will vary weekly but will be some combination of lettuce, mixed greens, and arugula). In addition, items to provide your salad with color, crunch, or garnish will be included (will vary weekly but possibilities include radishes, salad turnips, fresh herbs, garlic, etc).

Both shares also include a farm note and recipes.

*********

I just joined Trish's CSA yesterday - my first CSA ever. Innisfree is literally down the road from us and we are splitting a share with another family (Thanks, Christine!). We are also doing an egg share.

Although I'll be doing my own gardening in Sugar Hollow, I'm still not sure how productive I will be this season and a CSA will get me to try vegetables that I normally overlook in the store (like cabbage and parsnips). If my garden is productive, friends and I have been talking about teaching each other different ways of preserving our harvests.

Spring, you can't arrive soon enough!

Recipe :: Wild Persimmon Bread!

Willa and I went out early Saturday morning to pick some of the last of the wild persimmons around our land. I wanted to bake two loaves of bread - one for us and one for the lovely women who care for Willa during my work days.

My friend Trisha sent me an awesome recipe and I found an online version of it here.

I skipped the nuts and added a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon. Annnnnnd, I made a cream cheese icing - because it seemed to call for it. And because there isn't enough fat involved in this concoction already. 'Tis the season!

Recipe :: Easy Stovetop Applesauce

In the not so distant past, whenever I would hear about people making applesauce from scratch I would think 1. How much better could it be than store bought?; and 2. Why bother?

It is a world away from store bought. And not hard to make at all. It is worth the small bit of trouble - that and a bag of chips.

I use Winesap and Black Twig apples. Try to use a sweeter apple verses a tart one. Integral Yoga (a local Charlottesville hippie grocery) has low spray Winesaps and Black Twigs from Henley's Orchard right now.

Core and cut apples into big chunks. If you have a food mill (pictured above) leave the skins on - this will give the applesauce a delicious rosiness. If no food mill is on hand, simply peel the apples, then core and chunk.

Put in a pot with an inch or so of water (too much water can result in soggy apples - you just want slightly mushy). Sprinkle with brown sugar (to your taste) and spices (also to your taste - I use a stick of cinnamon and dash of nutmeg). Mix. Cover. Cook on low to medium heat for about 15-20 minutes.

Then, either run them through the food mill or (if pre-peeled) just mash 'em with a fork. Some folks add a bit of butter at this stage, too. I have yet to try that - as I am still in awe of how fantastic newly-made, warm applesauce tastes in its simplest form.

Potato pancakes are my favorite 'applesauce vehicle' these days. And, Willa takes her applesauce straight up.