We Made Pansy Wreaths at Crazy Daisies!

Sunday afternoon my friend, Tobey, and I made "living wreaths" at Crazy Daisies!

The Return of the Christmas/Easter Cactus

Our Christmas/Easter Cactus is in bloom once again, which is somewhat common due to the lack of daylight we get in CNY in the winter.

Herbs, herbs, herbs.....

I am constantly cutting back my oregano, basil and parsley.  Some I use fresh, some I freeze, some I dry in the microwave.  The plants get out of control at this time of year and I want to savor as much as I can.   

Drying herbs in the microwave is very quick and easy.  I wash and dry the leaves and lay them on a paper plate or paper towel:

Flavored Salts are perfect as finishing salts....

 

Flavored salts are perfect as finishing salts....

Thank You Beak and Skiff!

Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard is not far from our home and has been a yearly fall trip for many years. You can read their history HERE 

I recently was gifted 2 bottles of vodka from the general manager to review, 

1911 Vanilla Chai Vodka and 1911 Honeycrisp Apple Vodka:

Harvesting Basil

          Basil

Do you need ideas for all of your basil? 

 

Make sure you pick it before the first frost and wash and dry it well!

Bruschetta

                              Bruschetta

pronounced: broo skeh tuh

Bruschetta is an antipasto from Italy consisting of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil and salt. Variations may include toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, or cheese.  I like to eat this as an afternoon snack, or serve it with pasta.

There is nothing like picking up some fresh, juicy tomatoes at the Farmer's Market.  

This is how I make Bruschetta:

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 large tomatoes, diced

1/4 red onion, diced

2T fresh basil and oregano

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 

1 tsp. kosher salt and black pepper

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

I marinate the above mixture for a few hours.

I slice a baguette about 1/4" thick, rub a little EVOO on the top of each slice and sprinkle a little garlic powder over each.  I then put these under the broiler to toast the bread.  When cool, I top each slice of baguette with the tomato mixture and serve immediately.  Sometimes i place a slice of Pepper Jack cheese on top and put it under the broiler long enough to melt the cheese!  Garnish with a sprig of fresh oregano, basil or parsley.

Joining Sundays on Silverado

Tomatoes.... How I make sauce and juice....

Every September I look forward to making tomato sauce for the winter....

....I blanch the tomatoes to peel them...

...and I cook them down and then purify with the immersion blender...

...then I add a bay leaf, lots of Italian seasonings, salt, sugar, pepper, oregano, garlic, hot sauce, tomato paste and crushed red pepper and let it simmer for a few hours

...and stir and taste for a few hours...

...and then pour it into jars (removed bay leaf!)!  I store it in the freezer for cold winter nights!!

It is delish!

I even made some spicy tomato juice for Bloody Marys:

The juice is easy to make.  I used 6 large tomatoes:

I blanched the tomatoes to remove the skins...

....and I chopped up a few veggies I had and added some salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, hot sauce and sugar (the sugar cuts the acidity)  It simmered it for an hour.

I used the immersion blender to purify it and then strained the tomatoes, keeping the pulp to add to the sauce I made.  It helps to thicken it!  This made about a quart of juice.

The juice is perfect for breakfast....

But even better for Bloody Marys!!

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

A tasty and easy way to serve a side of tomatoes is to quickly roast them:

I simply cut cherry tomatoes in half, sprinkle with basil olive oil, a dash of Balsamic, some spicy seasoning, lemon pepper and salt, toss a bit and roast at 375' for about 10-15 min.  I added some crushed garlic and thinly sliced onions this time: 

After roasting, I sprinkle with ribbons of fresh basil:

YUM!

Lavender....

Lavender 

It always reminds me of our trip to the French Riviera, where I bought the prettiest lavender

sachets at a little shop where they also sold the loveliest linens.  I had a brief conversation with the shopkeeper, we both spoke a little of each other's language and had a few good laughs!

The fragrance from the oils of the lavender plant is believed to help promote calmness and wellness. It's also said to help reduce stress, anxiety, and possibly even mild pain.

if you are growing lavender, here are a few uses for it:

Lavender Water

To make lavender water simply follow these steps: Bring 4 c water to a fast boil. Pour this over 2 tablespoons of fresh or dried lavender flowers in a non-metallic bowl. Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature at least until it is cool or up to overnight. 

Lavender water is commonly used to scent linens or clothing. A little spray before ironing will perfume most fabrics with the fresh scent of lavender. You can also use it as an air freshener or furniture spray.

Drying Lavender 

Use two rubber bands per dried lavender bunch—one just beneath the flower heads and one at the base of stems. Hang bundles upside down to dry in a dark, warm spot. Protect drying lavender from sunlight to retain best color, and place a bowl beneath the bundles to catch any buds or blooms that might fall.

Go here to find  10 things to make with lavender!

Spring has Sprung - finally.....

The weather has finally improved in Central NY and my herbs are growing well!

The chives are thinned out each year and once they flower, they will be cut right down to the ground as the first batch is always woody.  I have used the flowers to make chive vinegar in the past!

The oregano has turned into a bush.  I try not to let it flower because once an herb flowers, it stops producing leaves!

The mint is doing well and will be used in mojitos!

Underneath this flat parsley plant is a curly leaf parsley plant that came back from last year!  I use this a lot in the summer and I freeze it to use in the winter.

The basil was just planted.  I use this all summer in salads and especially with tomatoes.  The aroma is wonderful, too!

In the fall I always freeze a bunch and I also make some Pesto 

I still need to plant a few more herbs as soon as I can get to the garden store!  But this is a good start!

Some past posts:

Drying herbs

Harvesting herbs

A few ways to turn them into gifts

A little of "this and that" from October....

October flew by quickly and we enjoyed some of the cooler weather!  Here is a recap of the last few weeks:

I picked the last of the summer roses....

...we picked out our pumpkin from the local farm...

..and I did a little fall decorating...

...we picked lots and lots of apples...

...and enjoyed a few rides to take in the foliage...

...I picked the last few tomatoes from my garden...

....we enjoyed the beautiful fall sunrises over the pond in the mornings...

....there's been lots of football-watchin' and snacks by the TV....

...and baseball world series games...

... fun times and trickery moments were spent with the "littles"...

...and precious time was spent with 4 generations....and ONE little "pumpkin" on the way!!

...and we "showered" our youngest with lots of gifts for grandson #3...

...we enjoyed some "specialty" drinks to take off the chill of cool afternoons...

...and mornings!!!....

....I enjoyed setting the table for fall meals....

...with pumpkins and autumn flowers....

...and cooking delicious fall meals...

...with some favorite recipes...

...and here is a recipe for one of my favorite fall side dishes:

CHEESY-GARLIC SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Cut a small to medium spaghetti squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Microwave in a pan with 1/2 water about 15 minutes until tender.  Scoop out "squash noodles" and immediately stir in one crushed clove of garlic and 1/4 cup parmesan-reggiano cheese.  Place in a casserole dish and sprinkle a few tablespoons of mozzarella cheese on top.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350'

It was a busy October and it certainly flew by quickly!

Happy Halloween to all!!