Friday, July 25, 2008

Independence Days #10

Back on track and ready to post:

1. Plant Something: Scattered Rob's balls. No, No, his seeds - the flower seed balls from his give-away. (Sheesh, only Rob could make it this difficult to do something so innocent ;-)

2. Harvest Something: Well the first of the garden foods are coming on. We've had a couple of cucumbers enough green beans to feed the rabbit, and the first peppers. I picked a couple of gallons of cherries (froze them). I've harvested wild alfalfa to feed the chickens and rabbit, and gathered grasshoppers in the field by the garden and fed them to the chickens.

3. Preserve Something: Frozen cherries, moved dried mint to bag for tea, hung more mint to dry. Pickled the single cucumber like my Grandmother used to with oil and vinegar and onions - then ate it!

4. Prep Something/ Manage things: The chicks are big enough that they should start going outside. Mr. Greenjeans and the girls are out fixing a chicken wire roof to the run. We have pigeons and hawks here. The Hawks will go for the smaller birds I think but the pigeons will bring disease.

Purchased an outdoor camp type stove but made of case iron so that I can do canning and can cook without electricity (still runs on propane). We have so missed cooking on cast iron that I imagine we'll be doing a bit more cooking out doors in the heat.

Purchased the next door camper trailer for $500 (small 1974 model). Have been fixing it up - painting, sealing, made curtains.... This is where I slipped up and went to IKEA for some fun stuff that looks cute. This is one big bug-out box or an extra space to put someone who comes to us, or is a space to go camping and berry collecting, fishing, hunting (OK we don't hunt but there may be a time). Maybe I'm just justifying a purchase. I'm having fun painting it blue and white and making covers and curtains and pillows for the bed...

Cleaned the chicken coop.

My first cycle using Diva cup. By the end of the day I'm sold - 'nuf said.

5. Cook Something new: My parents brought a fine ham bone from a party they hosted. It still had some slices for sandwiches and my dad said he wanted white bean and ham soup. My mom was mystified because this was not part of their diet in the last 55+ years. I bought white beans, made soup from this and that and by golly if it wasn't the best tasting soup we've ever eaten. Mr. Greenjeans asked if I were storing white beans.

6. Work on Local Food systems: Getting ready for our town's first farmer's market beginning at the end of July. Might take a few years to get up an running. Too bad there aren't more foods coming ripe. Not to many vendors yet.

Our neighborhood garden in growing. It is the opposite of a permaculture garden but it is the way the fellow who owns the ground has always done it.

8 comments:

Robj98168 said...

I didn't know anyone was "scattering my balls".

You're not suppose to scatter them- your suppose to treat them gently,just lay them down in a clear area of the flower bed and water them gently,and occasionally pet them gently. Then little basils will appear when they hit puberty!

Connie said...

I do love basils! No bowling ball parties?

Tara said...

Oh my goodness I'm envious! There are few things in this world (IMO) better than a fine ham bone. :) If there's any soup leftover, I have some great bread to go with it. How about a potluck? :)

This gives me an idea. Maybe I'll host a "virtual" potluck on my blog. You can all show off your garden foods. :-)

Connie said...

What a fun idea - a virtual pot-luck. Go for it!

Ha the left over soup was eaten for each of the next consecutive meals (including breakfast). And yes, we had homemade bread to go with it.

Anonymous said...

love the white bean and ham soup - especially with some green chiles thrown into the mix!!

Matriarchy said...

Got a recipe for the soup? We have not made a white bean soup yet. What sort of white beans did you use?

We have become big fans of bean/pea soup over the past year, even though none of us ate it before we started practicing to eat out of storage. I just love a smoked ham shank for soup, and DH loves sausage in soup - but a ham bone is a wonderous thing.

I envy the camper. It was a great shortcut to a guest room. And I can't help but think it would be a good place to sneak off and read or write by oneself.

Connie said...

Elistigirl, you'll have to pull the season along by a week - there weren't any chilies

Matriarchy - Sorry, no recipe. We just got the white beans on the grocery store isle. I soaked them the day before and sprouted them (to release gas)

I cut off all I could from the bone and put it on to boil with spices like thyme, salt, pepper and one bay leaf.

After a couple of hours I strained off the bone and bit and put it back on the burner.

Added sauted onions, carrotts, celery, meat, tobassco and cooked until soft. Blend a cup or two of beans in the blender and add back to soup and cook a little until thickened. (Add whatever you like and have.)

Serve with green salad, fresh bead and salsa.

Anonymous said...

mmm - fresh salsa is a good stnd-in for the green chiles. I thought green chiles were always in season where you are!! showing my lack of seasonal produce skills!!