Someone's In The Kitchen

This time of year, the harvest season comes at us hard and fast and even though I don't (yet) have an over burgeoning vegetable garden, our friends and neighbors have been keeping us very busy with theirs.   I'm not complaining, on the contrary I love it, welcome it...beg for it even, and am so happy when they share the bounty.  Very happy, believe me!  It's just that, when you're not expecting it, it can leave you stopped dead in your tracks because you have to move fast.  Everything I've been sewing and gluing and painting has gone into a temporary holding pattern while I tend to all living things with a short shelf life.  Like the wonderful basil.  I spent all day yesterday making my little pesto packets.  But first there was a quick trip back to the market for fresh pignoli (pine nuts) and grated Parmesan cheese.  And instead of peeling and chopping lots of tiny garlic cloves, I bought elephant garlic instead, which is huge.  It's milder too, and that's nice since this goes in, and is eaten, mostly uncooked.  Just setting everything up and doing the prep work took half the morning, but the trusty food processor made the rest go fast.  And the time I'm saving in the long run, really makes up for a few hours of work.  I ended up making about half-a-dozen batches.  Which worked out to 24 packets, each with (more or less) 3 heaping tablespoonfuls in each snack bag.  Enough to last through the winter and beyond.  Pesto freezes well and it's really simple to use this way.  Just grab a packet and peel back the plastic while it's still frozen.  Nothing sticks so nothing is wasted.  Sometimes I just need a small amount to mix with goat cheese or butter to spread on bread, so I  just break off a little piece and toss the rest back in the freezer.   Super easy when I want to make a quick pasta dish too. 

And...look who's back.  He showed up late yesterday afternoon out of the blue.  Naturally we all have mixed emotions about this little fellow.  Ginger ran outside and threw her arms around him.  I noticed that he seemed quite chatty. Read: "please feed me".  I figured he'd trot on home after we went inside for the night, but there he was sitting at the back door this morning hungrier than ever, looking pitiful and thin.  So thin.  Naturally, I fed him.  And you know what that means.  It means he's NEVER leaving!  But I can't think about that right now.  And all the implications.  Must move on to the apples that are waiting.  Making applesauce today.  With children helpers.  Enough said.

Comments

[Callan]

The kitty is so cute and I am so happy that it came back and hopefully he will stay there forever now, like your Mom said.
Hopefully I can write to you guys and your cat too!

callan

[lauren]

Sweet story of the "lost?" kitty. Callan would be attached too. The pesto looks yummy and such a great idea to have it on hand. I am so woefully disorganized but read "homeliving helper" all the time hoping to become the homekeeper I should (scratch that--read "want to") be!
Regarding the generosity of the harvest... a wonderful book entitled "From The Ground Up" by Amy Stewart has the funniest chapter on that issue. Great book if you love gardening--super funny.

Have a great weekend!

[Isabelle]

Yeah! The kitty's back. I've been following the story and to me that's a happy ending ;)

[Mama Urchin]

Oh Lily, it sounds like you'll be looking out that window at him for a while. I love "putting up" food for winter, it's so old fashioned and homey. Plus there's nothing like opning a jar or bag in the middle of winter that just screams "summer" to make you feel happy.

[Allison]

Hello there,
I've been following your blog since the beginning of summer, and I just love it.
It seems you have made a very charming lifestyle for you and your family. I know we only see the good bits, but they really are very good and very inspiring.

Allison

[judy]

Awwww...

A cat found us that way too. We already had a cat, and a dog. But after six months of living in our inner city back yard, he ran in at the first snow.

Been here since. Almost ten years...

The other pets have since died, after long full lives.

Sometimes when I look at him all stretched out on everything, it's as if he is thinking "I WON!".

[Miss Pink Ponsonby]

I think you should name him "Blue Wonder" and consider him part of the family! And I've had good luck sticking basil in a vase with water and keeping it alive for weeks that way! On the table like a centerpiece! I spritz it occasionally to release more basil scent because I LOVE That scent! Have to change the water daily, of course.

[Kathie]

Vicki,

When my kids were still at home we used to go apple picking and then I would make huge amounts of apple sauce with cinamon. Haven't done it in a while but am thinking when apple picking season comes around (some time in sept. or Oct.) I'm going to make some more batches and hand them down to the grand kids to enjoy! Think I might even try the pesto for hubby and myself, thanks for the recipe.

[Mrs.Staggs]

Goodness, you are busy! Mr.Staggs and I are heading out on a drive to the country tomorrow and hopefully will find a farmstand or two along the way. I need to make pesto again this year too. I freeze mine in ice cube trays and then put them in bags. Your idea seems simpler. Thanks for sharing so many good ideas.
I have to admit that I'm glad the gentleman caller is back...I was worried about him!

[Rowan]

What an inspirational site you have, it makes me want to bake, sew, garden - everything all at once and now! I am down to just DH and I but I still like to bake and cook so pass quite a lot on to both daughters-in-law, one busy and one suffering badly with morning sickness right now - it lasts pretty well all day and she can't face cooking a lot of the time though she's a very good and keen cook usually. My daughter loves to cook herself so doesn't need any help in that way yet. I rarely bake at the moment as unfortunately if I bake it I also eat it and I'm trying to lose some weight! Glad the grey cat is back, he looks nice. All except two of my animals over the years have been strays. Lily will get used to him in time!

[Beth]

We have a kitty who adopted us too, his name is Boy. Our 3 indoor kitties tolerate him. A couple of weeks ago, he brought home a friend! The nerve! But she's the sweetest little calico kitty. Of course, we feed them both, how can we resist? He disappeared for several days too, but re-appeared. I had stopped feeding him Iams and bought the cheapie stuff when his friend came to visit. I came to the conclusion that he didn't like what we were feeding him! Can you believe it? They can be so fickle!

[Linda]

It looks like there isn't any air in those bags! Do you seal them in some special way?

Anyway, thanks for the pest recipe. We have an overabundance of ripe tomatoes right now, you don't by any chance have a good tomato sauce recipe too?

[Debbie]

It is such a busy time, isn't it! Today I am canning tomatoes, freezing peaches, and baking a peach pie. And, you've reminded me of my basil waiting to be made into pesto...maybe tomorrow!