Janet's House

Tomato Jazz 2012

So far not exactly an abundance of tomatoes, but enough to make a batch of tomato jazz. This year I’ve decided to try something a bit different since there are only two of us to feed and I don’t want to waste any food. I cut up Roma tomatoes, garlic cloves and onion and laid them on an oiled cookie sheet. I put them in the oven at 250 degrees for about 5 hours. At this point last year I froze the mix before going to the next step, but this year I dumped everything onto one cookie sheet and put it in the refrigerator until morning. The next day I put all of it into the food processor and added a couple of handfuls of basil.

 

 

 

 

A few good pulses and everything was well mixed.

 

 

 

 

 

I scraped every last bit into my large muffin tins (sprayed with non-stick)and put it in the freezer until frozen solid.  Each cup holds about 1/3 cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t want to risk freezer burn so I took the time to wrap each large cube in plastic wrap and added a little seal with the date. Now they can all go into one big freezer bag to be retrieved shortly before dinner. It’s the perfect amount for a small pizza or to stir into hot pasta. Cooking for two sounds like a breeze!

The Yellowstone Journey Part 2

8 days, 2100 miles, 5 hotel rooms, countless rest stops and now we’re home. We left the boy in Missoula, making friends and finding his way around campus. I’m thinking it’s the beginning of a wonderfully fun four years for him. I highly recommend planning a mini vacation for mom and dad after dropping off your child at college.  An extra  little trip of your own gives you something to look forward to and takes the edge off the drive home.Leaving Missoula we headed southeast, stopping in Bozeman (the other college town) for lunch. A sweet community with a great main street full of interesting shops and restaurants.   Beautiful views at every turn in the road as we drove on.                       

We stayed in Big Sky for the night. It’s a beautiful ski community with views that live up to its name. Empty ski lifts were everywhere and lodge style homes stood empty waiting for snow.

We arrived in Yellowstone by 10 am and spent the day touring the vast landscape, watching with eyes peeled for the grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolves, bison and any other animals who might pose for us.

Bison were everywhere, walking down the road and grazing so close we could have reached out the car windows to touch them (we didn’t). No other wildlife, but we realized that in the two million acres of park they probably didn’t need to hang out by the road. The air was hazy with smoke from fires burning in the distance. We watched thunder clouds roll in late in the afternoon and enjoyed Old Faithful that night from the deck of the Old Faithful Inn, lit up by lightning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Inn is an amazing place. Built in the early 1900’s it’s lovingly cared for and kept as close to its original structure as possible.  Renovations are done with the same skilled care, using  locally-obtained materials and methods to keep the rustic structure authentic. Logs  found nearby are hand carved, forming hand rails for todays stricter safety regulations.

On our second morning the air was crystal clear after the rain. We were there for Old Faithful’s performance every 90 minutes as well as the many other geysers and pools. The amazing colors of some were outstanding.

As we drove out of the park we exited out the north entrance and headed up through Gardiner and on through Missoula towards home. It was a great mini vacation even with the bittersweet sendoff to the college boy.

 

 

I love that he has chosen such a beautiful place to spend the next four years as it will be great to explore Montana. Of course I’ll miss him, but I’m pretty practical and rational and there’s no greater thing I want for him right now than to have the opportunity to attend college. And so off he goes.

 

A Journey to Yellowstone

We just completed our two day visit to Yellowstone National Park. Each time I visit a national park I’m amazed at the beauty but also appreciative for the foresight that allowed our government to set aside these wonderful places to visit.

Whenever we stopped to check out a view we encountered so many other people.  So many accents and languages heard as we passed our cameras around, nodding and smiling as we each took group shots for one another.

In this day and age I am still awed that so many people still really love nature. I only saw two kids playing video games and since cell phone service in the park is spotty, I think everyone put their phones away. Everyone was busy taking pictures.  We enjoyed a thunderstorm one night that cleared the air of the smoke from fires in the distance.

We were on the lookout for wild animals but the only ones out were the bison; they were close enough for easy photos.

We also enjoyed watching license plates from all over the United States and easily spotted cars from 38 different states and 3 Canadian provinces. Figuring many people flew to the destination, there really were people from all over the world. Yellowstone Park covers over 2 million acres and we attempted to see much of it. I’ll share more as soon as I can. Until then, I remain the

College Orientation

Move in was completed pretty quickly, a few totes and about 50 t-shirts, 6 pair of shoes a few coats, blankets, sheets, a TV and a microwave.  The roommate will arrive in a couple of days so he had the room to himself to set up and get comfortable. After dinner we took a walk around campus.

 

Orientation on Thursday separated the parents from the kids so we could each learn what to expect from the college experience.  It’s a beautiful campus and there’s obvious pride in everything Montanan.

               Academics aside, one of my favorite features is a huge garden that the school uses to help feed everyone.

 

 

Everything from chard, kale, tomatoes, carrots and columnar apple trees. Those are hops climbing up that arbor. Hmmmm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight we attend a dinner for the kids involved in Global Leadership Initiative.  We continue to learn about opportunities.  Tomorrow we wrap up our stay and head south to Big Sky and Yellowstone, leaving the boy behind.

On the Road Again

 

Off we go, car packed to the gills with college boy stuff. Trying to make it a bit of a mini vacation so there’s more to look forward to than just dropping off our youngest at school.

 

 

 

 

First stop Coeur d'Alene Idaho. We’ve driven through many times, always saying we should check it out but we’re always in a hurry to get to Missoula so have never even slowed down. This time we’re intent on stalling the destination so we stop for the evening and have dinner and stroll around the town. After the perfect pizza at Fire Artisan Pizza we walked down to the waterfront and enjoyed the sunset.

  Next stop, University of Montana.

Freezing Herbs in Oil or Chicken Broth

I decided to try something new in herb freezing. A friend sent me this link on a couple of different ways to freeze herbs. I liked the suggestion to think about the ways you’ll use the herbs and then decide on the best way to freeze them.

I froze the rosemary in chicken broth because I’ll probably use it for turkey soups during and after the holidays.  I did some of the basil in olive oil and some in chicken broth for tomato soups.  I chopped the cilantro with red onion before freezing in oil and the oregano got both treatments to see which I like better for spaghetti sauces. It’s a pretty cheap test.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was easy enough to chop the herbs and put them in ice cube trays. I then poured a couple of tablespoons of oil or broth to just about cover them. After freezing overnight I placed them in labeled freezer bags and returned to the freezer.

 

I suggest making a little notation to keep track of everything.

They’ll look a bit different after freezing.

 

 

                          There are a lot of different ways to freeze herbs. This is just a way I hadn’t tried yet. It looks promising.

Taking Those Moments

The son is off to college next week. Yikes! We’re currently running around looking for just the right things to fill his dorm room.  Bed Bath and Beyond for shelves? Coupon in hand but the shelves looked too girly. Weird flowery grid. Off to Ikea. We found a great shelf which will hold bins. Cool black, no feminine details. Whew! Driving back the freeway was sooo crowded on a Friday afternoon. I took another route, which sent me directly into a work zone. I followed a sign (I thought) and was suddenly going the wrong direction, sailing back across the river. Shoot!(?) The son is looking at his phone to see where we should aim ourselves next and proclaims we are close to Voodoo Doughnuts.  Not the original location, he says, but the east side Voodoo 2.  “Okay” I say.  Who needs to get home when we can stop for a moment of quality time. Besides it’s past lunch time and we don’t want to risk getting cranky at one another.

                                                                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I order the bacon maple bar and he got the Old Dirty Bastard (that’s my boy). They were delicious and it was a nice moment to get off the road and have just one more minute of fun before he flies the coop. We brought a few home too for the others, just in case they felt left out of the craziness.  Thanks Voodoo!

Sharing Sara's Garden

My friend Sara has a beautiful lush garden. Her backyard is a paradise of plants mixed among old apple and pear trees.  Her blueberry bushes are so big and tall they nearly reach the sky and everything is loaded with fruit.  Sadly, her home is for sale and she knows she’ll have to leave her gardening passions behind. Her weekends are spent lovingly tending to the yard and keeping everything even more beautiful to tempt the potential buyer.

Sara called the other night and wanted to know if I’d come over and take some of her plants as she needed to divide some of the perennials.  I happily agreed and spent Sunday morning walking through her garden choosing favorites to take under my care. We agreed that whenever and wherever she lands for the next part of her life she can always come by and we can divide perennials and take cuttings, returning the generosity of plant sharing.

I chose several Hostas as I knew I had the perfect spot for them. I have a very shady walled garden that I built several years ago. It’s kind of triangular shaped and I planted a small maple tree, hoping to help shade our bedroom from the late afternoon sun. The garden is shaded by the house most of the day. I tucked in a variety of Hostas, choosing the largest blue green leaved ones along the side of the house. The white edged leaves of the others look great directly under the tree. I always enjoy using a white edged or tipped leaf in a dark area to lighten things up. I’m already anxious for next summer when they’ll settle in and fill in that awkward area with their lovely, graceful green leaves.

 

The other plants look a bit dreary and spent due to the heat and the fact that they’re done blooming for the year. I’m working to keep them well watered and cool during the day, making their transition into my garden as smooth as possible. Wouldn’t you know we have a couple of 100+ degree days coming up. There are three small roses I planted in the raised bed of the cutting garden.  Astilbe,  Yarrow, Lysimachia Alexander and a couple of hydrangea round out my collection. My arms, hands and back are all sore but I think I’ve given my new foster plants a good home. I hope I can repay the generosity one of these days. Thank you again Sara!

Waiting for the Romas

Everything is ready except the tomatoes. The basil is lush, green and wonderfully fragrant. The garlic is harvested, and I must admit, looks to be the best ever.  Now all I need is for my sweet sweet Romas to hurry up and ripen so I can turn them into delicious sauces and soups.

I’ve grown garlic for several years but have never had as good a looking crop as this. I think I owe it to the weather and our vacation schedule this year. Typically we get a few warm days in May, June and July and we usually take our vacation sometime in there so I end up putting the sprinklers on automatic while we’re away (and leaving them on upon our return). This year we weren’t away too much and the rain came intermittently so I really didn’t pay the garlic much attention. When the weather finally heated up I didn’t water the garlic because I knew to stop in mid July before harvest.  It all naturally happened and the garlic is big, firm and smells like an Italian kitchen.

I’m anxious to pull everything together into my tomato jazz. I’m pinching back the basil so it won’t go to seed and I coax and encourage the tomatoes by keeping their bed free of weeds and watering them properly. I’ve also trimmed away branches without any tomatoes that are shading the green ones. I want un-ripened ones to get every bit of sun they can. Even if there are blossoms, I’m pretty sure there’s not time for them to ripen into a full fledged orange tomato. Thank goodness for my little Sungolds! They just keep being their sweet wonderful selves.

Special Tomato Note: If any of your tomatoes look like this it is most likely Blossom End Rot. It happens when the moisture and/or calcium levels aren’t met for the plant. I noticed it on one of my plants so I added a nice rich compost to the base of the tomato plant and watered it in well. I plucked the offending tomatoes and the rest will probably be fine. It’s not a pest, parasite or disease and it won’t transfer to other plants.  It often happens to my plants when our weather warms up suddenly and I’m not adequately watering  (what worked great for the garlic, didn’t do as well for the tomatoes).  You can also add a bit of bone meal, but be sure you mulch the base of the plant. This method won’t heal the damaged goods, so you’ll need to toss them, but the rest of the ripening fruits should look and taste just fine.

                                                   Happy Weekend!

A Cutting Garden

My mother was a passionate gardener who enjoyed the splendor she was able to share with others.  She’d happily grab her pruners and cut flowers for neighbors and friends, sending them home with an armload of beautiful blooms. I loved getting her big bouquets, wrapped in newspaper, held together with a large hat pin. She told me her mother had always done the same with her beautiful roses. Flowers are a wonderful thing to share.

Somewhere along the way I lost sight of my love of flowers. I got wrapped up in my vegetables and fruits, thinking that if we couldn’t eat it, I shouldn’t grow it.  When the first few daffodils and grape hyacinths emerged after our long grey winter I knew I’d be adding flowers back to my garden. I realize now that I have missed the color and beauty that flowers provide. I have plenty of room, so no veggies will suffer.

This is a good time of year to collect a few perennials from the garden center. They won’t look very good, but it’s really only the roots you’re after. Pick up those scraggly looking things for half off and tuck them in your garden. Locally our days have cooled off from our recent blast of heat so planting will be fine, it’s jut important to keep them well watered.  Next spring and summer I’ll have a healthy plants ready for a bouquet.

A cutting garden is made for just that, cutting.  My very favorites are delphiniums and I plan to have loads of them and keep their soil nice and sweet, just the way they like it. I’ll tuck in a small rose bush that is currently growing in a less than ideal location and I’ll add plenty of white flowers to showcase the variety of other colors I plan to have. Next summer when friends drop by I’ll follow the family tradition of sending them home with an armful of lovelies.

Oregon Wine Country

Saturday we took a drive to the little town of Dundee, which is full of some of Oregon’s favorite vineyards and is right in the heart of the wine county.  We were starving on our arrival so chose to eat lunch at the Dundee Bistro.Everything on the menu was tempting with lots of local food choices. I opted for the cheese/meat platter which was served on a very country organic style slate serving tray. The salad was beautiful with fresh Oregon blueberries, toasted hazelnuts and chevre cheese.  The meats and cheeses were wonderful; everything combining nicely. The day was hot so we asked our server for his recommendation for a fresh cool wine. His suggestion was spot on with a 2011 Pinot Noir Rosé from the Ponzi vineyard. After lunch and a quick purchase of a couple of bottles from the Ponzi tasting room next door we headed up the hill to the Winderlea Vineyard, recommended by the staff at Ponzi’s. The name Winderlea means wind in the meadow and it’s a beautiful place to sit and taste their Pinots.  We joined their wine club which means that twice a year they’ll select an assortment for us. To claim our wines we join them at the winery for dinner. Sounds like a good plan. I can hardly wait until November for our return visit.

Perhaps these grapes will make it into a future bottle of ours. Notice how red the soil is. It’s part of what makes the world class Pinots that come out of this area. The grapes sure seem to like it. A hot Oregon summer day was the perfect day for the 30 miles drive from Portland. Something else to put on your list of things to do on your next visit to Oregon.

Summer Harvest Meal

My neighbor brought me fresh green beans from her garden the other day (thanks Sandy!) so I planned a simple meal around them. I nipped the ends off and tossed them in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes until just tender. I drained them and set them aside while I set the sausages on the grill and peeled the fresh peaches from the farm stand. Just before serving I heated the pan back up and tossed in a sliced onion, adding a drizzle of olive oil and just a dab of butter. I let the onion cook for about a minute before I added the beans.  I threw in a big handful of slivered almonds, a bit of salt and let everything sizzle a bit before sliding it all onto the serving plate.

By then the sausages were ready along with a big salad of fresh lettuce and home grown tomatoes. We took everything outside and enjoyed it with a glass of home made beer from another friend. Great to have friends, don’t you think?