Know Your Place

Wyatt and Maple love to watch me cook.  Sometimes I can even talk them into staying out of the kitchen.  This picture was taken on one of their good days.  So good in fact, that Mary Ann thought it was photo worthy.

The Columbus Food Truck and Cart Festival

Last night we decided to meet some friends at The Columbus Food Truck and Cart Fest.  It had such a great turnout that the vendors were overwhelmed.  We left after 5 minutes with empty stomachs.  After checking out the wait times at several German Village places we ended up at Dan's Drive In. I really wanted to take some pictures and share them on my blog.  But since my meal consisted of chicken tenders and cheese fries I didn't think it would be that impressive. However,  they were some of the best chicken tenders I've had.  Dan's Drive In was great.  We showed up close to closing time and had great service and hot food.  I will be back.

Peach Butter

The peach butter turned out great.  It is a little loose.  I should have cooked it down a little longer, but it is so freakin' good.  So far I've had it on toast, on biscuits, and added spicy mustard to it and glazed some pork chops!

Can It!

Mary Ann and I have been discussing the idea of expanding the garden.  It is currently a 4' x 8' raised bed. We have enough room for a few veggies, but I would like to try more.  A couple of years ago I grew okra with some success.  However, there wasn't enough to do much with because I didn't have enough room.

One of my concerns is having too much food and having it go to waste.  However, I think I've found a solution.  I've always been hesitant to can.  When I think of canning I think of old pickled beans, carrots, etc.  I've recently discovered that there are so many more things I can do with fruits and vegetables that aren't as traditional.  On a recent trip to a bookstore I found "Preserves".  There are tons of recipes for jams, chutneys, butters, and jellies, using many different vegetables, fruits, and herbs.  I also found some really cool jars from a company called "Weck".

I think I am going to start with something easy and make peach butter.  I will let you know how it turns out.

The Cold Frame is Done!

A few posts ago I spoke about getting everything we needed to construct a cold frame.  We've been talking about doing this for years and finally made it happen.  There was an old window in the attic that we dusted off and cleaned up.  We purchased some cedar 1"x 8"s, 3 handles, and four hinges.  Below is the finished product.

I am looking forward to attempting to grow some vegetables this winter.  I will keep you posted.

I Love Cinnamon Rolls!

Cinnamon rolls make me happy.  My favorite cinnamon rolls are at the Omega Bakery at The North Market.  As you can see by the line in the picture below, there are a lot of people that feel the same way.

What is so great about them???  They are warm with tons of sugar and cinnamon that have caramelized all over them.  They are also as big as your head!

Building a Cold Frame

Mary Ann and I have been talking about building a cold frame for a few years.  This past week we finally got the items we needed and started it.  We found an old window in the attic.

We also purchased some cedar boards,  hinges, and screws.  I will post some more updates later.  I'm looking forward to trying to grow some vegetables during the late fall and winter and also starting plants next spring.

Yellow Tomatoes Make...Yellow Sauce.

This weekend the garden really took off.  We've been waiting forever to have our tomatoes turn from green to yellow.

I found out that when you make tomato sauce with yellow tomatoes, you get yellow tomato sauce.  I think it looks more like mango sorbet.

The New Mexico green chiles also were ready to pick.  I hope to have enough this year to make a few batches of green chile sauce.  It makes the best green chile chicken enchiladas.

Ice Cream...We All Scream!

 I love Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.  This summer I was fortunate to be able to attend The Apron Gala at The North Market in Columbus.  It's a fund raiser for The North Market.  The food vendors serve samples all evening long.  Of course one of the highlights was Jeni's Ice Cream.  When Jeni's book came out Mary Ann got me a copy very quickly.  I think she thought the sooner I got the book in my hands the sooner she would reap the benefits.

I decided that the first batch I would make would be Brown Butter Almond Brittle.  I was a little apprehensive about making the brittle, but it turned out to be easier than expected.  The only potential problem happened when I added the almonds and baking soda.  The brittle started to get hard quicker than expected.  I was glad that I had the pan ready for it so I got it out just in time.

The brown butter ice cream was a breeze.  Having 3 sticks of clarified butter to cook with for the next week was an added benefit.

As much as I enjoyed making it.  The best part was the final product.  I usually have high expectations for my cooking and don't meet them as much as I'd like to.  This ice cream beat my expectations. It was the best batch I'd ever made.  Now I just need to decide what kind to make next!

Dog Days of Summer

Mary Ann and I have been working on a garden for 4 years and I think I am ready to expand. We have a 4'x 8' bed that has produced quite a few vegetables. However, I would like to start growing some things that take up more room. I would love to grow peas and would like to give okra another try. I'm trying to decide whether to make a bigger bed or just build another one.

I am also getting ready for next year by building a cold box. We have several old windows in the attic that have been gathering dust for years. I got one down and cleaned if off earlier this week. I think it will be perfect for what I want to do.

This year our bumper crop is cucumbers. My challenge is to find many different ways to use them. My first use is sweet pickles. I also made a cucumber and onion salad.