Bonuses

When I got up yesterday morning, I found that one of the seven jars of tomatoes I canned the night before did not seal.  What sort of mischief is this?!  In all my years of canning, I don't think that has ever happened to me before. So anyway, that meant that that jar of tomatoes had to be eaten soon.  Oh, darn. 

At lunch time, I got to work chopping garlic and onions and green peppers, sauteed them up in olive oil, added the tomatoes, some fresh basil and some (dried) oregano and a bay leaf, and let it all simmer to thicken, while I put some frozen turkey burgers on the grill and went to the garden to pick a bit of Swiss chard and Lacinato kale.  I coarsely chopped the greens (and finely chopped part of the kale so Mr. Jefferies could have some -- he was teasing for it at that moment, that little health nut) and added them to the top of the simmering sauce.  They steamed there briefly to wilt.  Then I put the whole lot on the top of the burgers and sprinkled with a bit of Pecorino Romano.  

Lunch.

De-frickin-licious.

Later in the afternoon, after I got home from the gym, there was an email from Marcia who asked if I was doing any fall crops.  Well, I hadn't really thought about it. In the past they have not been all that successful for me.  I think the angle of the sun truly compromises the ability to grow vegetables here after September 1st.  But I did have an empty grow bed that was all ready to go -- the one that the yellow wax beans had been ripped from. And though it was raining, I was all wet from the gym anyway, and it's not like it was a cold rain. And I did have the seeds... so I went out and threw a packet of mixed lettuce seeds into the bed and gave it a good water. Despite all the rain, that bed was bone dry.  Go figure.  So we might have fresh lettuce in September -- you never know.  And wouldn't that be a bonus!

Comments

[Kayten]

I'm hoping to put in Swiss chard and more kale this week. We'll see. Tonight I've been playing with the new phones, as the old ones had been dropped a few times too often. Falling into a sink full of dishes does them no good. This set (from Panasonic) has a lot of ring tones available. I believe I have it set to play the tune from the dancing mushrooms in "Fantasia." For the life of me, I can't remember what the real piece is called, though we all know it. You know,"Doop, doopy, doo- Doo, doo, doo, doo; Doo, doop- doopy, doo- Doo, doo, doo, doo. Doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo!" Can you tell I'm immensely entertained? It's late- what can I say?

[Sarah]

That looks so tasty. I was excited about my new box of cereal. Not so much after reading this. Ah, but it will be quick, and I am ready for the ibuprofen about now.

[sandy]

Well, THAT looks particularly scrumptious! I could go for it right now! :)
GO AUTUMN LETTUCE!

[Carole]

That lunch looks really yummy!

[gayle]

I keep telling myself I should do the same thing - the fall planting I mean - but just seem to be too busy with harvesting what we've already got... Froze beans, broccoli, and swiss chard yesterday.

[margene]

Yum. Grow lettuce, grow!

[Jean E.]

That looks delish. Much healthier than the Gardetto's I ate for lunch, for sure.

[Debshepknits]

How nutritious and delicious! Lettuce in the fall -- what better vegetable to grow!

[marianne]

I'd eat that right now, for breakfast. There are folks in this neck of the woods who grow a second crop of tomatoes. I never had great luck with them but it does happen.

[Joannah]

That looks delicious, even at 8:30 in the morning! My gardening this year is limited to containers on my deck, so Fall lettuce could be a good way to keep the summer going for a little longer. You're inspiring me to be more ambitious in my container gardening next year.

[Marcia]

Go, Norma! I bet spinach would grow now and radishes, for sure. I hereby challenge you....see which of us has stuff growing by September 15. You get a latitude/planting zone handicap, of course!

[Geri]

Yummy!

[Mary Fran]

Good morning! I think I might have to start keeping track of my TT's so I don't repeat. TT - I come from a family of geeks. Mom and Dad met in Chem lab. My brother is a EE, I'm an ME.

[Jennifer]

Yummy. That looks delicious. You are a true inspiration to us all.

[Kym]

Oh, you've done it again. Another fabulous Still-Life-with-Yum. I'm hungry.

[Lorette]

Yum! Those are my favorite kinds of dinners. We will find one thing in the fridge that needs to be eaten and build a whole meal around it.

[Lois]

That sounds delicious and looks so pretty too! Gee, it's healthy to boot.

[Vicki]

That's it! I'M CHECKING OUT FOR LUNCH RIGHT NOW!!! I won't be eating anything NEAR that marvelous.
(God, that looks amazing!)

[ringer]

Ok I'm jealous. I haven't made anything that lovely in a long time, and if I did, the teenagers would probably not appreciate it anyway. Still, there is hope: some day.

[kathy]

That looks amazing!

[Beebs]

OMG! I want lunch at *your* house! Yum-meee!

[Heidi]

One day I'll have a graden and will eat just like that. I love hearing about all the good stuff that comes out of your garden.

[Renee]

You make me want to go home and plant and cook something!

[evalyn]

I picked tomatoes yesterday, left a few laying on the bench in the garden because my hands were full. When I came back, my dog had eaten two Romas and left teeth marks another. Not only do the deer and the ground squirrels want my produce, but now the poodle is in on the act!

[Cookie]

Yummy!

Thanks for the reminder about a fall crop. I need to score some lettuce mix and radish seeds. I've got a few months before our first frost and really do need some sexy greens in my life.

[Rosemary McN]

It just makes me HUNGRY!!! Maybe the leftover basil seeds will sprout this time--the first went to the squirrels who replaced them with raw peanuts in the shell. Those do extremely well everywhere except the neighbor's who doles them out! Arrgh!

[Carrie K]

Oh, the horror that is your life. That looks DELICIOUS.

[Laurie]

I planted some fall/overwinter seeds a couple of weeks ago and I'm excited to see if anything grows. I've intended to try this in the past but usually order the seeds and never get around to planting them. I'm trying lettuce, swiss chard, broccoli, carrots, and onions. Here in the Pacific Northwest we usually have mild weather, so I'm hoping for some nice fall/early winter produce. And I will, of course, plant more garlic in October or November as usual.

[Judy]

Wow does that look delicious. I'm going to try that recipe!

[elizabeth a airhart]

if one went back over the year and printed out
all the gardening tips plus all cooking advice
it make one lovely book and with pitchers

[Manise]

What awesome lunch! Love elizabeth's comment! So true.

[Anita]

The lunch looks delicious. I am trying a few fall crops for the first time this year - swisschard, lettuce & broccoli. It should be fun to see what we get here in western MA.

[Kandy]

I recently purchased turkey burgers at the grocers (trying to be healthier) and couldn't stand them! I see now that I needed to top with goodies... Thanks!