A Sunday Roast

I'm a good cook. I don't think I flatter myself when I say that. I can braise, saute, grill, stir fry, etc. I can use new ingredients with finesse, I can improvise (in fact, I never follow a recipe), I can make wicked sauces, I can pair dishes as perfect complements, I can time it so all the dishes come out together or staggered as they should be, I/CAN/KEEP/THE /KITCHEN/CLEAN/WHILE/I/COOK! hahahahaha. I CANNOT make a good roast. Okay, my Christmas standing rib roast excepted, my roasts are dry, gray, chewy. My mother can make a perfect every time well done (by design) but not dry or chewy eye of round. She can. It kills me that I cannot. Alright, I don't want a well done one. That should be EASIER. Well, tonight, I had my victory! Juicy, medium rare, tender! The meal came out pretty, well, pretty!

The roast with the fingerling potatoes cooking:



The roast awaiting carving:



The salad:



The veggies:



And the fire that my sweet husband built in our bedroom! The first of the season!

For Thembi

The Target booty.

Alex's:



And Gregorie's:

I can't hear you!

Tonight we were all in the hot tub. The girls were swimming/splashing and Gregg and I were talking. He was telling me about how he pruned the trees. We were fully attentive to them, holding them and helping them jump and swim as needed. They were playing and not really paying us much mind until Alex turned on the lights, and turned the lights to her favorite color.

A: MOMMY, DADDY! Look!
M: Yes, Alex we see. We are talking. Please do not interrupt. If you need something, please say, "Excuse me..."
A: Okay, okay. LOOOOOOOOOK!
G1: Alex, we see, we're talking. Are you being rude and impatient?
M: Yes, we see the aqua. It's pretty, but please don't be so demanding.
A: Okay, okay!
G2: HEY EVERYBODY! Everybody, TALK!!!!!

I looked up, with a WTF look on my face, and there she was, leaning back against the edge, fingers planted squarely in her ears, humming. And smiling.

Um, now, people do that. To be funny. Put there fingers in their ears and say, "lalalalalala" or whatever. WE don't. She has never seen this act. Where did she come from?????

Sierra Skies

October Harvest

Today I picked the tomatoes and beans (green and purple) and peppers from the garden. Here is the haul -- not bad for a day in October! (there were actually 4 peppers and about half again of the large tomatoes but I used them for tonight's dinner -- lamb ragout over rosemary polenta)



There are SO many grape/cherry/teardrop tomatoes -- the girls eat them like they are candy but still don't make a dent. I'm thinking of doing a tomato relish with them -- anybody got ideas/recipes? Erin or Molly D?

I have to say, the peppers were the sweet surprise of our garden. I don't really like peppers -- unless they are pickled! I planted these

http://www.groworganic.com/item_SNV4137_Renees_Garden_Pepper_Sweet_Pizza.html

because the name having "pizza" in it caught my eye -- I do like green peppers on pizza! We have 6 gorgeous plants that make the most wonderful sweet peppers I have ever tasted. Next year I will double down on those! And add a hot pepper for pickling!

The green beans should get the season's producer award. They keep on goin'! We eat them twice a week. I have frozen and pickled them. I have an overflowing colander of them now. Hmm, what should I do with these????

The cucumbers were my disappointment. I planted 4 different kinds, hoping to have them for salads, my Turkish breakfasts, and pickling. I pickled a quart and a half (some of which came from the CSA). I think I have picked 10 lousy cucumbers. There are still some on the vine in the lower beds. And the box on the deck is still growing and blooming (with nary a fruit to be seen).

Speaking of nary a fruit, the melon patch. I have bemoaned the lack of fruitation -- despite the flowers and the pollinators! Well, guess what! There are 4 gorgeous musk melons growing and ripening! I found them today. The volunteers are still going to take the prize though -- I've picked at least 6 beautiful true cantaloupes and another 6 of some gourd/cucumber looking but clearly melon fragrant/tasting "things".

The carrots were largely failures -- a few tiny little round balls suitable for little girl snacks while they are helping. The beets made gorgeous tasty tops and a few bulbs. I'm the only one who eats the bulbs anyway! I planting some golden ones for Winter harvest anyway -- I'll keep trying with the girls.

Broccoli. Broccoli. I started you from seed in APRIL! FINALLY I see a couple tiny heads forming. SIX months. I'll try you again for Spring harvest.

The lettuce, spinach, arugula, mesclun all have been successes. Though, despite being in the lower, shaded, cooler beds, lately they have been a little bitter. Replanting for Winter harvest.

I had planned to take pictures of the Autumn garden but the camera batteries died and I couldn't find the recharger. I want to tell you all about the giant pumpkin but that tale needs pictures.

I have also to plant now: garlic, shallots, onions, potatoes. I ordered seeds for: peas, lettuce, cilantro, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and some other veggies I can't remember. Oh, and I bought a fruiting, INDOOR eligible, avocado. I'm still so sad about Alex's Avocado. I've tried and tried to start from pits again and failed. I understand that it is unlikely for those starts to fruit anyway. So I shelled out some cash for an already grafted tree. I also tried to order a Meyer lemon but they wouldn't ship that to CA.

Next up, I need to find a rotting tree stump to start some mushroom spores!

Our poor tomatoes had a little water "issue" while we were away last week -- if you could all send them a little healing energy to keep producing at least until we leave on the cruise I'd sure appreciate it! In the meantime, I'll hit the U-pick farm again -- I need to can at least another 100 pounds!

And they make music

A two man band