Everyone proceed immediately to Ashe County. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come back.
Two nights was just two nights shy of being gone long enough to be mentally prepared to come home. It’s perfect there right now, low 80’s/low60’s, low humidity and sparkly fresh breezes. Did you know that the New River is the second oldest river in the whole world?? So cool.
They still have lush, productive gardens right now with corn and tomatoes. A stark contrast to our haggard, burned-out gardens here. Speaking for my self of course.
My okra is looking good though!
It’s over my head now. The fire ants are all over it, going up to the blossoms so when I reach in to pick it, they get in my gloves, on my neck, in my hair, up my sleeves and wherever that path takes them, while the scratchy okra leaves abrade my face like a dull razor blade. Picking okra right now is kind of like walking over hot coals really slow.
Hi, ant frienemies! Wanna have a party in my pants? If anyone out there has a deep-seated self loathing, I’ll let you come put your face into that okra blossom and then we can go to therapy together.
This is the first planting of okra – I stopped picking it a few weeks ago, it’s Silver Queen and red something. It’s really pretty with the huge pods, I think I’ll let them dry for decorations. Bouquet of dead okra for your loved ones??
I’ll be at the Charlotte Regional Farmer’s Market tomorrow with: sweet & hot peppers, 3 kinds of eggplant, okra, garlic, potatoes: German Butterball, Peppermint, Huckleberry Gold, Carola bakers (omg you have to make these Greek Potatoes!); cipollini, red & yellow onions; wheat berries.
I started pulling up ginger but it’s still too small so I’m going to wait a couple weeks. Extra hot temps cause it to send up a lot of leafy shoots instead of concentrating on growing it’s roots. They say it was the 3rd hottest July on record.
Our grass fed, grass finished Angus beef in these cuts: Ribeyes, NY strips, filets, sirloins, skirt, flat irons, ground beef, stew beef, philly steak, cube steak, oso bucco short ribs, brisket, soup bones (BOGO 50% off), liver, sirloin tip roasts, eye of round and bone-in chuck roasts, and bologna, pastrami, corned beef, hot dogs made from 100% grass fed beef without any nitrates/nitrites.
Nicely tilled bed before I set out the transplants. Don’t worry, I mowed at the edges later.
Now, my food styling fail for this week.
Since I’m sure no one has any idea what that is and probably thinking whatever recipe that is I am definitely not making it, let me just say it is super delicious and EVERYONE says so. It’s my auntie’s Baked Eggplant, topped with ground beef (or spicy ground pork sausage or ground venison), sauteed onions & sweet peppers, marinara and goat cheese. Kind of like a casserole and it’s even more delish the next day.
Here’s what you need: a few eggplants, a jar of good marinara, onions and several sweet peppers, garlic, 8 oz goat cheese, 1 lb ground beef, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, a little oil. 9×13 baking dish.
Slice the eggplant about an inch thick and I peel it. (Eggplant shrinks so overlap the slices until the 9×13 dish is filled then when it’s done baking squeeze them down into one layer side by side.) Brush both sides of the slices with a little oil and sprinkle with Italian Seasoning, bake about 20 min at 400 or til soft. When it’s done, spread a little marinara on the bottom of the dish under the eggplant to keep it from sticking later.
Meanwhile brown the beef and season with salt and pepper (I like some crushed red pepper), take it out of the pan and saute 2 onions, and a lot of sweet peppers til soft and throw in some chopped garlic near the end. Top the eggplant with the onions/peppers/garlic then ground beef, then the rest of the marinara. Slice up 8 oz of creamy goat cheese and arrange the slices on top. Bake for 30 min at 350. Serve as is, or over pasta. I promise, it’s so good. And almost everything in there is available at the market (conveniently also all at my table).
I took my Moo for a leisurely stroll.
He loves going for walks.
See you tomorrow!