Posted Jun-01-08 05:38:08 PDT
My goodness... it's hard to believe that it's the first of June and that we're half-way through the year...
We received some desperately-needed rain yesterday and through the night. Everything was dusty-dry and looking a little thirsty and wilty, but now things have perked up quite a bit!
Mom and I FINALLY completed transplanting the remainder of the strawberry plants. (well... almost...) We estimated over the past two days alone, we replanted between six- and seven hundred plants into a newly-made patch. We even laid out compost and mulched the rows thickly with straw, and I swear I will keep ahead of the runners and keep the rows in order for once! One of my runner ducks gets into the back fruit garden and has been doing a lovely job of weeding. He is fascinating to watch... his bill goes just under the surface of the mulch and he skims the underlying layer of bugs and weeds.
The baby chicks have adjusted well to their new living-quarters, and I will be letting them outdoors in a matter of days... penned-in for the first week or two til they become familiar with the language of the other birds and can pick up on their warnings and chatter... and then they will be allowed to free-range with the others.
I intend to get the warm-weather crops planted this week. The Rhubarb is lush and plentiful, but how many times can one feast on pie? When I was little, our neighbor gave us a jar of Rhubarb Jam, and I wish I had been old enough to ask for the recipe. It was not like the Rhubarb Jam recipes I've tried... it seemed almost like a conserve or chutney; it was sweet, not spiced, it didn't contain raisens... but it was delicious on toast or by the spoonful! Sigh...
Well, seeing as I still have Rhubarb on the brain, here is a recipe I've had for making Rhubarb Salsa. I wish I could give credit where credit was due, but I have no idea whose recipe this is or where it came from. But it's been tried and tasted...
Rhubarb Salsa
Combine all the following ingredients in a pot, heat over medium- high heat til boiling, then lower heat, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes , stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer for about 5 minutes longer... don't overcook; let it stay chunky. Enjoy with sour cream and tortilla chips!
8 cups Rhubarb, chopped
1 or 2 large Onions, chopped
2 or 4 whole bulbs of Garlic, minced
1 or 2 large Tomatos, roughly chopped
2 or more Jalapenos, chopped
1 cup Raisins, if desired
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
Also, toss in any spices you prefer such as ginger, cinnamon, cilantro, basil... whatever suits your tastebuds.
My goodness... it's hard to believe that it's the first of June and that we're half-way through the year...
We received some desperately-needed rain yesterday and through the night. Everything was dusty-dry and looking a little thirsty and wilty, but now things have perked up quite a bit!
Mom and I FINALLY completed transplanting the remainder of the strawberry plants. (well... almost...) We estimated over the past two days alone, we replanted between six- and seven hundred plants into a newly-made patch. We even laid out compost and mulched the rows thickly with straw, and I swear I will keep ahead of the runners and keep the rows in order for once! One of my runner ducks gets into the back fruit garden and has been doing a lovely job of weeding. He is fascinating to watch... his bill goes just under the surface of the mulch and he skims the underlying layer of bugs and weeds.
The baby chicks have adjusted well to their new living-quarters, and I will be letting them outdoors in a matter of days... penned-in for the first week or two til they become familiar with the language of the other birds and can pick up on their warnings and chatter... and then they will be allowed to free-range with the others.
I intend to get the warm-weather crops planted this week. The Rhubarb is lush and plentiful, but how many times can one feast on pie? When I was little, our neighbor gave us a jar of Rhubarb Jam, and I wish I had been old enough to ask for the recipe. It was not like the Rhubarb Jam recipes I've tried... it seemed almost like a conserve or chutney; it was sweet, not spiced, it didn't contain raisens... but it was delicious on toast or by the spoonful! Sigh...
Well, seeing as I still have Rhubarb on the brain, here is a recipe I've had for making Rhubarb Salsa. I wish I could give credit where credit was due, but I have no idea whose recipe this is or where it came from. But it's been tried and tasted...
Rhubarb Salsa
Combine all the following ingredients in a pot, heat over medium- high heat til boiling, then lower heat, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes , stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer for about 5 minutes longer... don't overcook; let it stay chunky. Enjoy with sour cream and tortilla chips!
8 cups Rhubarb, chopped
1 or 2 large Onions, chopped
2 or 4 whole bulbs of Garlic, minced
1 or 2 large Tomatos, roughly chopped
2 or more Jalapenos, chopped
1 cup Raisins, if desired
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
Also, toss in any spices you prefer such as ginger, cinnamon, cilantro, basil... whatever suits your tastebuds.
This looks really good. What I'm wondering is if maybe I might be able to substitute the rhubarb with a new fruit I put up this year called Roselle. It taste like a cross between Rhubarb and Cranberry. I've saved the pulp in the freezer and made juice into ice cubes. I heard that in India they make a chutney with it and sounds similar to your salsa recipe. Dare I be brave. Thanks Pammy
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