Summer 2012 Garden

We have enjoyed making pizza sauce using the produce from the garden.  

The Zucchini are plentiful and I hope to add green beans to the harvest. Our weather has been mostly cold and so the tomato harvest is smaller in size and quantity. So far only 2 medium sized egg plants but I see two more growing so there is hope for a ratatouille in a week or so.

Newest appliance used in cooking has been my Benriner Mandolin to slice zucchini paper thin (great on pizzas)

Thank you Alexandra's Kitchen for the video on how to use a mandolin safely and for writing about the book Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoe François

¡OLE!

Surfing at Manhattan Beach

Just had to share these pictures of the quick trip we took to Southern California with our grandsons. The two objectives were to give the boys a day at The California Great Adventure and body surf at Manhattan Beach and at Huntington Beach. Should say that our objective was to have time with the boys. Was a great trip!

Apricots, cobbler & stewed

Yesterday we headed to Winters to try to find fresh apricots. We were battling a heavy wind and found the first fruit stand closed because the wind had destroyed it.  We had been talking about Lake Berryessa, so when the second stand we passed was also closed we headed for the lake.  It may have been windy, which kept the temperature down, but it was a perfect day to be driving in the hills.

Finally on the return trip, the 2nd fruit stand was open and we bought some glorious apricots.  I was almost too late to get a picture of the apricot cobbler.

Fruit Cobbler -  I adapted the original recipe from an old Better Homes & Garden Cookbook.
I used an 8x8 pan for this recipe but I often double the recipe and use a 9x12 pan.
400 degree oven 

Prepare fruit:
I have good luck with spraying the pan and then filling it at least half full with fresh fruit + 1/2 cup sugar or to taste.  Leave room for the dough.   I have had excellent results with fresh apricots, plums and peaches.  I think I have also used rhubarb and berries.
Put the fruit-filled pan in a 400 degree oven while you prepare the dough.  I like the fruit to be bubbling hot when I add the dough.


1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk, 1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar for topping

For topping;
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the 1/3 cup shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine egg and milk.  Add to flour mixture, stirring just to moisten. Drop the dough as evenly as you want on top of the bubbling (hot) fruit.  Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar over the dough. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Wedding in Albuquerque!

2012 Persimmon blossoms & tree

In rereading notes I was reminded that I hadn't posted the Persimmon Date-nut Bar's recipe.  Our tree in the front yard has many persimmon blossoms which bodes well for a crop this year. I think I have used the last bag of pulp so I may have to just post the recipe with out a picture of the bar cookies.
More to come.

Golden Bear in Port of Sacramento

It is a beautiful day in Sacramento and an important arrival came in this afternoon. The Golden Bear, a ship stationed in Vallejo that is the training ship of the California Maritime Academy came up the channel to the Port of Sacramento. 

Why was I interested? One of our grandchildren got accepted to the Maritime Academy for Fall 2012.  It is an impressive vessel and I just had to go see it.  Wasn't necessary to climb aboard (which I don't know if it was possible today)but just had to be up close.  A lot of Sacramentens had the same idea.

Spring time in Sacramento

GREETING FRIENDS! I Have been working on winter vegetables for months. You can just about see the collard greens going to flower in the earth boxes. The snow peas are yielding a nice batch every day for snacking. Sometimes they never make the house. The arrugula started going to flower weeks ago but I can still get a few leaves for sandwiches. I picked the last of the red chard yesterday and put it in a vegetable soup. We got the olive trees manicured like cousins of ours did to their trees. We also pulled up the evergreens and put in casks for vegetables. Makes gardening more manageable.


Today I took a short walk today to the library and the post office. It is cherry blossom time and the trees are beautiful! The weather has turned cold and rain is in the offing so any plans for a picnic under the trees was canceled.
As I walked home from the P.O. I saw this painting on the curb stone. Most of us just have our address painted on the curb but this family was very original. I'm thinking of asking the artist in our family to work something up for us.