Herbs, ;Normal Day

      It is wonderful having a big pot of herbs jut outside the kitchen door.

It has just been the last 10 years or so that I have been interested in herbs.  But better late than never.
   It is easy to make an herb pot.  I had a 16 inch across plastic pot, a cut-off plastic liter bottle, potting soil , gravel and the plants.  If you are cooking for 1 or 2 this will do you all summer.  If you make pesto better  plant in the garden.
  The big pot will have drainage holes. If you want to spray paint the pot, that’s fine.   Fill the pot with soil, putting the cut-off liter bottle filled with gravel in the middle of the big pot. The soda bottle needs the bottom cut off and holes punched all around the sides.   I like to use a time release fertilizer (Osmocote) when potting out things.  I planted 2 basil, 1 rosemary and 1 parsley and sowed a little dill  on the side.  The trick is watering in the gravel.  My pot has holes cut in the sides, originally I planted herbs in those holes, also.
   But I wouldn’t advise it.  When watering, even in the gravel the water would shoot out those side holes. I use the same pot but covered the  holes with rocks.
   When herbs are that available, you remember to put them in everything.
If you are putting them in a cooked food, add them to the pot just before taking it up.  The flavor dissipates with cooking.
    Now, what to cook with those fresh herbs.

                     Pasta with Tomatoes and Herbs
1 cup uncooked penne pasta
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped will make about ½ cup. Use a combination of what you like.
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
Prepare tomato and herbs in large bowl. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
Cook pasta, (it doesn’t take long) Drain, keep hot.
Heat the olive oil, pour over tomato and herbs.
Add hot pasta and stir.

So good and so easy.
                   
                          Food For The Soul                                                                
                                           Normal Day
Let me be aware of the treasure you are.  Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.  Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.  Let me hold you while I may.
                              Anon
                                                 

Metamora and Strawberries

   Metamora has fallen on hard times.  This historical tourist attraction sports a gristmill, canal, working train,  and an aqueduct.  But where are the tourists?.  When family came visiting we wanted to show them our local events.  We don’t have Disney type sights between the cornfields so  Metamora was as close to an attraction as we’ve got.
 
  Unless you want to go boating or fishing at Brookville Lake our favorite restaurants are about it.
   But Metamora for some 30 or 40 years has been a good place to go.  You can walk the dog, push the babies in a stroller, or ride a bike. The shops are flush with goodies; ice cream, fudge .  In the fall when the festival is going on, there are barbecue  grills going; the smell of pork and onions wafts in the air.  
    At one time I had some favorite shops to watch for.  But they are gone,  the turn-over is great.  Some shops are boarded up.  I remember when Rose Hyde’s shop, Rosebud, was a gift shop  of renown.  It’s long gone.
    The tiny historical village; , once a hub of transportation is subject to change,  as are other urban centers, large and small.
   The canal once ran over the creek by way of a wooden bridge. Part of the canal has water, but .  the canal boat is dejected.
   Let’s give credit where credit is due.  We watched and listened to  a wonderful Memorial Day Service-  veterans, more flags than I could count, music and speeches.  At the end of the service children tossed flowers onto the water at the bridge.  A nice tribute to the fallen servicemen.
   Last 4th of July we spent a wonderful evening watching fireworks and people at Metamora.  On the north side of Rt. 52 new buildings and a large meadow were perfect for parking and lounging in chairs and on blankets.  There were lots of people, but it wasn’t crowded. .  Uniformed officers were evident, so it was peaceful.  Country music  performers entertained us while we waited for darkness.
  Perhaps even Metamora is adjusting.

   The first of June can not roll by without mention of strawberries.  I’m a novice grower, so appreciate even the small ones.  One thing I did right was to plant both ever bearing and June bearing.  Also thankful I spread straw over them in the fall.  It makes picking in the spring easier.

   Here is my take on that wonderful and easy Strawberry Pie.

                                   Dorothy’s Strawberry Pie
1 baked 9 inch pie shell
1  cup sugar
2 Tbsp. corn starch
3 Tbsp. strawberry jello
1 cup water
Halved strawberries
Combine sugar, corn starch and jello in heavy pan.  Add water, stirring well, \Cook on low ,boiling for 1 minute, stirring as it cooks.  Remove from heat and chill  well.   Arrange halved berries in cold pie shell, Top with glaze, top with Cool Whip.  

   Enjoy!

Touch of Class

                        Touch Of Class

                      A Touch Of Class

    It was “A Touch of Class.”   An Afternoon Tea with Ivy Tech was a fundraising event  for the school that our club ladies delighted in.
   High Tea at the Savoy in London, no; this was better.  No travel expenses, a table of friends and all the service and food delicacies you could imagine.
   Round tables for eight were elaborately decorated by those at that table.  They brought their centerpiece , china and all the decorations.

   Some of the ladies  wore stylish hats; fit to be seen at the Derby.
   Waiters were notables from the area, the city mayor, the county sheriff, a retired pastor,  the campus president, bankers and attorneys.  They were handsome in white shirts and bow ties. They had done this service before and they were capable servers.  .

   A harpist provided soothing background music.
   The piece de resistance was, of course, the food.  The tea was hot.   My words can hardly do it justice.
  The centerpieces   were outstanding.  Experienced and talented women had spent time and energy with these accomplishments.
   Reluctantly we came home; wondering, what’s for dinner?  What do I have for a centerpiece for my humble kitchen table?

Having Fun

                                 Having Fun
   How we have fun is different for each of us.  You may find riding a motorcycle fun, but it would scare me to death.  Watching an old movie I saw Tom Cruse and Carmen Diaz on a motorcycle run with the bulls.
That was fun.
   But what I enjoy most is having friends in; serving them tea with something I’ve baked.   This week I did just that.

   The conversation was mostly light. The tea was from Savannah; I baked the French macaroons; and we had fun.
   The macaroons were more than I bargained for.  The recipe came from King Arthur Flour, and I doubt if I ever bake them again.
  The highlight of the outing came when I gave each of the ladies a bouquet to take home.  One said she was going to share hers with a sick friend.  The other was pleased that  the closed buds of iris would last for days.
   To be able to share my flowers was fun.
   Today I planted a row of zinnias and cosmos.  In September when bouquets may be scarce, hopefully I’ll have something to share.  My row garden space has gotten smaller and smaller.  But there was room for a row of zinnias
   I hope you can find a spot for a row of flowers that will bring you joy in sharing.  Sharing is so much fun.
   .

Peonies

                                        Peonies
            Sales have been high for liniment at the Bath Store.  Folks were saying the garden club girls needed it after pattin’ themselves on the back with the success of their big plant sale.
   The women might have been happy but the husbands complained they bought and brought home more stuff than they took.
   The object of the plant sale for the ladies is to thin out and get rid of perennials you don’t need, but there is always something else that you do need.  (Me included.)

   Which reminds me of the coral peony blooming now.  A few years ago  I saw a picture of it in a garden catalog and knew I needed it.  Peonies are one of my favorites. Grandpa used to call them pinys.  But he knew how to grow them.

   There was a time when we grew them to have them bloom for Decoration Day (Memorial Day).  It was the custom to take fresh cut flowers from your garden to decorate the graves of loved ones.  Some folk put the flowers in water in mason jars.  Others covered coffee cans with aluminum foil for their container.  The flowers didn’t last long, kinda like life.
   But the climate has changed.  Peonies and maybe iris are long-gone by Memorial Day.   One is left to scrounge round for roses  or lilies to take to the cemetery.
   Give me the live ones any day over plastic flowers. I know it’s a matter of preference.  But doesn’t everyone love a peony?

A Good Day For Flowers

                           A Good Day For Flowers
 
   It’s been a good day; I was able to work in the flower garden, who could ask for more?   The garden seems to have gotten “out of hand.”   The day lilies need divided.  The spent daffodils are smothering the iris.  The tulips are dropping their last petals.   When was it at its peak?  Did I miss something?
  Oh, the poppies are just coming on and they are gorgeous.  Lilies of the Valley hide their charm beneath mounds of green foliage.

   If I am looking for perfection in the garden, it’s not to be had.  There is always a weed (or several) that need attention;  a flower that needs dead-headed.
   For thirty-five years I have toiled and worried over this garden.  Bought, planted, shared and despaired.  It has been worth every minute.
   From my vantage point on the swing I can see forget-me-nots given to me by Jane; a fern from Edith’s garden; iris from Sandy, I don’t remember who gave me the feverfew.  It has been so faithful; returning every year, sometimes bringing the children.

   When was my garden at its best?
    I remember those first years.
Before the land was ours, that plot had been the chicken lot.  The chicken house at the end was proof.  We made it into a vegetable garden.  But it was too large for me.   As I sat at my kitchen table and looked out the window I wanted something pretty to look at.
   When I consulted Mary and Shari they agreed half of the garden  was enough for food and half would be great for flowers.  (They sell flowers).
   Spirea bushes across the middle became the dividing line;  Then we added a pergola and a swing.  A gift of peonies and I bought daffodils and tulips-but it still wasn’t a garden.
   One of those early years I confided to Mary that the garden club was coming and I had nothing blooming.  What could I do?  Her reply was, “Have a wonderful dessert”:
   A flower garden takes awhile.  There are mistakes to be made.  Foxglove and delphinium do not grow in this garden.  Believe me. I have tried.  
   Garden books had beautiful pictures of roses and clematis climbing happily together.  I planted New Dawn Rose  and Sweet Autumn Clematis.  For years I had beautiful Sweet Autumn Clematis.  Just last year when I cut the clematis to the ground did the rose have a chance.  Finally I had pink roses climbing over the pergola in June and clematis in white splendor in August.  Thirty-four years.
   Part of the joy of gardening is bringing flowers in for the kitchen table or the dining room table.  A bouquet can be sight to behold or an eye-catcher.  
I lean toward the eye- catcher.  

Vase with chicken wire for frog.

Teach Your Children To Cook

                                               Teach Your Children To Cook

   Children are beset with so many activities that for many learning to cook is not an option.  If a parent can share the experiences of shopping for food and its preparation the rewards will be great.
   Pre-schoolers can help in the selection of fruits and vegetables.  Then they may be aware of the process involved in getting food on the table.
   Older children can learn more details from school Home Economics classes, participation in 4-H Baking groups and grandparents.
   I know it is often easier to do it yourself than to have a child help, but the rewards of having your child looking on as you cook are great.
   Years ago I worked as an Activities Director in a retirement center.
One of the residents, Irma, was a charmer.  She regaled me with the story of how she baked a cake while her mother was working in the field with her father.  The child was not yet in school and was left alone in the country home. This must have been  about 1920.  Bored, she decided to bake a cake for the family meal. She stoked the fire in the wood burning cook-stove.  Got out the ingredients, (no doubt, lard was one), a big bowl and a wooden spoon.  She needed no recipe, she had watched her mother.  And the cake was in the oven.  On her mother’s return, she was shocked to learn that the child had indeed baked a cake.
   The really good part of the story is the joy Irma still felt in telling of her childhood accomplishments.
   Easter is a time of family get-togethers.  You are blessed if when the children come home, they come bearing  nutritious, beautiful food.
The food may be prepared in a different way, it may even be better.
Our daughter prepared this fruit tart.                      

Our daughter prepared this fruit tart.
    I am the s.l.t.t.n.r. (she likes to try new recipes) We change as we age.
When the children were growing up, biscuits were an easy step with Bisquick.  When they were older I learned to make dinner rolls, they were a staple for family dinners.  As energy slackened and s.l.t..t.n.r. abounded I found a recipe for Angel Biscuits.  They looked beautiful in the pictures, a combination of yeast, baking powder and soda.  Despite my best efforts they turned out heavy.
   Live and Learn, next time it will be the super market, Bisquick, or a new recipe.

   Even at this age, I am not done learning.
   Chocolate Meringue Pie was a holiday dessert.  Thanks to tips from Milk Street Magazine and an old clipping from Heloise here is my take on the pie.

                         Chocolate Meringue Pie
The filling
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat milk in heavy pan over medium burner.  Combine sugar, cornstarch and cocoa in bowl.  Add a little of milk to make a paste, then add to pan.  With fork beat lightly egg yolks in a small bowl.  Add small amount of hot filling to egg, stir , then add to filling.  Cook until thick. Leave in hot pan while you prepare meringue.
3 egg whites at room temp.(this is important)
6 level tablespoons  sugar
tiny smidgen of salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch          
  The method is the tricky part.  Sugar must be completely dissolved in egg white.  To accomplish this you must have perfectly clean bowl and beaters.
Combine sugar, salt and cornstarch.  Beat egg whites until foamy throughout, beater on medium, add sugar slowly, tablespoon at a time, still on medium speed. Beat until satiny and smooth.  Do not over beat.
 Put hot filling in cooled crust. Spread meringue, touching crust on all sides.
Bake in 325 oven, middle rack until beginning to brown. Turn off oven and leave oven door ajar.  When cool, keep out of drafts.  It should be perfect, and still be nice the next day.