Here we are again. September 1. Whoosh! That summer went by in a blur. I'm happy to be joining in on Amy's Five on Friday link up again. She's had a tough summer and would appreciate kind thoughts and prayers.
Last summer I made a spicy tomato jam that was so delicious on cheese and crackers, cold meats, with roast chicken, etc. I had a glut of plums given to me and decided to adapt the tomato jam recipe using plums, not tomatoes. A bit more acid and less sugar resulted in a wonderfully sweet-tart spicy condiment that we're enjoying.
In the spring we planted some new blueberry bushes in compost from our bins. All kinds of squash and tomato volunteers appeared. I thinned them out, excited about the butternut, acorn and delicata squash that I was going to harvest. After returning from our trip to Europe, I saw strange looking squashes forming and wondered if they had somehow cross bred themselves.
Alas, my daughter burst my bubble. "Do you think they might be gourds?" she asked.
She was right. I have a wonderful gourd harvest! There will be a big bucket of gourds on my porch when I get the fall decor done. And they will NOT go into the compost bin afterwards. I did get 2 acorn squash, however, as small consolation.
These poppy seed heads are so sculptural. I'm planning to cut them and arrange them indoors. They are full of poppy seeds that pour out when the pods are tipped. So many plant potentials there.
My parents visited last week and one evening we walked along the beach as the sun slipped down the horizon. The sky glowed pink, transforming even a container ship into a thing of beauty. The chill in the air warned us of the season that's coming no matter how tightly we hang onto summer.
Maggie, of Normandy Life, hosts Mosaic Monday. This week she posted a link to her "What to do with Courgettes?" Pinterest page. While perusing the page I ran across a Tian of Courgettes (aka zucchini) with Ham and Cheese. The recipe was in French, and I adapted it a little, and oh, my was it ever tasty. And simple to make. I posted the recipe here.
School began for teachers this week. I work with a great group of educators and am happy to be back, if a bit overwhelmed just now. Things will settle as the students arrive next week, and we get into a routine.
Thank you, Amy, for hosting Five on Friday.
