Sunday, July 19, 2015

Lilies and ..garlic..and..rain..




















I love ratatouille.
The movie..and the edible one..
I made my first one many many years ago..a gleaned recipe from Bon Appétit or Gourmet..and I still follow their lead..
for sure..you need eggplant..and zucchini..and garlic..and tomatoes..and red peppers and green peppers and red onions..chop them up..mix w/ a generous portion of EVOO..salt and pepper (I add red pepper flakes..)and ROAST  @ 425F .. 20 minutes.. flip..and then 15..
I then put in  a bowl on my counter..let cool and add fresh chopped herbs..mostly basil!
IN a pinch and for added flavor..add Italian seasonings..dry..quality ones..

I adapt this recipe..

cover..the flavors..meld~

later in the day..dinner time..we cook pasta..usually penne..  and I add the ratatouille..and some pasta cooking liquid..and adjust seasonings..adding paremsan cheese..

I could have like 1/4 cup of pasta and all the rest? Ratatouille:)
Have you tried?
Don't expect a pretty plate.. but a delicious one  that is certain.


It's Lily time here..and my garlic:)
Maggie is my all time favorite Lily.
No ifs ands or buts about her♥
She's creamy peachy ruffly abundant.

Many are blooming right now..and I cannot say that they each don't catch my eye..in their own individual ways~

I harvested my first garlic bulb..
just a couple of weeks ago..I cut off the scapes..
from that moment..the leaves started to change..as they start to turn brown..keep an eye open..
my friend told me he waits until they are all brown..so although I am tickled pink at the test bulb I harvested..I'll wait now till all the leaves are brown..
and I'll get back to you;)
need I say..another part of my gardens will be reserved for garlic only?
I love watching things grow..you might find that a funny thing to say..but believe it or not..even in a few hours things change in a garden.

Sometimes for the better..sometimes not..

we had a torrential downpour last night.. during the night..my borage.. bye bye..it was..as high as the tomato plants..  4 feet?

both plants uprooted and down.. Peter ..feels wide open now.
Buried under the borage..sage,thai basil,chives..
Look at all those blooms..hundreds..
and I had big clumps of roses on single branches..  snapped..
C'est la nature.. the earth needed rain..






I'll be pressing the borage blooms..some to see if they will work..they are not flat like pansies..so not sure..I did salvage 2 blooms~
Bessie is happy.

48 comments:

  1. What lovely pictures I noticed you had a lovely sun and a little rain!
    So dark roday, I can't take pictures with this light:(
    Is the only thing I dont like from winter:))
    Some days we have cold days but with sunshine time!
    xoxoxoxo

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    1. I hear you re winter..still to me ..it looks like summer there!

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  2. We had a horrible storm yesterday too. One of my tomato plants broke and my tall, wrought iron planter toppled over in the wind. What a mess and I feel your pain. Now I want to try your ratatouille recipe! We loved the Savory Sables and now I need to make this one too :) Ah, Maggie! She looks so beautiful in front of the blue hydrangea. I can't grow blue ones here :( They always turn pink. Congratulations on your first garlic bulb!!!!

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    1. It's about to happen again..so glad I picked up everything earlier and tied more tomato plant branches..

      Poor tomato plant Susan:( We wait all year for this..

      peanuts in the big picture though;)

      there will be more blooms..more tomatoes..

      They don't go great guns here for me the blue hydrangeas..but they do give me a few blooms..The Cape was glorious with them everywhere.
      Here is the link to the Epicurious recipe..I adapted of course as we are 2..
      http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ratatouille-with-penne-102256
      Pretty happy re the garlic;)

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  3. Quelles belles couleurs estivales !
    La ratatouille est un mets délicieux, j'adore ses saveurs quelle que soit la saison ~

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    1. Moi aussi!
      D'ailleurs..son origine est de la France? Nice?

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  4. I just love it when a bulb I stick in the ground somewhere shows up the next summer. You just reminded I planted some garlic last summer and after sunset will go out looking for it under the asparagus ferns. Guess I'm getting forgetful.

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    1. Yes..one clove..gives one bulb..go look!You..forgetful? Jamais.
      Strangely enough..when I planted all 20 cloves..I saw in my mind's eye.. a truckload..
      and of course it is not a truckload...maybe not even a wicker basket load;)
      So at least a double up next year..at least.

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  5. Your garden looks so beautiful, tidy and organised. Made me feel ashamed of mine ... Green fingers I don't have any ... So all the plants in my garden are half dead. Loved your garlic bulb! Can you eat the leaves too? They look like leek to me.

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  6. Beautiful pictures. Love the recipe and I am going to try it. I pulled up my veggies on Friday as they were pitiful. Yesterday we finally got some rain. The plants were so happy to be getting water all over them and the hummingbirds were going crazy flying here and there. So sorry that it rained so hard where you live, but be thankful that you are not in a drought. I will try planting garlic next spring.
    Have a great week.
    Mary

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    1. Grateful for the rain..I am..I promise..drought makes things look forlorn here..here we plant garlic in the fall..October..and harvest end of July..going to see you..and your gardens now..

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  7. Your first time harvestin garlic is so exciting. I grew German extra hardy one year and they are huge. Sorry to hear the rain did all that damage. Is that Magggie in both photos? Mine is blooming too but has been hiding in the fillupebdula so this year I dug it out and Maggie should bulk up. I wish Jerry. Ate more vegetables. That dish looks so good.I made your rhubarb cake today. It is a good one. I'll make again. It would taste good as muffins too.

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    1. Maggie is in 2 of the photos..she is not the yellow one..
      I am growing German White and Rocambole also..will show you😄
      Tell me about spell check too on the mini!
      Kindle..must be even harder!I made that cake two days ago..again..my. Right or brought me rhubarb.so I brought them some cake.
      We can thank Ricardo again!

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    2. Ok, she is with your hydrangea. I copied that combo with one of my hydrangeas but it is only producing blooms on the other side if the shrub! I just noticed that pink one next to to the photo of the foxgloves. Do you have a name? It is going to be another hot, hot one but no rain expected.

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  8. Typing on a kindle is challenging when one is used to an ipad.

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  9. I have always wanted to grow my own garlic. When we lived in Meaford there was a couple in town that grew garlic and used to sell it from their front garden. So good.! I love ratatouille too. I made some just a few weeks ago. We could not eat it all so I froze the rest. I hope it freezes well. Time will tell. Your lillies are beautiful. Ours are blooming now also. Our first ever lillies. We have never had them before. Ours are a mix of pink and orange. Very nice. Our garden is almost at it's peak now, with the hydrangea etc. all in bloom . . . things will begin to slowly die off now. Always sad when that happens, but . . . that's the circle of life. Rain, it is so needed, but can be a great destroyer. Sigh . . . Have a fab week! xoxo

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    1. You too Marie..you have way more fruits than I do..even our bluebrries..not one!

      Next year..hope never dies in the heart of a gardener;)

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  10. Ha I use the same Epicure recipe
    Yum

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  11. We've had three evenings of storms with heavy rain and wind. So sad to see what it does to some plantings but many benefit. We are big fans of ratatouille here as well. In fact, in the fall I gather up the last of the ingredients and make some for the freezer.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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    1. One of my fave veggie dishes for sure..rosated the taste is just right..
      A bit of rain..a bit of sun:)

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  12. I enjoyed reading about your garden and the changes that you observe...I just read on a friends blog who lives in Poland that she buries garlic to keep voles away (I've never even seen a vole...). I can't eat garlic, but find it so beautiful, especially in bunches...

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    1. Me too..I just harvested my bunches..dirt and all..l will brush off when all dried:)
      So nice to grow food..I eat spinach by the handful when I walk by it;)

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  13. Evening Monique....
    Your Lilies are fabulous....so many varieties and colours!
    And that pasta looks really thick and tasty....must try that!
    Even your garlic is beautiful!
    Sorry that the rain damaged your flowers....:o[....boo to Mother Nature!
    Enjoy your week ...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  14. Monique, your garden looks pristine, even after the heavy rain. Sad that Mother Nature took your pretty blooms, but her rain will nurture others. I've never planted garlic, only society garlic. Dug it out because it was in the herb garden near the front door of our home. I felt the smell was off putting at times. Not very welcoming in my mind!
    So happy you stopped by today. You should plan a Mad Tea for next summer. Yours would be magical, no question!

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    1. I don't have any Mad hatter things..:)
      I am not really a party person;)

      But you know that already..

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  15. So much to love in your garden Monique even after that huge downpour. Beautiful pics especially wheel-barrow laden down with borage but realise all the back-breaking work it must have taken.
    Hoping your week goes well
    Take Care

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    1. It wasn't bad..Fall is back breaking:(

      When my Littles will be older nana will hire them..Cookies and $$ and ♥:)

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  16. Such beautiful flowers and the garlic is lovely. Garlic is something I need to add to my garden.
    I love using it in so many dishes. Your pasta dish is so appetizing! I feel like I coukld reach right through the screen and taste it. I must say your photos are outstanding. Did you take courses for photography? Happy Monday.

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    1. No but I often think I would enjoy classes..I am just not a joiner of anything..too bad..I think I miss out on a lot..

      You are nice to think that I know what I am doing;)
      Have a great day Linda.
      The garlic..is exciting..really.

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  17. The garlic photo is so neat! I don't have many blue hydrangea blooms, they are mostly pink and purple. Three colors on one bush ;o) When we go to the Cape, Rhode Island, etc. they are bluer than blue. And huge. Sorry that Mother Nature took your pretty blooms. I may have to make that pasta dish!

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    1. And grow garlic:)
      I think you would be overjoyed..I have seen your green thumb;)

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  18. Your lilies are just beautiful, mine should be blooming anytime as well. I had enjoyed the photos of your borage and I'm sorry about what that heavy rain did them and your roses. We had the same rain and you are right, the earth did need it…especially the apple trees as they are loaded with apples this year.

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    1. It's been intermittent all day today..~!

      Murphy's Law..:) You have so many apples now~

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  19. I forgot to say that your ratatouille sounds delicious…I like that you roast the ingredients. I'm sure it greatly adds to the flavor.

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  20. Love the hydrangea and Lily together. Gorgeous photos. Sorry you lost some plants in the rain. That is some wheel barrow full!

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  21. Garlic, lilies and rain. Love them all and all your lovely photos!! Can't wait to see your borage leaves pressed!!
    Hugs,
    Jody

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  22. I do believe you make the most beautiful plate of ratatouille I've ever seen Monique. Normally it's not nearly that pretty. I wish I could convince my husband to like eggplant. Gosh knows his brother has tried and he will reluctantly eat his ratatouille. Maybe I can "sneak" yours in on him. I had never thought to pair hydrangeas and lilies together, but they are very charming. Most of the lilies found around here are called "ditch lilies" and not nearly as lovely and regal as yours.
    Sam

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  23. I love ratatouille as well, make it a lot. I sometimes add a bit of tomato paste to make it more of a sauce and serve it on rice.
    Amalia
    xo

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  24. I love your flowers. I am enjoying your watercolors. Must check out the ratatouille. I have the movie - I pull it out every once in a while and we re-watch it.

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