September 1rst~Wow already. And Garden notes for 2022

 

I just loooove pizzas and no-knead breads..

I baked my latest in my mom's vintage Wagner..splendid results!

Next year's gardens will absolutely have..

my regular cherry tomatoes.. except white currant ...too small..not worth the room it takes..not even sure how it got in here..2 plants!

This is a big basket it hangs on a pot rack over our island..maybe 17x 14..so that's how many are in there:)GRATEFUL.

I love my little tomatoes all the varieties..  2 are from Fred one isn't ripe yet..Banana legs..but Red Fig Pear is.

Sweet William and Sun Cherry from Susan yrs ago..

Dancing With Smurfs..Bumblebee Sunrise and White Currant from me..originally from an organic heirloom gardener close by.

I'll add these for next year..much larger.

I bought Gusto Italia Italian Red Pear 

and Gusto Italia Pantano Romanesco.

As far as lettuces..maybe only Little Gem and Mesher.

Garlic Chives.

Dill definitely.

Borage definitely.

Johnny Jump ups.

Pink Geraniums..not darker..

Million Bells.

Would like to find a few urns.

I bought Zinnia seeds and Calendula seeds.

I'd like Cosmos plants.

More Verbena Bonariensis 

Gaura

Maybe some Coleus.

Nasturtiums..have gathered my seeds already.

4 o'clocks always but what a slow start this year!

We have had one single solitary rainfall.In I don't know how long.

The gardens are sad and depleted the trees also.

Giada's Sicilian pesto recipe is a keeper.. I add more garlic..more crushed chili peppers..It's ...I mean... just spoon feed me;)

Above I have it on toasted focaccia rubbed with garlic..some  fiorella ricotta and then the pesto♥

I'm still painting Paris People:)

This one was going to Café de Flore to meet friends before school starts.

I wish all these students a great year..teachers alike.

They have been more that stellar.

All of ours are in high school now...

Les journées passent si vite avec des petits-enfants.

♥

I have a dear friend..

she moved away..and recently purchased a new home with family..it's gleaming and gorgeous..

but she also rented an atelier.

She is my fabulous artist friend I have mentioned so often.

 A mother Theresa of friends.

In this day and age of look what I have..look what I do.. (guilty)

This friend of mine..I mean..

Step in..to her atelier..

Her canvases are huge 4 ftx 6 ft.

I am lucky enough to have one hanging here.

Her works remind me of old masters.

Her atelier studio is not like what we see on blogs.

Thank goodness.

I mean all the fancy matching things..

That's not a real true atelier.

This is.. when she lived across the street one room was designated for this.Having moved..she's tried different things even a larger atelier.This one is her.

He present works are focused on dementia.

Prior works have been on the people she knew in The South Of France..or hands..

She has worked in palliative care residences for yrs prior to Covid and cared for family and friends until their last breath.

She's lived in BC..in Boston..in Mtl..In Paris..in the South of France.

I gave her that Frida pillow yrs ago.

This touched me.

There's nothing fancy about this Nancy♥

A gem.

~Not always Mrs Greenjeans~Proof.Right here:)

 

So some garden chat..I was asked where my tomato plants are 90% here..that's the back of the garage I have trellis on it for my once beautiful clematis.I started loving starting tomatoes from seed and ripped out perennials that were in front of the clematis.Clematis have suffered last 3 yrs tomatoes take over.This was taken from the kitchen gloomy day..I have over 20 huge tomato bushes.And all except 3 have spots all at bottom creeping way up now.

People are so nice and tell me I have a green thumb..because..I only show what works:)

Cleome is a no brainer..everyone grows cleome..this is my prize winning one..I bought a flat..and this one shone compared to the rest.

This was my kale crop..

Let us not forget my Bells of Ireland..

Parsley .. thank goodness in raised bed it's fine.

So there you have it..and I could show you seeds that did not take..but how do you do that? And Calendula always a winner here..I have 3 leaves somewhere.:(

I love my little tomatoes all the varieties..  2 are from Fred one isn't ripe yet..Banana legs..but Red Fig Pear is.

Sweet William and Sun Cherry from Susan yrs ago..

Dancing With Smurfs..Bumblebee Sunrise and White Currant from me..originally from an organic heirloom gardener close by.

All seeds indoors..transplants..dug up by a varmint and replanted.

Oh the struggle this yr!

Still I get a little basket every day now..hope they all ripen.

Made a cake..mini and large..they are pretty but not quite what I expected..soo..

And my fault I bet..Instead of one part AP and one part Oat..I used AP.Had no oat flour.

It didn't taste like the title..

Detroit style pizza.. my sauce my pesto my tomatoes..

I think I'm going back to just not baked in a pan except cast iron..and that's so heavy.. we love free form baked on a stone.

But it was pretty lol and tasty.

However the Air Fryer salmon w/ a side of massaged kale salad (not my kale lol)

Is the bomb.

You need La Grille Maple Bacon Seasoning

It's simply the best.I used to put Smoked Paprika or Herbes De Provence..

This is IT.The BOMB.

Room temp salmon..rub w/ evoo..s and p..and then this magic.

My air fryer pre-heats ..bake at 390 for 7 mins or to your taste.

Dill and Basil still so fine..funny I pinch off ends of basil every day..and look ..more..

Every three days..I make Gaby's vinaigrette ..by the way you can keep this vinaigrette longer in the fridge than she states..IMHO..I do..or Pesto..Love both.

I dried some basil yesterday..not worth it..I find it's the oils in the leaves that are so very fragrant.

We are in a terrible heat wave..

It's rare that it lasts this long.

And not a drop of rain..the back gardens are drooping as the front ones..I can water the small hexagonal bed by hand as well as my tomatoes..the rest??Sad..I mean they are living things too..I feel for them..

These back blooms are usually sky high..  this one is horizontal now and some branches have toppled to the ground in heat exhaustion.

Sometimes you find treasures:)

Have a good week.

The changing looks of a garden~Quietly,slowly,surely.

 

Even though tons of pink and white phlox rise and shine and bloom at this time of year and straggling roses bloom too..most of the blooms are yellows and golds..as well as golden corn:)

Frédérick..Fred..one of our son-in-laws has a knack a real knack in the kitchen.
I've told you all before..he's a master in cooking..Caro is the baker.

It's corn season here..

In 2015 ..I know.. because I asked him for the recipe and he sent me his notes.. and I kept them..the thing is Fred often does what great chefs do..a bit of this a bit of that:)

So here is how I made it..I halved his recipe so it's as follows.

I made more corn than we needed.. and took the kernels off the cobs.3 were used for this recipe.. makes 4 portions.

 3 stripped  cobs went in a pot  with milk.. 2 cups milk w/ a tsp of chicken stock.. powdered or Better Than Bouillon....

I brought it to  a boil and let it simmer.. 

I removed the corn..and saved the rich broth.

I sautéed 3 strips of chopped bacon..until done..and removed..in that fat..yes fat..I had 1/2 a large finely chopped Spanish onion fresh off the farm..and one Yukon Gold potato.. diced..and 2 cloves of chopped garlic.. cook until the flavor of the bacon is in all that and onion is softened as well as garlic.

Return stock to pot and cook until potatoes are tender.. add your corn kernels from the 3 cobbs

Take about 1 cup of mixture..and transfer to a vessel that you can use an immersion blender in..Blend w/ your desired amount of canned chipotle pepper.( IN ADOBO)

I used 1..too much.. start w/ 1/4 and taste..I will do half next time.

Add 1 cup cream I used 10% ..most would use heavy cream.

Return all to the remaining ings on the stove..this serves as a thickener..but I must say mine was perfect..not thick..just right.

Adjust seasonings..salt and pepper.

Serve warm w/ chopped chives and the reserved bacon as garnish.

Although this serves 4 the 3 slices of bacon are only sufficient for 2.. so you are either going to cook more bacon for the rest or make more from the onset.

Fred's notes said butter can be added..It would make it deliciouser lol for sure..but I am rounder these days..lol so omitted the extra buttah;)

PS I know deliciouser is not a word.I take author's liberties here.

Another favorite here this summer since the air fryer..

It's so easy.

For your shrimp..pre-season a bit..

then dip in corn starch..egg white..panko that I add paprika s and p in.Set aside.

Preheat you air fryer at 400.

Spray shrimp w/ olive oil..you don't need much..a sweep.

380 F 5 minutes here.I don't flip..They are just fine like this darker on top but cooked and crispy under.

Prior to that..I make a sauce..mayo..sweet chili sauce and sriracha.

Look how quickly it all comes together.My fries are cheater fries..A great chain of restaurants..Baton Rouge..sells it's fries through Costco..We bake them.

Take care~

~Don't say ....fall

 

Oh my ....People are calling FALL..Come on guys..I have sooo many cherry tomatoes to ripen..girls need to see their produce ripen..Let's not use that F word again yet ok?Last time I looked fall is Sept 22nd...

Garlic never disappoints..It's all clean now..EXCEPT....

What's in the heart basket is what I will plant..the largest bulbs of my harvest..below..what we will use this yr..

The thing is I use to tidy it all up..but I met a garlic grower who assured me that the bulbs/cloves.. to be planted..must not be handled until planting..so although I am always so grateful for my home grown garlic and never had any complaints..I am going to give it a try..:) See... lol I can live w/ not spotless..

So come end October..I'll be planting all those dirty girls;)

Fun little flavored vinegars are done..and waiting..

Do you see what I see? I always hesitate to show a gift here..because I don't expect nor need..I love GIVING..little things..and I hate bragging so I keep gifties to myself..

But I wanted to show you how perfect Marie's stitches are.I love to embroider so I can appreciate perfection when I see it as I am not a perfect thimble lol.It's a beautiful tea towel.

So  my Paris people..I can't tell you how many I have painted..they are in 3 watercolor journals .when I finish the 3rd..I think I'll take a break and focus on something else:)

On IG ..I attributed stories to them thanks to a wonderful girl who suggested it to me..Kathy.

All my PP are painted from Geni's photos on IG.

I look at them and think..can I do this one? I've challenged myself many a time and they are far from correct renditions lol.More like caricatures  of her fab people.

This one for instance I named Luther.

(from that Britbox show we like)

And it goes like this..

Luther is  in Paris for the summer..hiatus you know..he relishes the differences..And he's out of his suit and coat.This is the fun incognito Luther.

He hopes no one calls upon him to help solve a crime..Like Lupin;)

The stories and short and sweet and 99% of the time bilingual.Some are longer..depends how involved I am in the character.

That pizza is from a new feed..Tilly alerted me to it..you can find her on IG all reels all poetry in motion~turkuazkitchen.

Take a bite:)

It's called a summer pizza.. this bugged me..we had bought arugula at Costco..it's supposed to have arugula on top which I favor..The arugula was all WET.Buhbye.

A small front lampastandard garden..is awful..I ripped out perennials and stuck in hostas.  In doing so..I found a magical land..of Faes and mushrooms..My gardens are so sunny for the most part but this one faces north west...so does get shade..I guess that's why it's a magical kingdom where mushrooms grew..I have another large side one..I should check under all the gooseneck loosetrife..;)

Have a good week.