It's preserving season! Basil and zucchini from my gardens, tomatoes from my generous neighbor.
First on the list: Pesto. Basil, parsley, olive oil, Parmesan, pine nuts, and garlic. Simple enough if you have a food processor. I've found that blanching the basil takes away the bitterness that sometimes occurs, but it is a bit of a pain.
Marina Sauce. Beautiful plum tomatoes, onions, and herbs. Sadly, one of the jars broke going into the canner. After all that work of peeling the tomatoes.... Thankful that it broke IN the pot, though, so no giant mess and no blood. Just sweat and tears.
Tomato Basil Jam. Sounds weird, but it is so good. With or without cream cheese on a cracker or toast. Trust me. Recipe here. I used 1.5 cups sugar.
And Zucchini Marmalade. Yes, zucchini. With orange and lemon. Yummy, yummy. Recipe here.
That should keep me going for eating and sharing for a while!
Meanwhile, out in the yard...
The butterfly bush is back! Starting over from the root, it's much smaller than last year, but at least it is back. After the polar vortex last winter, nearly every butterfly bush in the area appeared dead and the local nurseries were sold out. But, I heeded the recommendation to wait it out, that they often came back from the root, and here it is! I'm very happy. It took so long to find the right place for it in the yard, so I'm glad to see that it is really the right spot.
In the place where the choke-berry never really thrived, I finally gave up and put in something different. A painted fern, a heuchera, and a packet of wildflower seeds. I had to add the little fence to keep the lawn guys from mowing it down.
I don't know how the tomato plant got there, but what the heck, live and let live.
I love gold finches. See them in there eating the cosmos seeds?
Okay, you can really see him here!
