Monday, September 16, 2013

Peppers Peppers Everywhere

 I got everything done I wanted to accomplish  this weekend.  Said no gardener ever.  There's always that one more thing I could have/should have done.

One of the things on my list was to get all those tomatilloes out of the freezer and fridge and conjure up some Salsa Verde.  I made a big batch. Total 16 pints and two of those tall 1 1/2 pint jars of Salsa Verde. We both grew up eating Tex-mex and Mexican food.  Shoot if you are raised in Texas it's second nature.  I'll write up the recipe as soon as I have time.  I can see good food in my future now though!!  Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas anyone? Oh my.

I was lucky to have found enough pint jars to get this stuff done.  After scrounging around in every nook and cranny I realized that all of those cases of jars still empty are quarts. I wonder if I could find someone on Craigslist that would like to do a little trading...

 I've got so many peppers still coming on that I feel like I really need to do something besides dry them.  One of the things I had on my list was making some pepper jelly. Maybe this week.... 

Aren't these Bell Peppers pretty!!!

 The Cayenne Peppers are still going like they will never stop.  I'm picking the red ones every day and drying them for using later. 
See how the cantaloupe vines are starting to die back?  Almost finished for the year.  Check out that  plant behind it.  That is one HUGE pepper plant.  I know you can't see it but it's blooming again. All the peppers in the garden are as a matter of fact.
 

 There are some interesting peppers in the garden this year though.  My mom sent several different varieties of hot  pepper seed to Mars.  Just looking at them makes my mouth burn. 
 I'll make some jelly from those just for him this year.  I doubt it will be tolerable for me. I'll probably be afraid to even try them!   Shoot I can cry over a jalapeno, I can't imagine trying to eat one of those harbingers of death.   With so many pepper plants doing so well I've decided to start letting the Jalapeno's and Serrano's turn to red.  I'm hoping I can get enough of them at one time (which you guys who garden know can be hard to do sometimes) to make Chipoltle Powder.

Check out this pretty squash.  Carolyn, Don't Look! This is the yellow squash.  So far so good and I've been picking squash most every day for a few days now.

And not to be outdone.... The Acorn and Butternut Squash!!!
In other news...

Those of you who've been reading awhile already know that we don't watch T.V.  It's by choice just so ya know.  It wouldn't matter anyway since without sattellite TV there is no reception out here.  Our old 13" TV has been residing in the barn for the past couple of years.  We gave away the big one when we moved. For entertainment we rent dvd's from Netflix and we'll watch one movie a night on Mars' computer. Mine doesn't have a working dvd player.  (that's a whole other story)  Anyway, his dvd player finally bit the dust. So he brought the tv in from the barn and hooked up this old dvd player we've had for years to it.  Nothing.  We also have an old dvd player that he dug out. This player is old enough that of course it doesn't have a USB port in it.  I know they are pretty cheap these days so if we can wiggle the bills around come the first I'll order an external player.  Until then it's  radio for us in the evenings.  Funny how you get used to doing something every day...  part of the rythem , then all the sudden you aren't and you feel a bit "out of kilter".  Or is that just me? 

This year I've felt like I've been swallowed up whole by the garden and have been desperately trying to fight my way out.  I'm seeing the beginning of the end of the summer season and it's been a wild ride.  We've been blessed with a great garden this year. It had kept me busy and every single year I'm learning more and more.  Please understand I'm not complaining.  I'm just very happy that I was able to do it, albeit slowly, and I'm still upright!  We'll have some good food this winter.  And if I'm lyin' folks.... Then grits ain't groceries!!!








13 comments:

  1. Haven't had an actual working TV in over a decade here. Until the Mrs. bought one that was supposedly internet ready. I think what she wanted was cuddle on the couch time more than anything else.

    I even just decided to let everything go it's own way and didn't plant any Fall stuff and I still have garden things to do. It never ends it seems.

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    1. Of course she wanted to cuddle silly! Geesh... men!

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  2. We live over the mountain from the TV tower but I made an antenna out of copper wire and a 2x4 and used lath metal for a reflector and we get a perfect picture even with a 250 foot cable up to the top of the hill. Anyway your garden sure looks good, too much rain and insects even took out the butter nut this year but we have a few and our peppers did well. Fall crops are looking good (that's what I keep telling myself). The salsa looks wonderful, you did good making some of that!

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    1. It sounds like you knew what you were doing with that homemade antenna!
      We really had a pretty spectacular garden this year. Unlike most folks around the country we had an almost perfect summer. Shoot, it didn't even get above 100 until August. Kind of makes me wonder what sort of winter we have ahead, ya know? Good luck with your fall garden. I hope you get a ton of goodness from it.

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  3. The first line of your post got my attention - I was so happy for you for a minute:)We haven't had TV (by choice) for about 12 years now - do have one like you said to watch an occasional rental movie. I think it was unplugged for most of the summer. Your garden is beautiful - keep on cannin'.
    Smiles,
    JoeyLea
    http://www.thelocustblossom.blogspot.com/

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    1. I guess I didn't realize just how many other folks had given up the stupid box! I'm in good company it seems. I do miss watching our nightly movie though.
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. SCI,

    The tomatillo's look amazing......Salsa Verde........Enchiladas.....What are you doing.......trying to kill me!!!!! I love that stuff, it's 11:48PM here........Now I'm craving Enchiladas.

    Would you consider sharing your pepper recipe with your blogger friends :-) I have peppers and I'm looking for something to do with them.

    My Albino Peppers have weighted down the branches of the bush. I've picked several and will dry the seeds for you too. This way when I send you seeds you should have several varieties to enjoy.

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    1. Sandy,
      It is apparently my purpose in life to make you start craving stuff at midnight. *grin*
      I'm not sure but I think you just asked for the Salsa Verde recipe? hehehe... I'll get it written up soon, I promise.

      Ya know, just the NAME of your Albino Peppers makes the roof of my mouth burn. I'll set aside some of those Red Savanna Peppers for you if you like. (or even if you don't) And what do you mean when you send them??? You mean you won't come bring them yourself? bwaahahhhahaaahahaa

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  5. With our temporary digs this summer and just moving now we have been without television. It's amazing what you can and will do without when you have to.

    Here's the thing - I have a 16 year old, that breed of child that lives and dies by cable and the internet [internet which we have barely had for 6 months - AND we moved her from her forever home?] She hasn't spoken nary a peep in not having either. She is just happy we're happy. In our new home. For the past 2 weeks she has been watching VHS on an old player her Grandparents gave her. She even took her birthday money to the thrift store this past weekend and was tickled to score VHS tapes for 50 cents a piece. We were in another store shopping and I swear SciFi she came running in, breathless saying "LOOK! LOOK! What I got." She scored Apollo 13, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, Independence Day, Gone With the Wind and Titanic. For $3. She already has a movie night planned with her new friends at school. YAY [and why am I telling you this? giggle sorry]

    Your garden is so beautiful. I think I said before, but now I know it's TRUE, I am totally going to have to admit to "coveting thy neighbor's possesions" in Confession this week. It is rare I envy someone what they have, but your garden? WANT.

    Actually I think it is more admiration, but my Catholic-ness [sorry] is making me know I shouldn't want that so much. You ROCK!

    And anytime a jar of that Salsa Verde wants to visit VA - I have a shelf [ahem, I mean a burrito] with it's name ALL over it. ::wink::

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    1. Skippy,
      That girl of yours is amazing! She's held up so well with all the changes taking place in her life. And unlike the "typical" teenager she's handled it with grace. I know how proud you guys must be of her.

      LOL As for the VHS stuff, I'm not sure but it's probably some sort of "retro-cool" thing. I had to laugh when she came away from the thrift store happy about tapes! As for her other finds in the other store??? WOW. Those are some seriously "Classic" titles. Already having friends to the house for movie night? Priceless!!

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  6. I love any kind of pepper EXCEPT the kind that make the skin on the roof of my mouth turn numb then peel off!! I can't handle HOT. But I can handle SPICE. You poor thing, being stalked by all those peppers!

    Last week I put up some blackberry/jalapeno pepper jelly. I know it sounds RANK, but I was just getting rid of peppers. Joe got into it and spread it on a bagel....and now, he's a blackberry/jalapeno tramp, always begging for more.

    NO TV? But you're missing all the horrible shows, and all the news that make me want to hide! (you must smile a lot) lol

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    1. You know.... that blackberry pepper jelly actually sounds kind of yummy. I can see where The Stud could be a tramp.

      No TV isn't as bad as all that. Like you said I get to miss all those soul sucking tv shows. As for news... well that's a whole other story. TV news isn't really news, just regurgitation of what it is "they" want the masses to believe.

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  7. ...and the question on my mind is, will you do it all again next year? :-)

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