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| An interesting fungus |
The moon is full and we say, "farewell" to Song Time/Falling Leaves Time. It's been a busy month here.
Our weather became abruptly autumnal right on Labor Day. Quite cool (to very cool) and rainy.
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| At Sapsucker Woods in Ithaca |
Before the weather changed we attended the Migration Celebration hosted at Sapsucker Woods by the Cornell Ornithology Lab. It was a lovely day. We went on a two hour guided bird walk and then got to see some birds of prey up close and personal: a golden eagle, a peregrine falcon, a great horned owl, a broad winged hawk and a red tailed hawk.
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| Peregrine Falcon |
After eating a picnic lunch we walked another two hours on our own. We didn't see many birds, but did see many interesting fungi. It was a very nice break from our work.
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| Last of the summer produce |
Because of the quick shift in the weather, I've gotten a good bit of garden clean up done. All of the tender crops are out. Only the cool weather enthusiasts remain: kale, chard, parsley, beets and carrots. I also have two varieties of dry beans still standing. I'm hoping more of the pods will mature soon. All of the other beans have been harvested and their trellises stripped.
Last month a reader asked me about tomato leathers. I thought perhaps others would be interested, too. Tomato leathers are similar to those "fruit roll ups" that you find in the grocery store, except they are made out of tomato. I use them to add to soup, make spaghetti sauce or by adding just a little water, tomato paste. Here's the process:
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| Opalka Tomatoes |
I use a good paste type of tomato (less juice, more pulp). Mine are an heirloom variety from Poland.
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| Blending the tomatoes |
I remove the skins (this is optional, but I have texture issues and prefer no skins). Then I puree the pulp in my blender.
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| Blended puree |
I pour about 1 1/2c of puree onto a special sheet that comes with my dehydrator. This tray is then put into my dehydrator (my machine will hold nine trays all together) and dried until no longer tacky to the touch.
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| Dried leathers |
Once dry, the trays are removed and leathers allowed to cool. After this I roll the leathers and store them in an airtight jar. In this state they will keep for a very long time.
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| My dehydrator |
My dehydrator is a good quality one with a fan and thermostatic control. It has nine trays and when full will accommodate 12.25 square feet of produce. That's like 25# of vegetables. It can hold a lot! I've been using mine several times a year for 17 years now. It's been a worthwhile investment for me.
We observed the Autumnal Equinox this month. The weather was unpleasant so we stayed indoors: had a nice meal, played a game and read together. For our meal I made a kale and apple sauté and a wild rice and wild mushroom pilaf topped with fresh parsley, craisins and roasted almonds. For dessert we had black and blue pie.
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| Our Equinox meal |
The wild mushrooms that I used in the meal were from our neighbors. They had several puffballs growing in their lawn and offered them to us. We enjoyed a few meals and the remainder were sautéed and frozen for use this winter. It was a greatly appreciated gift.
One of our puffballs
We are very pleased to announce that the east porch is now finished!
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| The new and improved porch |
Bob finished just yesterday. We're both very pleased with the results. We plan to build the third, and final porch on the west side next summer. Then we'll dismantle the existing deck behind the house.
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| A man proud of his work |
The outside of the house is beginning to look as good as the inside.
That's about all of the news from here for now. We're both looking forward to winding up the garden chores and settling in for a nice rest.
Enjoy your autumn.
Till next time,
Kathleen and Bob
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| First fire of the season |
