Roasted Rutabaga ~ Goldenrod Paradise

 I have attempted to try this vegetable more than once (back between 2012 and 2015, but could not find it here locally.  Finally, we have found it at one store recently.

I roasted it with olive oil and salt and pepper, to get an idea of the flavor we are working with.  I was told it would taste like a golden potato, by roasting it this way.  It did not, but it was delicious, and creamy in the center. I peeled it, diced it and tossed it in olive oil.  I sprinkled it with salt and pepper both.  I roasted it at 425°F for 40 minutes (stirring half way during roasting time).  

A rutabaga is a cross between cabbage and a turnip.  It is a root vegetable.  Do you grow rutabagas in your garden?  We are considering it, as we have a terrible time finding it in our stores (or any farm stand) in our area.

I have one more to experiment with, and I hope to return to the same store and get a few more.

I did not get any answers about the bee keeper's inquiry on keeping bees on our property.  It is a haven for bees already.  I harvested some goldenrod, and I can tell you we have no shortage of bees.  My husband said, "it sounds like you need to keep bees for honey."  Yeah, sounds grand and all, but I am not ready to add more work to my days around here.  

I do not know any local people, that have a bee keeper's bees on their private property.  I think we are going to refrain from this offer (see yesterday's post).  One we have a ton of bees already, and two I do not want someone we do not know coming to the property to check on the bees whenever they want either.  I don't think it's worth it, just for the exchange of honey (which I buy local already, and we do not use it in large quantities).

Table Talk and Questions (one a serious one about bee keepers keeping bees on your property) ~ Goldenrod

 

This was not all in one day.  I do have a question at the end of this post today.  Actually two questions after someone stopped at our place yesterday evening.

I made the breakfast bell peppers again this week.  I used up spinach and bacon, that we had leftover from our camping trip.  The top pieces of the bell peppers were saved for another meal.

Roasted the first of our spaghetti squash for a chicken dinner casserole.  I saved some seeds, but gave the rest to the chickens.  It was not worth my oven time, to roast the last 1/4 cup or so of seeds.

I roasted a second spaghetti squash to make this dish.  We love it.  It is a meatless dish, but pretty good, and easy to make when you still have tomatoes.  I have also used cherry or grape tomatoes from the garden in the past. 

Not only is it delicious, it's very self sufficient.  You can grow everything for this (aside for the black olives), and you can make your own feta.

 The recipe is simply "Spaghetti Squash" recipe online with Allrecipes.

Due to my husband's long work hours in the spring, we did not get our raised beds built, so no greens were planted.  I am relying on what I can find locally.  I froze some kale and spinach this week.

Sage made it to the dehydrator.  I use a lot of it for homemade sausage.

Question:  Has anyone here made "breakfast" mushrooms?  I am re-thinking our breakfast, and would like to add mushrooms as a side when I make eggs or scrambled eggs.  I know they can be added to an omelet or casserole, but I'm considering it as a breakfast side.

My other question is a serious question.  We were sitting on the front porch last night.  My husband was making calls on his cell, and I was knitting.  A van pulls in, and a guy walks up to the porch.  He says he has a farm slightly north (maybe 20-25 minutes), and is a bee keeper.  He asked if he could bring 50 units (forgot what he said they are called) to put out back on our property, because we have a lot of goldenrod right now, and his bees are not doing well.  He proceeds later to say he has issues with his bees having mites, and if the bees are in the back corner of the property, we would not know they were even there.  He also told us that the government will only allow bee keepers to treat their bees with specific chemicals.

I'm hesitant on this, so I'd like your opinions on this.  He has to be able to drive them to where they will sit.  Also, he said he'd exchange a gallon of honey if we agree, but not until next year. 

We looked his farm up. He is legit.  He used to raise a bunch of meat birds and chickens, but has turned bee keeper now.

Getting some honey would be great, but I am on the fence with someone coming onto our property with his property, that we do not know.   What about these bees with mites and being treated with chemicals we know nothing about?  

 What if deer trample the bee hive boxes?  Or something happens otherwise out of our control?  Or am over thinking this?

I would appreciate all of your input, especially if you keep bees.

Sorry for the long post today.  Speaking of goldenrod, we have an abundance of it.  Do you dehydrate it?  What do you use it for other than tea?  I have wanted to put some up over the years, but it always seems something else needs done.

Apple Haul

 

I went out to pick a spaghetti squash for this week, and ended up bringing in 3 of them, and look what I found!  I do have acorn squash on the vines.  They were just hidden.  I saw that one apple tree was completely gone (except one), so I brought in a few from the other tree and sliced it for a taste.  Delicious, and ready to pick.

Our homemade apple picker, ha ha!  I think it's time to buy some real tools for this job.  We planted the two apple trees in May of 2012. We planted granny apple trees later, but they did not make it.  I guess we never thought to replant.  Maybe next spring.  I have not weighed the apples yet. 

Rosemary Propagation

 I have never been good at keeping a rosemary plant alive during winter indoors.  It will not last outdoors in our climate, so they are dug up and brought inside.

I took a cutting from my outdoor plant, and put it in water, changing the water daily.  I forgot to write the initial start date, but....

It began to get one root in June.  That root took off, and eventually it fell off, and then I checked again, and it had 4 roots.  

I planted it indoors. Here's to hoping I can keep it alive all winter, and not have to buy new plants in the spring.  I figured, if I have a few extra plants, I have a better chance ha ha!

Here it is in August, and it has new life showing.  So happy!  By the way, the top turned brown at the beginning of potting this, so I cut back on the water.  I also used soil specified for cactus type plants.  If I can keep it alive all winter, I can start my own plants in the spring again, and not have to buy them.

Here is a photo of the current growth.  I'm so happy.

I enjoyed doing this, considering you could do this to sell plants, or share with family/friends too.  Maybe a barter?  With this day and age, we need to all help each other.  Everyone I know is broke right now, or struggling with the high prices.

I attempted to propagate a few more cuttings too, but I think the earlier in the season works much better.  It's in it's growing stage then, so your success rate is better.

Hot Peppers, Garden Updates, and other Tidbits ~ Released from Kitchen Captivity

 

I've gotten most of the jalapenos sliced and frozen for the winter/spring season.  I used a few to make another batch of fresh salsa as well.  There are a few more hot peppers to pick yet.

I canned one batch of hot pepper relish, using up the hot banana peppers, two bell peppers and some jalapenos.  I am not getting enough hot banana peppers to make it twice.  I'm okay with that.

We are still enjoying our slicer tomatoes for meals like tacos, breakfast side dish, topped on burgers, or in other meals.  

I will do a re-check on our hot pepper jelly, but I honestly don't feel I will get enough hot peppers over all to can any this season.  The evenings are dipping to the 40's here, so unless we heat up again, the plants won't last much longer. 

We never did get any fall planting done.  Life can throw a wrench in your plans once in a while.

We hope to get back to the chicken coop this week, during evenings.  It's on the top of the list right now.  The floor in the old coop is about to give way.  I had to crawl inside to fetch an egg, that one of the littles laid on the floor of the coop.  The floor is not in good shape right now.

My husband has been battling ear pain, but twice at the doctor, they said they see nothing wrong with him.  The ear pain is slowing down projects, so I am praying it gets better, or he'll have to go get x-rays or something.  He has ear drops, but he cannot sleep well, and days at work are rough with ear pain.

It's a freeing, and exhilarating moment, when you wash, dry and put away the "big pots."  It's even more freeing, when you can put the canner pot back in storage (even if it's for a weeks or months).  I have felt like I have been released from kitchen captivity!!   

Hot Pepper Haul ~ Camping

 It's nearing the end of our garden season.  The rain is arriving here, so I will wait for the garden to dry up before pulling some more plants/stakes.

The hot peppers are doing okay this year, but some did not make it.  Oddly, I got one lonely Anaheim pepper from 3 plants I grew from seed.   I brought in another 15 green bell peppers as well.

It's getting down to the 40's at night this week, which is perfect weather for camping.  Speaking of that, we got our very first camping trip in this year.  It was so nice and relaxing, and the campfire meals were delicious.

One breakfast we made - omelets with garden bell pepper, onion, spinach, bacon and cheese.  The other breakfast contained spinach, feta, bacon, and topped with homemade fresh salsa (made with garden goodies).

We took a walk, played cards, I brought handiwork along, and a book.  On the drive home, I pulled out my knitting project, only to find out that we must have accidently left one knitting needle in the grass by the fire pit.  It must have rolled off my lawn chair and neither of us noticed it.  

As for the cooler weather, it will be much nicer to work on the "Chicken Castle" vs. when it was in the 90's.

Out with a Bang! ~ Paste Tomatoes are Done!

Lemony-Basil Tomato soup (BHG recipe).  One last canning day with paste tomatoes. Next year we plan to grow several types of paste tomatoes.  I have put a towel over my sauce and put sticky notes until the 24 hour period has passed, so I can label before I forget what is what ha ha!

The big pots are being put away, and tables taken down and folded up.  The tomato splatters all washed away, stove top scrubbed down.  It's a hoorah moment today.

It's a good feeling when the tomato season (other than our slicers left to enjoy) has come to an end.  I have been canning daily here for almost 2 weeks, and it will be a fine joy to have a day off today.

As most of you know, when canning season is in full swing, other work suffers inside and outside the homestead.  It will be nice to get some things in order today.  I hope to get my emails read finally too.

Canning season is not over yet.  At least I hope not, as we need hot pepper relish in the pantry.  I most likely will not can hot pepper jelly this year.  I guess we'll see, as some of the kids like it.  It just depends on supply and time.

I took a look-see at the other squash, and I do not see one acorn squash on the acorn squash plants.  Strange, unless the bees were so busy on the zucchini this year, they didn't make it over there??  I will take a closer look after the garden dries out a bit.

The rain that came through here, and even last night, has brought us a welcomed cooler weather.

One last note:  I asked my husband to pick me up a few pounds of ground pork from a local butcher.  He didn't.  He went to the store and got 2 pounds of grocery store "country" sausage.  Read the labels, and this is why I make my own breakfast sausage.  It contained "corn syrup" as the 3rd ingredient.  No wonder some people are diabetic and have other health issues.  Just an FYI.  You'd never think, corn syrup would be in sausage.  They often use a sweetener in store breakfast sausages and roll sausages.