What I've Been Up To

Matt brought this big ol' box of veggies home from work one day, along with a second box full of tomatoes (about 17 pounds of Roma tomatoes!). I didn't get a picture of the 'matoes before I processed them into stewed tomatoes. I didn't get a pic of my cute little jars of stewed tomatoes either. They are packed away into my pantry just waiting to be paired with some fresh basil and turned into a marinara sauce for my enjoyment. Thanks to the patient who was so thoughtful to bring us her surplus! We ate the corn on the cob, but unfortunately it was rather yucky tasting. I gave away a few zucchinis and yellow squash cause I knew we'd never eat it all. Then, because they were a huge and overgrown, I grated the remaining zucchini and froze it so that I can make yummy chocolate zucchini cake or brownies or bread later on in the year. The peppers and onions were used in my salsa.

I went in on an order of pears with my friend Kris. We each paid $19 for beautiful local Bartlett and Red pears. I had two large paper grocery bags full of them. I don't remember how many pounds it was. I loved working with the red ones the best. The peels came off much nicer after blanching.

I used my friend Gina's recipe for salsa. She has perfected her recipes of hot, medium, and mild salsas. So my first batch was medium and my second batch I did hotter. They were approved by both Matt and Josh, so I'd say my first salsa making experience was a success. I just don't want to blanch another pear or tomato for a long time.