Beets

The house is starting to fill up with produce. It's that time in the season when the harvest starts to get away from you. Today I pulled beets, harvested five kinds tomatoes, leeks, elderberry, cucumber, peas and beans.

Lemon Boy Tomato

Elderberries

I was thinking of making a potato leek soup, but when the leeks look as tender as this, just braising them in a chicken stock base with some butter is enough.

I'm pickling the beets. Cook, peel and slice beets. Make syrup. Load into hot sterilized Mason jars and process.

2 cups pickling vinegar
2 cups sugar
pinch coarse salt (per jar)

I must, must, must harvest the basil soon. It's already past its prime and has been trying to flower for a week (I keep plucking off the flowers to hold it back.) 

It's the cooking and food preparation that is so time-consuming. Pesto is quick with a Cuisinart, but when you have jam, jelly, pickles and other preserves to make at the same time it can get a little overwhelming.

The work on the ponds had to wait until the end of the day.  But there has been some progress.

When can one squeeze in writing?