Bounty of Harvest

The bounty of harvest is in full production in October. This makes me very happy.

Usually I spend hours each fall dehydrating apples, parsley, sage, and any other produce I can get my hands on. Many foodstuffs come from the generosity of family and friends. Some are purchased. But the the parsley and sage are clipped straight from the garden, as they have aggressively taken over most of one raised garden bed.

This year, I have yet to fill the little dome of delight with sliced apples. But I have made a huge crock pot of applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon. The fragrance of cooking apples and cinnamon is a signature fall scent. Ahhh.

Yesterday our family was blessed with massive produce in the form of 50 pounds of potatoes (and I mean BIG spuds - I have never seen them this large), 50 pounds of onions, and a box full of Roma tomatoes. The overabundance is amazing. I do not want any of it to go to waste.

As of last night, the dehydrator has been running non-stop. The withered forms of onions rest inside, slowly drying out and waiting for me to scoop them into a container for future meals. The neighborhood is filled with wafts of onions (we got smart and put them on the patio, as our eyes were going crazy with burning).

The potatoes - what to do with the potatoes? Mashed? Baked? Gratined? I fear that one is enough for a small army, they are that huge!

And the tomatoes - soup? Sauce? Stewed? Dehydrated? (No, that does not sound appealing at all.)

I'm off to go another round with the tear-inducing onions. Last night was French onion soup. Tonight?

Ideas would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and if you need a spud or two, a few onions, and a handful of tomatoes, drop on by.

 

Thank you, dear friends, for sharing the (food) wealth!

Harbinger of Preliminary Garden Success

As per the instructions from my gardening friend, Ann, I (with my 3 year-old assistant) carefully covered the bottoms of two IKEA blue tote bags with garden dirt.

This of course, was following the 48-hour curing stage of potato eye sections (or they will rot, said other directions).

We placed potato chunks, eyes looking up, on top of the dirt and covered them with another 2 or so inches of soil. Water and wait.

And wait. And wait. When the eyes were blanketed beneath warm earth, the temps were wonderful. Perfect. Even hot.

And then came the cold and colder spell. It is after all, April. Hello. I should have waited.

But look! The beginning peeks of potential potato plant success! Leaves are climbing from the mud and cat prints in the midst of the totes.

The rest of the directions are to recover the shoots once the greens reach 4-6 inches in height. Continue doing that. Ok, I really have no idea how long that part will go on. Will I reach the top of the IKEA bag and just have to stop? Or do the plants only get so high, bloom, and then give me some new potatoes?

(Shrugs shoulders). Don't know. When the blooms fall off, the potatoes are done.

Thinking this garden experiment is going to be very interesting.

The theory, of course, is that it's easier to find the potatoes when they are contained in a certain amount of dirt. Instead of an entire garden.

We shall see.

But for now? Perfection.

Sweet Potato (Yam) & Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Meatloaf is on the menu for dinner. Though ours is always made with ground turkey and a variety of vegetables, it is delicious.

And nothing goes better with meatloaf than mashed potatoes.

As usual, I fail to follow recipes. Instead, I adjust ingredients to reflect our tastes and what is available in the pantry. My most recent adventure in making mashed potatoes resulted in what appeared to be a dessert of orange and vanilla background, but were in fact, creamy, tasty, and much savored. I love when that happens.


Yam & Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 red skinned potatoes (not the baby ones), washed, skin on

1 large garnet yam (red flesh), washed and peeled

4 garlic cloves

1 box reduced fat cream cheese

non-fat milk

butter

fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Chop potatoes into same-size chunks. Add peeled garlic cloves. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer covered until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Drain potatoes and garlic.

3. Add 2-3 T. butter and cream cheese. Mash potatoes, adding milk as you go, until you reach desired consistency.

4. Season with black pepper.

5. Serve piping hot! These taste wonderful with many different kinds of meat.