The Garden is doing quite well, especially if you measure it by cucumber output. This past weekend we made 14 pints of dill pickles and 18 pints of bread and butter pickle relish (we chop the cucumbers up more, and it's a relish). A couple of weeks ago we also pickled some beets, and some sweet pickle chips (which are one of our favorites from last year).
We have also gotten enough zucchini to satisfy us at times, and the tomatoes are starting to come in - which is exciting. We are still in the ramping up stage, but hopefully soon we will be swamped with tomatoes.
Our mustard greens were a revelation. I don't think I've ever eaten a raw mustard green before, and they were incredible. It started off and I thought - hmm a green. But then within a second the flavor exploded, and it was as if I had eaten the spicy mustard at a chinese restaurant (the good kind in a sit down restaurant, not the crappy stuff in the packets). Simply amazing.
We also have some carrots, they were nothing special in my estimation - I suspect the red clay of Georgia is not the best for carrots so they don't get very big - but they weren't particularly tasty either.
We did get a lot of garlic, which is exciting. We didn't grow it last year (or as I almost put it, "We've never grown garlic before."). We have something like 15 bulbs or so down in the basement curing. We actually used it for the first time yet in some of the dill pickles.
We made two batches of cheese this past weekend. I'm still trying to get the hang of Chevre (which is what people usually mean when they say goat cheese). It seems to be consistently too crumbly - not sure why that is. Also this time I put too much salt in it (which may have led to the crumbliness, because salt draws out moisture). Despite all of this, Annie says this is the best batch yet, and she is our Chevre judge. Also tonight, for the first time ever I made "30-minute mozzarella." I gotta say, it worked out pretty daggone well. It could use a bit more flavor (which we can work on by adding another enzyme or taking the time to culture the milk), but it was good and definitely mozzarella like. I made pasta and melted it on top, and it was tasty.
I also finished building our cheese press this past weekend, so hopefully soon we can try making a cheddar. That for me is my first big cheese making goal. If I can get a good cheddar going I will be very happy. After that, probably blue cheese.
I bet their is other news, but I don't recall it right now. I would like to say, that I particularly appreciate getting comments, cause it helps me know people are reading and interested in this. Also we'll do our best to answer questions if you ask us. Hope all are well
Jeff
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4 comments:
I measure everything by cucumber output. Also, glad to know that the cheese process is coming along well. when do i get to try these things? i was getting hungry reading, and that's not right.
I am curious about the mustard greens. any thoughts of how you are going to incorporate raw mustard greens into cooking? it sounds like something that i want to think more about.
Well, for the mustard greens - I used them like a grape leaf and stuffed them one day. I stuffed them with rice - mixed with a little mint and homemade mayo. Mmmmm.
mmm cheese.
Sounds great! And you sound so enthusiastic about it all. Wish I could taste. (Though I would be a bit reluctant about raw mustard greens. I do like them cooked however.)
Love,
momD
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