Messing Around With Sourdough

I've been baking with my sourdough starter for the last few weeks.  I usually whip up a batch of sourdough waffles or pancakes every weekend.  My starter is from my grandmother and she told me it was my grandfather's before they were married.  My grandfather kept bees, so no maple syrup, just fresh churned butter and honey on our pancakes at Grandma's house...I keep up the tradition.  But this last Sunday I wanted something super yummy, something to remind me of warm Spring days...so I whipped up a batch of sourdough pancakes, spread on some homemade Mascarpone cheese and dumped a pint of cherry pie filling I made last June...my version of a super-duper cheese blintz: hot damn!  Gooooooooood!

My Sourdough Crock

The Wild Yeasties Making Whoopie!

Not A Thin Crepe...But A Fluffy Pancake

Cherry Pie Filling

YUMMY!!!!

Harvest Monday....Finally!

I've had harvests all Winter, I just have not been good at posting them.  My routine is so different now.  I take a nap every day...around 3 and then out to the garden to pick produce for dinner...I just never take the time to take pictures or do a quick blog post...but today I took the time.  I plan on posting every Monday from now on...please join me and the other Gardener's showcasing their harvests at Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday.

Leeks,Lettuce, Eggs, Broccoli, Carrots
Celery, Celeriac, Thyme, Sage

Well That Wasn't Fun!

Heart Attack Number FOUR!   He's better, another 2 stints...we're now up to 7 and will have another 2 put in next week....damn....I'd planned on working in the garden and preserving all of those oranges!  My husband had his first heart attack in 1997...he was in his 40's...then 4 years later another...quickly followed by another then...eleven years and a REALLY BIG ONE.  Poor man got his socks knocked off.  Every fire department in the county responded to my 911...the local fire chief arrived first without any back-up...on his own...said he left directly from his home.  My husband is a 30 year retired Rural Volunteer Fireman...our sons' are Rural Volunteer Firemen...the "Big Guns" were all here in my backyard...and my husband was worried about the chickens that were free ranging and their droppings...said we looked like Ma and Pa Kettle! I kept telling him no one cared...and everyone knows he's married to an eccentric coo-coo bird anyway...it would just be good fodder for the coffee shop farmer gossip round table.  They loaded him in the helicopter (I knew that big fallow field was good for something) and flew off to Chico...our boys heading out in there trucks, me in my car and our daughter already on her way from her job...we really used up the fuel that day!  The surgical team was waiting at the heli-pad and he was rushed to surgery...they decided to not do open heart surgery and to just use the stints...he wasn't up to the surgery.  So we're home...he's grumpy and just about back to normal...if there is such a thing.  And my computer is at Best Buy with the Geek Squad...pray for it.

Oranges

We have five very mature orange trees...we did have 10, but when we moved here gave 5 to a friend...all he had to do was dig them up and haul them away...he did and he still has them on his ranch.  5 orange trees are plenty...we have grapefruit, lemon, tangerine and lime trees too. But today I need to do something with all of those oranges.  I'm dehydrating some, jucing dozens and freezing the juice, making marmalade and curd.  I wish I could think of other things...but for the moment that's all I can come up with.  I've picked a dozen bags to take to the homeless families down on the river and I'll drop some off at the food bank.  Yep...lots of oranges from 5 80 year old trees...who would have thought orange trees could live that long...and that's why I will plant trees forever, not just for me, but for those that come after.

Much Too Young...

The Young Orchard

Last year my son brought home several fruit trees for me from the Colusa Farm Show and they have all done well. I'm in love with the tiny fruit orchard I planted. I will be pruning them a very tiny bit this weekend.  My fruit bushes are looking a bit worse for wear.  The blueberries, Jewel cherries, currants and loquats are ready to be planted out in their permanent homes...I planted them in pots last year and they survived...but they really need to be in the ground.  I'm rooting 3 varieties of grapes, raspberries and black berries, too.  The avocado was frostbitten again this year...if this poor tree survives it will be the strongest avocado on the West Coast!!  I have a busy couple of weekends planned.  Our school has two three day weekends in a row: Whoot! Whoot!

Frost Bitten Avocado

Blueberries

One of Two Cherry Bushes

Peach

Plum

Apple





The Neglected Garden

Today I planted my first seeds for the summer garden.  I have three new Bio Domes from Park's and I bought 2 extra planting trays and plugs for each.  I have  3: 60 cell blocks and 3: 18 cell whopper blocks.  For years I've used *saved planting trays*.  Some years I used plastic clam shells from produce purchases, egg cartons, meat trays and yogurt cups...nothing wrong with that...I'm all into re-use, but now I grow or raise my own...no trays, egg cartons or yogurt cups.  The three seasons I've used the cell trays the farmers use for tomato transplant production...hundreds of cells and hundreds of trays, now the local farmers are re-using them due to the high cost of replacements...pretty hard for me to get my hands on them (I still have a couple dozen from my son's tomato operation).   This year I decided to buy nice new Bio Domes.  I've wanted a couple ever since they were first advertised...so clean, shiny, and perfect.  This year I just have to neaten up and stream-line my gardening routine...at least until school ends for the summer.  Great excuse to invest in the Bio Domes.  I planted one Dome today.  Bright Lights Chard, Fordhook Chard, Iceberg, Romaine, Butter Lettuce, Purple Tomatillo, and 9 varieties of tomatoes...3 plants each (please don't let me plant more).  I placed the Dome on a heating pad and I was good to go. 

I felt pretty good about getting a few seeds planted so I went out to spend some time in the garden.  The poor thing has been so neglected since I started my job in August (I've only watered 4 or 5 times!).  I did plant some broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale in October...the chickens got into them constantly.  I did finally cover the beds with bird netting after trying everything else to keep the hens out.  I should clip their wings, but that's an all day job and I just don't have the energy.  I was pretty sure I had lost all of my transplants to the hens...but as you can see, some things did survive and despite my indifference it looks like we'll be enjoying fresh veggies from the garden soon.

I didn't plant the lettuces...all volunteer...wonderful!

The chard looks bad, but the celeriac next to it is beautiful.  I believe it will be the base for my Dark Day Challenge vegetarian meal...what do you think?