My Weekend

This was the weekend I finished working in the garden and tried to get order back, if that's possible with all the weeds.  I left the eggplant alone as I think I can get probably 3-4 more off their little arms.  The Roma tomatoes are still producing. For some odd reason, the squirrels have not nibbled them.  I plucked and pulled everything else.  This is almost the last of my harvest.

                                  

I have a couple of interesting reads for "show & tell" both by North Carolina authors. 

The one above is "Farm Fresh North Carolina", by Diane Daniel.  She's from Durham, NC  There are about 400+ listings of produce stands, farmer's markets, wineries, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, pick your own orchards, and festivals across North Carolina - all open to the public - that this gal has complied in this paperback book.  I can't even imagine the fun she had working on this.  It's like a guide to help you find these folks with the freshest of food.  There's a splattering of good recipes such as "Heirloom Tomato Cobbler" and "Sesane Kale", things that are little different and, that's what we're looking for, right?  She even gives the addresses of these locales so when you're out, it's an easy locate.  I actually keep this handy-dandy book in my car because it has become my reference. 

This read is called "The New Southern Garden Cookbook", by Sheri Castle who is from Chapel Hill, NC.  I read about this book in some magazine I was going through, jotted down the name, and tried to locate it in our library before making a purchase on it.  They didn't have it, but ordered a copy for the library.  I just picked it up this weekend - the first to get my dirty little gardening hands on it, I might add.  I am really liking this book.  She has over 300 recipes placed in her book for those who love to cook fresh, local seasonal food whether you're from the south or not.  I will say that for those of you who do garden, you might especially like this book as I can see how I might use this as a "go-to" resource for what my meal plan might look like.  You feel like you're cooking with a friend because she talks to you a little at the beginning of each recipe, telling a little story of hers.  I'll probably have to purchase this book and add it to my collection.  I love cookbooks. 

Lastly, here on this Sunday afternoon, I just wanted to tell you about the goodness of local folks.  The odd photo above (left) is one of our big compost piles.  It is what it is - our horse manure pile with all barn shavings, etc mixed in.  For those without horses, you cannot imagine how big this can get with only 3 horses.  It gets turned and it breaks down into the most beautiful black soil EVER!  I don't use it all, so it's shared with pretty much small hobby farms and gardeners.  Usually I'm not here when they come.   But the fun is ~ they leave me things.  I don't charge for the takings of the "special dirt" because presently, it works for me too.  The "artwork" to the right is a painting of sorts of a horse head.  I don't know who came by and got a load of the compost, but they left this for me.  Now, it sort of freaked Ally out a little because she thinks it's weird, but she's young and doesn't understand this is "Americana Folk Art", I would say, wouldn't you?  Some kind, earth-loving, soul painted this horse on a piece of tin and put a wire hanger in it.  I just think it's the neatest thing.  Most usually, I get some really different produce that I don't grow, like pumpkins, persimmons, etc.  They just leave it on my porch somewhere where the dogs won't get it and leave a kindly "thanks for the manure" note.   Love these kinda people.

 A big thanks to all the gardeners out there this summer.  I took some lessons from you and tried some new things.  Wrote down some ideas for next year I learned from you. 

I'll leave you with a little quote to ponder on and get you off to a good start on your Monday. 

A hug is a boomerang: you get it back right away ~ Bil Keane

See Ya, Debi