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Drying the harvest
By mama | August 22, 2009
My hanging bunch of basil feels dry enough to crumble and package into a spice jar, probably with enough left over to share with a friend or two. All day I’ve had a wide variety of fruits and vegetables rotating through my low oven: apples, nectarines, blueberries, sweet cherries, and zucchini. Tomorrow I’ll dry more zucchini and summer squash; I like them as a healthy substitute for chips. If you slice them thinly and dry them, they become nicely crisp. I like them plain, but sometimes I dress them up with herbs and spices or a thin coating of curry paste for the sake of variety. I may also smoke some almonds tomorrow since my home-smoked almonds have become a very popular treat among my family, friends, and co-workers. This fall I want to try smoking some mixed soup beans before I make calico bean soup. I’ve tried making vegetarian versions of this family favorite, but without the customary ham or sausage, it just doesn’t taste right. Maybe a light smoking of the beans would give the soup some of that rich, smoky flavor that I associate with it.
My lower back gave out after scrubbing the floor, so I took it easy the rest of the day and, between rounds of dehydrating for winter, I made progress on my current embroidery project and spent some time playing with and reading to my daughter. So, once again, tired after a long, fruitful day.
Topics: Cooking, DIY | No Comments »
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