A day grown only here in Northern VT! Sunny, 64 degrees (58 inside), a perfect Kingdom day and a holiday weekend to boot, designed for contemplation of summer's achievements and organization of the coming weeks which at the moment arouse slight feelings of panic.
The beefsteak tomatoes were a total loss. The sight of the ruined stalks and black fruit are hard not to take personally. The romas are heavy-laden with fruit and it is now a race against the clock to see if any will ripen. The basil, which one can never have too much of, has been harvested, leaves chopped and frozen in e.v.o.o.-filled ice cube trays for use in winter to remind us of the hot weather we finally had. The peas, sugar and snow, are done. We have missed two frosts by a half mile, some fog, and the Irish getting up to turn the sprinklers on at 4 a.m. This happened right after the Barton Orleans Fair so local lore and legend is true. Chard, kale, haricots vert, beets (finally), all being consumed. There are more zucchini and yellow squash coming. I have to find a better recipe for the chocolate, zucchini bread that I made a double batch of as it wasn't well-received by the lad with the sweet tooth. Insipid I guess. I thought I found a great recipe after a long search online after being refused by someone with a good one.
We put up the new storage shelf today to get all the appliances and cooking vessels together. They have been all over the downstairs up to this point. It is satisfying to have them in one place for easy use. We buy in bulk here and have flours, dry beans, and rice all over the cold room, mixed in with Ball jars, herbal preparations, empty boxes, and dust bunnies. The shelf organizing is the project for the day in between lesson planning, studying for psychology classes which start soon, practicing the clarinet, printing the kids' pictures, picking out hymns, ordering fabric, enjoying the morning glories, observing the changes in the garden, and enjoying being at home.
The bento lunch box is working out beautifully. I was a little disappointed that the insulated container leaked a bit of ratatouille but it was warm five hours after being packed and the tomato color did not leach into the plastic. I love having the four different containers, each packed with something different. I doubt if I will have California or spring rolls every day but ratatouille; polenta or noodles; haricots vert, arugula, or other greens; and small cubes of banana bread (or chocolate zucchini maybe) work beautifully. It is important to have a special lunch.
Time to go study on the porch!
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