Marvelous Miscelleaneous Monday

This morning I enjoyed some of the bread I baked (and blogged about) yesterday with my breakfast on the patio.  No sunshine outside, but lots in my heart!  So blessed to have this life. 

I noticed the other day that I have some very old pictures of the gardens, like when I first planted them. Compared with how they look today, it is hard to believe it is the same set of garden beds.  I shall illustrate:

Then

Then

 

 

Both beds now.

Then

Then

 

Both beds now.

Main herb bed then:

Main herb bed now, from the other end.

Patio pots in May

Patio pots today.

Easternmost South Garden bed in May

Today

In May

Today

May

Today

May

Today

Fleeing Time
By C.K.Armistead
July 14, 2014

Seems only yesterday
The gardens were barren, brown.
And I went out to work
And set the plantings down.

Today they explode with color,
They bloom excessively
Almost unrecognizable
As what they used to be.

Seems only yesterday
This baby I held in my arms
Cooing and staring at me
Winning her aunt's heart
with her charms.

Today that same child
Is herself a mother
And there is a new smile
Winning her great-aunt's heart
With very similar charms.

Seems only yesterday
My love and I started this journey
With songs and promises
And smiles many.

Soon we celebrate
Thirty years of this love
That seems to us infinitely sweeter
Yet still as fresh as it was.

Sunshine and shadows roll
One day into the next
Slowly it seems at the time
Around this earth's ball.

Yet when you pause
And see this life sublime,
You understand the swiftness
Of ever fleeting time.


Sorry, didn't mean to wax all sentimental and kinda gloomy, but that poem's been thrashing itself out in my head for awhile now, and it suddenly wanted out.  That's often how the process goes.  I may or may not have physical notes, but there are usually a few images playing around in my brain that suddenly may decide "Now is the time!"  

That's one reason I carry notebooks around.  The other is that I'd forget my behind if it wasn't attached.  Heck, I'm surprised I remember my own name some days lately.  Getting older isn't for sissies.  Your brain gets filled up with so many details over the years, and you find random things popping into your consciousness at odd times, and the things you really NEED to remember fleeing away across the synapses, hiding the the recesses of the ancient memory storage of your antiquated electro-chemical storage device. 

Setting oneself new challenges can keep that retrieval easy, but not always.  There will always be the day that your thoughts are so busy that you feel like a network with too much traffic and not enough bandwidth.  Response to queries is slow because there's a bottleneck in the system somewhere.  I often find that these are not necessarily age related, but multiple-responsibility related.  Many people my age have jobs, families, civic duties, church affiliations and hobbies that run them in many directions at once.  So do many younger people, but younger people, especially younger women, often sleep better than those of us dealing with 50+ year old bodies that have bum thermostats and the odd suspension/frame wear and tear problem. I wake at least once during the night burning up and breaking a sweat, and at least once because a shoulder or a hip is complaining of being in one position for too long. Never used to happen.  Only after I passed 50.  My pal Julie and I agree, once you hit 50, the warranty expires, and all bets are off.  Things start acting up.
Add to this joy the need to take antihistamine because of all the things in Oklahoma that I'm allergic to, and it's a wonder my brain functions at all.

I set myself many new challenges, especially at work.  I am doing all this blogging, and smart-phone using, and social media stuff because of a training program at work that introduced me to it, and got me hooked on it.  So, my husband can't blame my obsession with Twitter just on my intrinsic fangirl tendencies, it's also due to the need to keep up with my job and the many social factors relating to it.  (And if that ain't a grand excuse, I've never seen one! ) ;-)

A fellow Twitter-user shared this YouTube link of a song done by Jane Krakowski that talks about Twitter and the way some of us are obsessive about it.  I will share it here because it is terribly funny.  Hope I am not quite THAT bad!
Jane Krakowski "Tweet"

Here is the recipe for the sourdough starter that I keep in my refrigerator to use for making that fabulous bread:

Sourdough Starter

Basic Sourdough Starter

From The Sourdough Cookbook by Rita Davenport Published by HP Books, 1981

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 envelope active dry yeast (1 Tablespoon)

½ teaspoon salt, if desired

2 Cups warm water (105 degrees F or 40 degrees C)

In a 4 or 6 cup plastic pitcher with a trainer in the lid,, or in a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Beat with a wooden or plastic spoon.  Fermentation wil dissolve small lumps.  Cover pitcher with lid, turning so strainer is at pouring lip.  Cover bowl with a cloth.  Set in a warm place free from drafts (85F, 30C).  Let ferment 2 to 3 days.  Stir mixture several times each day.  To use, remove starter needed for recipe.  Refrigerate remaining starter in the pitcher, or in a glass or plastic container with a very loose fitting lid. (I use a square, 1.5 liter glass canister without the plastic seal on the lid.  Works great.)  Replenish every 7 to 10 days by stirring in equal amounts of water and all-purpose flour.  After replenishing, let stand at room temperature overnight.  Return to refrigerator.  If a clear liquid forms on top, stir back into starter.  Makes 3 to 4 cups.

 

If the starter starts looking dark, or gets even a little bit pinkish, dump it out and start over.  This usually will only happen if you neglect the starter for too long.  Use and replenish regularly, and it may keep going for years.

I think that's about enough from me on this miscellaneous and over-caffeinated Monday.  Hope you enjoy!

Adventures in Bread Baking - Oatmeal Sourdough In My Current Favorite Variations

This is a recipe I have used over and over again, and I have many variations on it.  Today I will interrupt the written recipe below with photos and with my current favorite variations.

Oatmeal Sourdough

You can make this oatmeal sourdough bread in many ways.  Slice diagonally for great oven toast.(If you make the traditional tapered loaves.  Slice as usual for bread if you use the loaf pans as shown here.)

The night, or day before baking, to make a sponge, in a large bowl combine:

 

This is how the sponge looks in the morning.

1 cup sourdough starter

2 cups warm water

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3 cups unbleached all- purpose flour (I have also used whole wheat pastry flour.)

Stir well.  Cover and let ferment overnight, or as long as 24 hours.  When ready to bake, to soften yeast, in another large bowl combine:

½ cup warm water

1 scant tablespoon (or 1 packet) active dry yeast.

(I also add the recommended amount per loaf of vital wheat gluten when using the pastry flour.)

Stir into softened yeast mixture, in this order

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup soft butter

1 tablespoon salt

fermented sourdough sponge

2 cups all-purpose flour

Beat well.  To make a soft dough, gradually add:

1 to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour.

Turn out on a floured surface and knead until smooth.  Place in a greased bowl, turning dough once to grease the top. 

  Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 to 60 minutes.  

Risen dough.

 Knead dough down in bowl.  Divide dough into three parts.  Pat or roll each part into an 8-inch square.

If adding a filling, spread them to within 1" of edges of square of dough.

  Starting at one corner of square, roll to a tapered loaf.  Place on greased baking sheets, seam side down.

I also use  small loaf pans, miniature size, with 1/6 of the batch of dough in each.  81/2 x 4 1/2 x 2" pans may also be used if dividing dough into thirds as usual.  

 Cover and let rise until almost doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.  Before baking, brush tops of loaves with melted butter, sprinkle with rolled oats, if desired.

Risen loaves.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. *If you are using the mini loaf pans as I have here, check the loaves after about 20 min.  Should be brown and sound hollow when bottom is tapped.*  Cool on wire racks.  Makes 3 loaves.

Today's loaves set to rise.  Far loaves are really in too big of a pan size, but I was out of small pans.

 These loaves are: Bittersweet chocolate mint (at top)  Filled with a paste made of the leaves from 5 good sized (6" long" sprigs of chocolate mint fresh from the garden and about 1/3 cup of bittersweet chips, 2 Tbsp. butter, 1 Tbsp milk, and 2 Tbsp of walnuts processed in small food processor until a paste.

Parmesan and Pepperoni (Middle)  These are the loaves in the photos above, filled with about 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup mini pepperoni pieces.

Provence Herb loaves (bottom) these are filled with my herb paste made of parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and a tiny bit of lavender, butter, a bit of olive oil, and a tablespoon or so of walnuts processes until almost smooth in food processor. I salt the tops of the Provence Herb loaves because I didn't put any salt in the herb paste. I always try to decorate filled loaves in a way that shows what's inside.  Sometimes these decorations come off during baking.  

And here are the finished loaves.  As you can see, some of the pepperoni and the mint leaves have come off.  Can't wait until I get done with the yard work and get the laundry started.  I am looking forward to trying the Chocolate mint bread with some ice cold Moscato.  

We took some of this same type of bread with us yesterday when we visited our friends at Canadian River Vineyards and Winery.  We enjoyed sharing it with them while we sampled some of their wines.  We replenished our wine cabinet, and included in that was two bottles of their lovely sweet,but not cloying, Moscato.  I am using that as the carrot to get myself out into the hot yard to get the mowing done.  Also have to sort laundry.  Chores are not fun, but I am so glad to have the yard that requires mowing and the means to mow it.  I am also grateful for the clothing that needs washing, and the very nice washer and dryer to wash and dry them with.  After last Spring, I appreciate this house and all my stuff a lot more.  Still have too much stuff, but glad it is still here, and not scattered between here and Del City.

I will add a picture later of the sliced bread, and my wineglass, possibly.

Here we go!  Canadian River Moscato with my chocolate mint swirl bread.  Mmmmmm.

Garden Notes

Here is an inventory of the herbs I have found grow best here, and how many plants I have in my herb/flower beds at the moment.  (I use some more than others, for instance, the chocolate mint is just so nice to grab a sprig of and enjoy the fragrance while out in the yard, but I haven't found a good culinary use yet.)

Lemon Balm (1) This one plant is a survivor of many seasons.  It grows in a pot on the patio, usually with Basil as a roommate.

Lemon balm in the foreground with basil.

Basil (4) There are four basil plants in the garden.  Two of them are in the pots shown above.  Basil is used in many things, most notably the pesto recipe I posted yesterday.

Sage (3) There are three  clumps of sage growing in the gardens.  (One in the pot on the left above, one in the herb bed, and a large clump in the back garden beds.)  Sage is used in many recipes, and looks interesting in the garden.

Sage is in the far end of this nearest garden bed.

 

 

 

The large clump of sage in the back garden.  This has been growing here for about 2 years now.

Rosemary (3)  There are three rosemary plants in my gardens out back, and one in the pot on the front porch.  You can barely see one of the rosemary plants in the first of the pictures above, right between the two marigolds on the right center.

Rosemary growing in the main herb bed in the middle of the yard.

There's oregano behind it, and begonias right beside it.









Lavender (4) There are four lavender plants in my gardens this year.  The one in the picture on the right  is mostly ornamental, and for fragrance. 

This one in the picture on the left is used for many things, including cooking.










Oregano (6)  There are about six clumps of oregano growing in the main herb bed.  They came from a couple of plants that just went native in there.  Mint is the only thing I know more pervasive than Oregano. 

This is but one of the large clumps of oregano in that main central herb bed.  Having fresh oregano is handy when making pesto and also tomato sauces.










Garlic Chives (7)  These have truly naturalized themselves all over the yard.  There's a small clump in the main herb bed, and then six or so in the back garden bed closest to the shed and the north fence.  Every time Matt does the weed eating back in that area behind the shed, it smells like garlic out there for a couple of days. 

All those spiky, grass-like plants are garlic chives.  They grow in that garden bed with basil, and  snapdragons and marigolds, and I think a begonia as well.

 Garlic chives are good for salads, in sauces, and are an important part of the pesto sauce I make.












Chocolate Mint (2)  This year I planted two little pots of chocolate mint.  I have never found a culinary use for it, but it smells so delicious, and is so enjoyable just to pick and carry around savoring the fragrance. 

This on the left is the chocolate mint that is in the center of the main herb bed.  Right at the feet of my little statue of St. Francis. 


Below and to the right is the chocolate mint in the back garden, in the front bed that is next to the shed.  It grows right next to the huge batch of sage,and among a lot of marigolds and a begonia or two.  There is also a clump of very hardy Mother Of Thyme right there.

Thyme  (2)  There are two kinds of thyme in my garden.  German thyme, also called creeping thyme or mother of thyme, and English thyme.  The mother of thyme can be seen just above and to the right of the chocolate mint in the photo above right.  

 And here below is the English thyme in the main herb bed.  

Parsley (2)  There are two parsley plants this year.  One in the corner of the main herb bed, and one in the square raised beds on the south side of the yard.  The photo shows the plant in the main herb bed.

Catnip (2) (Or possibly more)  The catnip is coming up volunteer from many years of previous plantings.  It is only in the main herb bed, and right near the oregano and parsley on the north-west side of that large bed. 

We no longer have a cat, but I guess I can supply my friends' cats with homegrown kitty happiness weed.  Catnip does have other uses, most in folk remedies, which I do not dabble in.

This is the current inventory of herbs in my gardens.  Thought it might make for an interesting post. 

Herbs, Sweat, and Pesto

Today I had to trim the basil back. For once is it growing very enthusiastically.  Since there was so much of it, I decided to  make a batch of my infamous pesto. 
Photos of the process to follow.

To start, you need to harvest enough fresh basil leaves, oregano leaves, and garlic chives to be sure you have sufficient greens for the pesto. 

 

Then you have to wash everything well.

 

You need 3 cups of basil leaves, 1 cup of oregano leaves, and 1/2 cup of garlic chives, cut into 1/4" pieces.

 

You also need 12 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (I Use extra virgin), 6 Tablespoons of herb vinegar (I use Salata), 6 Tablespoons of pine nuts or walnuts, 4 large cloves of garlic, sliced, 1 teaspoon of salt,  1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 or a little less, teaspoon of cayenne, and 2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese.

You start with the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper,and cayenne.  

Blend until is looks uniform and creamy, like the picture just above.  Then add the herbs and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add the cheese, blend well.

 I had a few issues with that ginormous food processor, so no pictures of the herbs awhirl, I'm afraid.  Here's the finished product, all packed in containers to freeze.

Now you know how to make my pesto sauce.  I got the recipe from a book called Herbal Treasures by Phyllis V. Shaudys.  The book is choc full of things to do with the herbs from your garden.  It would be worth a Google search to see if it's still available if you love herbs.  

I also made a paste of parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and a tiny bit of lavender for a poultry seasoning.  Haven't tried it yet.  Going to see how it works tomorrow, perhaps.  

The gardens this year have been lovely.  It has been a lot of work, producing much perspiration in this humid Spring and Summer we've had.  It has also been rather expensive buying plants, potting mix, fertilizer, and the water to keep it all growing.  So far the weather has been reasonable.  Here's hoping it doesn't get so stinking hot and fry my poor gardens alive like it did year before last.  Got so discouraged that year, I didn't even try last year.  

Here are some reasons I'm glad I got the gardens going this year:

Sorry they won't line up for me.  Never could get the knack of that on this blog software.  Maybe someday.  For now, this will have to do.