Peach Cocktail

My grandma was telling me about a cocktail made with peaches and southern comfort and I took it for a little spin-

2oz southern comfort
2 whole peaches
spearmint
a handful of blueberries
ice
touch of seltzer

Take a tall glass and pour in all the ingredients.  I mashed the peaches with a large wooden cooking spoon directly in the cup.

Independence Day BBQ

grilled zucc/squash

summer squash and zucchini from the garden
s/p
olive oil

fresh salsa
chopped tomatoes3, 1/2 onion, 1 jalapeno(garden, 2 serrano,(garden) s/p, cayenne, chili powder, basil, lime, lemon
pictured above- also added cucumber and grn pepper from the garden to see what it would give in one bowl

stuffed portabello a la Maayan

portabello
lemon
garlic
onion
chives
s/p
olive oil

antipasto salad
supermarket fresh olives, buffalo mozz, cherry peppers
basil from the garden

Curry Steak(not pictured)
chuck steak rounds
cumin
curry
s/p
olive oil
garlic

Mastodon Curry Steak Deluxe
huge steak (can't remember the cut
olive oil
s/p

curry sauce a la PJ

roasted red peppers (whole peppers done on the bbq with olive oil s/p
pepperjack cheese
curry
cumin
lemon/lime
milk?

blended and heated in a pan
then smeared on the steak while it was cooking on the bbq

baked potatoes
wrapped in tin foil and hung out on one of the top rows of the bbq

Mixed grilled veggies
roasted peppers
onions white and red

Veggie Garden 7/5/13

la recolte

1 jalapeno
2 serrano
1 bell pepper
cucumber
summer squash
first zucchini

Chicken tomato spanish rice casserole

chicken breast cubed
peppers and onions sliced
garlic minced
spanish rice goya box (arroz con tomate
s&p
parsley
paprika
sage, marjoram
fresh mozzarella
parmesan
olive oil
crushed tomatoes
chicken stock
tomato rough chopped

Start olive oil and chicken and spices in a pan, brown all sides.  Add peppers and onions.  Let them cook down for a few minutes.  Next add a can of crushed tomatoes and a cup of chicken stock.  Throw in the tomato and the rice.  I only put in a very small portion of the spice mix in the box.  The rice will cook in the tomato sauce and suck up most of the water.  Let it cook for 15-20min and then add fresh mozz slices and some parmesan.  Another 5min and the cheese has melted in.

It wound up tasting a bit like paella.

Spicy Steak n Peppers

strip steak
peppers
lime
jalapeno sauce
olive oil
tomato sauce
garlic
s & p
paprika
parsley


brown steak in a pan with olive oil, s & p, garlic, paprika, parsley.  Add sliced peppers and a tablespoon of tomato sauce.  Squish half a lime and pour in some hot sauce (mine is some sort of organic jalapeno sauce)--red hot would prob be a terrible idea...go towards cumin, cayenne and southwestern flavors.  You can also add a jalapeno or a serrano in- maybe a habanero if you want it outta control hot.  I pulled the steak out and sliced it real quick n then tossed it back in....let it simmer for 20min or until everything is cooked.  

I poured it over some plain tiny macaroni but hey throw it in a tortilla and roll it up with some rice-  you could toss the mix into a quesadilla, or on top of some chips for some mean nachos.

Backyard Vegetable Garden

Planted May 5 2013

parsley, dill, and basil transplanted from indoors

6 eggplant
6 zucchini/summer squash
2 cucumber

dill
basil
parsley
chives,oregano,rosemary
lemon thyme
spearmint
sweet peas
lettuce: oak leaf and baby spinach not pictured

    

 8 early girl tomatoes, 8 better boy tomatoes, 6 sweet corn
2 serrano peppers, 1 jalapeno, 2 orange bell peppers 2 red bell pp, 2 green bell pp, canteloupe, watermelon

 

 tomatoes and peppers

 top: corn, better boys // bot: watermelon, canteloupe, 2 green bell peppers

 zucchini/squash and cucumbers

 sweet peas

view from porch

    

May 12

~

 pea pods

 daily pickings: zucch flower, peas, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, basil

 zucchini flower

 Oak leaf lettuce  - cut June 24

 June 24

 early girls are 5.5ft

plenty of tomatoes on the vine..a few weeks ago I counted 25