In Preparation

What to do, what to do?

Since I've shared our job dilemma with you, and set the premise for an already topsy-turvy summer, let me add these two twists to my knickers.  Twist #1: knee surgery tomorrow, and twist #2: hand surgery in a week. And I'm not very good at just sitting around, so I imagine I'll be a hopping left-handed patient. Which may lead to more debilitation, since I'm already clumsy on 2 feet.  Maybe I'll just read a good book.  Any suggestions? I just finished "The Lacuna", by Barbara Kingsolver.  I loved it; it will be a tough act to follow.

I've been preparing for my impending cramped style by dragging things out of drawers to sort, and by filling the fridge; today, I started with a quick trip to the Emmaus Farmer's Market, in search of plum tomatoes, but found none.

What I did find were peaches, carrots, braising vegetables, patty-pan squash and a fresh baguette; my home garden yielded a few potatoes, a zucchini and some herbs, and I got a nice shipment of eggplant, scapes and organic cheeses from Pure Sprouts yesterday, complete with a free bouquet and a sample of wineberries!  Yay! I'm set.  However, my search for local plum tomatoes continues.  In the mean time, I caved and bought a bag of non-local plum tomatoes from the Elias Market.  I'm in the mood for confit.

Tomato Confit, Whole Carrot Tabouli and Corn

While I'm going through the steps that lead to the final (yummy) product, I believe I may can another batch of sauerkraut, which is smelling wonderful right now.  I highly recommend the filled water bag method of weighting the plate on top of the cabbage.  It really does prevent the growth of mold.

I also hear that I have a bumper crop of assorted veggies at the farm right now, so I should haul my currently ambulatory arse up there to clean things up.  More as the day progresses.

Update: From the farm, I gathered cucumbers, summer squash, a few beans and basil; Kathy gave me milk, cheese and butter. The goats gave me kisses. I'm blessed. I spent the evening making a nice vegetable stew, my tomato confit, an eggplant remoulade and the carrot tabouli.  After midnight, I'm fasting, so I'm making the most of this bounty while I can!  The sauerkraut will have to wait.

Here's the recipe for the "Whole carrot salad - tabouleh style".  I recommend it; it uses both the root and the greens, a highly nutritious and highly overlooked vegetable. You'll have to scroll down the site to find it, but the text above is excellent.