The kids aren't too excited about it yet. I'm hoping that will change once it is time to serve dinner. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, which is making preparing dinner difficult (as well as typing this entry), but I'm plugging along.
I did a bunch of transplanting this afternoon, which has me tired and happy this evening. I transplanted one of my Mock Oranges, Virginal, and hiding under it were two ‘maters that volunteered from last years crop. Those are now transplanted into containers and look ready to bloom any day.
I’ve got 13 tomato plants this year. I’m not sure how many of them will be successful, time will tell. Two are finally blooming. The ones in the upside down containers don’t appear to be really sure as to what they are going to do, and the rest are puttering along at a slow but steady pace. I’m hoping that at least several of them do well. I really want to put up salsa, spaghetti sauce and lasagna sauce this year. Anything to make cooking over the winter go more quickly! I “think” that a couple of the plants (others that were volunteers from last year) are pear tomatoes. If they are, I want to try to make an all-yellow salsa. By using the pear tomatoes, yellow chilies, white or yellow onions, the only green will be from the cilantro. I’ve never done it before, but thought I’d give it a try. Seeing that pear tomatoes are so small, I suspect any salsa I do make with them will be in a very small quantity.
I’m also looking for another recipe. I don’t remember where, or even the context I heard it in, but several years ago I remember hearing about peaches canned with onions. I couldn’t find the recipe, so I put the question out to a few of the gardening e-mail lists I’m on to see if anyone there had heard of such an animal. I don’t have an answer for that back yet, but I did get this recipe that looks interesting:
Peach Salsa
6 cups chopped peaches (about 3 pounds)
3 large fresh tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped red onion
4 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 large sweet red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons liquid honey
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1. Sterilize 8, 1/2 pint jars, then place upside down in a 325 F oven for about 15 minutes.
2. Blanch peaches, cool in cold water, peel, pit and chop to measure 6 cups.
3. Blanch tomatoes and cool with cold water, peel, remove seeds and cut into chunks.
4. In a large stainless or enamel cooking pot, combine peaches, tomatoes, onion, Jalapeno peppers, sweet red pepper, cilantro, vinegar, honey, garlic, cumin and cayenne pepper.
5. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Adjust seasonings to taste.
7. Add more cayenne pepper if you desire a spicier taste.
8. Ladle salsa into hot jars to within 1/4 inch of top for headspace.
9. Remove air bubbles by sliding a rubber spatula between the glass and salsa.
10. Re-adjust the headspace to 1/4 inch.
11. Wipe jar rim to remove any stickiness.
12. Center lid on top of jar; apply screw band just until finger tight.
13. Place jars in a hot bath in a canner and process for 10 minutes.
14. Remove jars and place on a towel, then cover with another towel to cool slowly.
15. Jars are sealed when the lids pop and are curved down, (concave).
16. Label jars and store in a cool, dark place.
17. NOTE: You can substitute and use 6 cups of fresh, chopped pineapple for a different flavor.
I may give it a try if I’m feeling brave!