Summer Bounty with Lentils Salad

All at once is how it goes. The garden is all star fantastic and just won't quit.  I find myself picking 4-6 cucumbers and the same in squash every morning. The tomatoes plant are a freaking jungle and there are so so so many tomatoes, all just about to ripen. The kale is doing it's thing, growing big and green and I pick a few handfuls a day. And then there are all the beets and carrots and cabbage,chard, and kidney beans. It's big, and prolific and amazing. I am much proud of myself for growing a shit load of awesomeness.

And then there is the farm share. I get all my garden stuff times 10. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, kale. Not to mention the corn, onion, carrots, and herbs and all the flowers. The food keeps on coming.  I live in a house, with a big kitchen, with lots of counter and a full sized fridge, yet I still don't have a place for it all. The squash overflow has now made it's way to the dinning room. But I am not complaining.

The new rule that I have instated in the house. Every meal must contain at least two tomatoes, a cucumber, and some kale. Want a snack, grab a zucchini. You thirsty? well eat a cucumber. No joke. I get a little stressed out about how much food is around that needs to be eaten or canned, but that is good stress. I am on the lookout for a chest freezer to help with the stress. I promised myself that I would have one by now so I need to get on that asap.

Summer harvest. This is the time of year that I gain a few pounds. It's a zucchini tomato belly for sure.

And this salad. I am a huge fan of the B.A.S (big ass salad). A big ass bowl of all the goodness from farm and garden plus some lentil protein and a little good avocado fat. Fresh and clean and delicious. Makes you feel all good when you eat it.  So go for it. Eat yourself a B.A.S. you wont regret it.

The stuff. Cucumbers (that is a white cucumber and it's really tasty) tomatoes, some kale, parsley, and cilantro. Also need some onion, cooked lentils, and at least half an avocado. Salt. pepper, and red wine vinegar for the finish.

Kale. parsley, and cilantro get a good rough chop and then tossed into a big ass bowl.

Cucumber, onion, and tomatoes get their turn next and chopped into mouth sized pieces. Into the bowl as well.

Top it all with cooked lentil, some avocado, and a glug glug of vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss it all around.

Now all you need is a fork.

All the summertime in a bowl. Here's to summer bellies!

-C

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Summer Bounty with Lentils Salad

• 2 cucumbers
• 2 small or 1 large tomato
• 1/2 of an onion
• 1 cup cooked lentil
• 1/2 an avocado
• 3-4 large kale leaves
• handful fresh cilantro
• handful fresh parsley
• red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper

First off, grab a really big bowl. Take herbs and kale and chop into small pieces. Place in bowl. Next dice up you onion, tomato, and cucumbers into mouth sized pieces and toss those into bowl. Dump the cooked lentils on top of that and dice the avocado (I used half but you can use whole one) into little pieces and through that on too. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and a glug (about a table spoon or two) of vinegar.

Now mix until all combines. Taste and if needed, add more salt, pepper, and/or vinegar.

Now its done. Grab a fork and eat to your face.

Sunday Happy

This is the golden time of the summer. Warm days, cooler nights. It's still summer but fall is so close that sometimes you can almost feel it, like in the morning when it's chilly enough for a sweater or see it when you notice a few tips of trees turning colors. It's the best and I am eating it all up.  Plus I am really excited for apple soon. Early macs should be on there way and I am craving me some apple stuff.

The week has been a little foggy very much productive. Foggy because my allergies have taken hold of my brain making me cranky and at some points unable to hold a single though. Productive because well we got so much done. See the porch(picture above) It's freaking amazing. The mr is so so good. (he did most of it)  And I am not the only one to think it. Every day that we are outside working on it, at least 5 old ladies have to stop and tell him how amazing he is. I think a few of them might have a little crush (hehe) So porch is built and painted and the sealant is drying out now, the rest of the house is painted, all the siding is finishes,  and it's pretty much done out there besides a few little things and landscaping. It's crazy, I didn't think it was ever going to happen. But it did and now on to the last big house project...The downstairs bathroom. Saving it for last because we have been using it as the dirty paint sink and litter box room (need to figure out a new spot for that) but now it's time and back to the fixations of a bathroom remodel.  I am on the hunt for a very specific, never to been seen in real life, cast iron corner shower base. I have seen a few pictures, but not many and I even had found one for sale but it was (was because they sold it) 4 hours away and we thought we could wait to buy it. Lesson learned on that one. We even took a trip to a few salvage yards and come up with nothing. So if you by chance have something like that, let me know. I need it to be happy.

Today is going to involve a bit of cleaning and organizing and bean picking? I have been slacking on my farm share pyo (it's beans and flowers right now) because the garden in the back yard has been keeping me plenty busy picking out there. The tomato plants alone are a freaking jungle with a thousand pounds of fruit that is going to need to be picked this week. I am going to have tomatoes all winter long. So yeah, go to farm, maybe library, clip my nails, just take it easy. You know, do the Sunday thing.

Internet reads from the wee.

-These Are the Foods Climate Change Will, Well, *Change*

-Don't just stare up at the sun, it will be bad. Planning To Watch The Eclipse? Here's What You Need To Protect Your Eyes

-Bring back the swing set so I can play on it. A Short-Lived Swing Set Makes a Splash in Burlington's South End

-It’s Officially Too Goddamn Early for Pumpkin Spice. I completely agree. Also to freaking early for all the Halloween candy on display at the grocery store. IT'S NOT EVEN FALL YET!

-I would like to think I would be fine with this but I am not so sure. I guess I need to try it to see .World’s longest suspension footbridge opens in Switzerland

-I would so buy it if I lived in Sweden, and had the money. This Gorgeous Greenhouse in Sweden is For Sale

-Why You Should Slurp, Not Sip, Your Soup. I am a slurper

-Why Newborn Babies Smell So Delicious. I hear it all the time from people around babies. What does it mean that I never find newborns to smell all that pleasant?

-Do you watch the GBBO? If yes, you gonna watch the new season? After seeing this, I am for sure. I mean, biscuits barfing up jam.... The New Great British Bake Off Trailer: Is It Saccharine? Creepy? A Surrealist Stop-motion Extravaganza?

-Vibrant Mushroom Arrangements

A few pictures from the week.

Bye

-C

Radish Greens Pesto

The radishes in my garden have gone from these tiny little wisps of green to a freaking jungle of greens with bright red bulbs bursting through the dirt. Ah, radishes., those little red balls of zesty crisp goodness that grow like crazy in the garden. They are no fuss, no joke, toss them seeds into the grown and bam, you get you some radishes. No matter how crappy of a gardener you might think you are, I bet you could grow you some radishes no problem. 

And with those radishes comes a butt load of greens, the greens that everyone seems to just toss away which is crazy because the greens are so good. They are tender and zippy and make for great eating. I usually just toss them into salads or whatever but I guess I went a little overboard with the planting of the radishes and I have so so so many radishes all ready to be pulled now with so so so many greens that need to be eaten. So pesto. Fresh early summer, tangy and bright green goodness. It is super tasty and great. Definitely anew favorite and a great way to use up your radish greens. 

The stuff. Lemon, olive oil, garlic, walnuts, salt and pepper and a bunch of radish greens.

Pretty freaking simple here. Stick garlic, and walnuts into the bottom of the blender and give that a pulse or two.  (I would have used my food processor but the new blade has yet to arrive). Add in all the greens, the juice of lemons, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn on low and stream in a oil. You might need to push down greens to get them into the blenders vortex.

And once it's all blended you have pesto.

Pour it into a jar and it's ready to go.

Eat it any way you eat your pesto.

Enjoy

-C

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Radish Greens Pesto

Makes about 2 cups

• 4ish cups radish greens (I used the greens from about 10 radishes)
• 1-2 lemons
• 3/4 cup toasted walnuts
• 4 cloves garlic
• about 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Stick walnuts, garlic and the juice of the lemons into a food processor or blender. Give it a pulse or two. Add in a pinch of salt ans pepper then the greens. Turn on blender and stream in olive oil. You might need to stop a few times to push the greens down. Blend until combines. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Pour finishes pesto into a jar. Eat with pasta, use as dip, smear on toast, dollop in soup. Eat it however you like.

Lasts for a week or two in fridge and freezes really well .

Sunday Happy

First off, the Happiest Day to all the mothers out there. You are great and make the world possible so thank you for that. Take care today to you. We are all better off when you are happy or to quote a sign hanging in my moms kitchen..When Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Whoa did we spend a lot of time outside this week. The mr upin the trees cutting them down. Weeding out gardens and cleaning up lawns. So many trips to the wood chipping plant to get ride of all the wood. My arms have been sore all week and it's mostly from hauling large chunks of wood to the truck. That and all the dirt moving. 6 yards of dirt dropped off to fill up our raised beds. The garden is on it's way to being a real garden and I couldn't be any happier. First time in my life where I have had a yard with a garden to do what I please. It's freaking amazing. And now I am struggling with what to plant. I know that I will get a butt load of veggies form the farm but what do I want more of? Lots of greens are on their way and we need to have tomatoes but do I do an entire bed of carrots and beets? If so where while the husk cherries go?. And the pumpkins, should we just plant them out front? (the mr wants to turn the front lawn into a pumpkin patch. I am not entirely sure that is a good idea) So many things to consider.

Sunday has got me busy. I want to finish planting what needs planting, the laundry is backed up a few loads so I need to get on that and I have a mess of paperwork that I need to get through. Good day for it though cause it looks like a chilly rain today so hanging out on the back porch with my pile of crap won't be so bad. At least there will be lots of coffee.

Internet whatnots

-Checked the pollen count when my face blew up, snot running, and itching my eyes out. Allergies, blah.

-Garden planting takes some planning. An In-Depth Companion Planting Guide

-I don't know why I have never thought to add color to bread dough. On my list of things to do this week. HOW TO MAKE MARBLED RAINBOW TOAST

-New York Times Puzzles. I like to play sudoku and the mini.

-What Is Avocado Hand? I guess that it is a real thing so watch yourself.

-Feeling stresses? Thinking About Happy Memories Can Shut Down Your Body’s Stress Response

-Here's What Michelle Obama Thinks About Trump's School Lunch Rules. Oh Michelle, I miss you.

-See the Awesome March of the Milky Way Across the Night Sky

 -The mr has always said her wanted some type of hot tub or sauna. I could get down with something like this. A Mirrored Golden Egg Sauna is Hatched in Sweden

-Vermont Legislature Votes to Legalize Marijuana. I mean it's about time.

Pictures from the week.

Enjoy the day!

-C

Tomato Bundt Cake

Do you have a gazillion tomatoes, like so many that they are practically coming out of your ears? Me too.... Me too. This year the tomatoes have been gang busters, a explosion of the sweetest and most delicious fruit and now I have tomatoes littered everywhere, tucked into all the corners and baskets all over the house. It's getting kinda tomato crazy over here.

 I can only eat so many tomatoes a day before all I have eaten are tomatoes and I start to feel slightly sick. Same with the mr, he has been a tomato eating champ as well but I think he was getting a little bored with all the tomato salads that I have been making. So I thought I would try something new and make a tomato cake. I figured why the heck not, tomatoes are technically a fruit and fruit and cake are great together and yeah. So tomato cake is going to be fantastic. I also wanted to make something that the mr would eat for breakfast. I have been doing this new thing in the mornings for the mr. I have coffee ready, some breakfast food (its been zucchini bread for a while), and a little vase of fresh flowers that I pick on my morning walk, all set out on the counter for when he wakes up. I know, I am so great right. Really I do it cause I want him to eat something before working all morning and plus if I am all sweet in the morning, he can't be an old man cranky pants (at least he tries not to be).  Now for the next few days the tomato cake is breakfast cake and all is good.

Anyway, the cake come out great. Bright reddish orange, dense but fluffy and most, and smells so good. The mr tells me it's amazingand I shared a chunk with some of my family and everyone (minus a little) where fans. I am for sure going to be making this again soon, although I have been toying with the idea of eggplant sweet bread (too far??) but I'll get to that later.

Now for the tomato cake!

The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt (all in the bowl). Brown sugar, oil, vanilla, apple cider vinegar and a few nice and juicy tomatoes.

First off, remove the core from tomatoes and cut into some chunks. Stick the chunks into a blender and blend.

Fresh and smooth tomato puree.

Now just dump the rest of the liquid stuff into the blender now and give it a whirl to mix it all up.

And pour the blended wet into the dry and mix until incorporated.

Pretty pink batter goes in a well greases bundt pan. I had got brown sugar everywhere while I was measuring it out and decided to just toss it on the cake as not to waste it...doesn't hurt.

And now the batter goes into a preheated oven to bake .

A bit of time later you have yourself a cake.

The scary part. Flip the pan and hope all that grease does it's job and the cake pops out. Lucky me this one popped out like a champ.

One de-panned, let the cake cool for a bit before cutting into it.

And now all you have left to do it eat it, so eat it.

Have a great weekend. Eat lots of tomatoes and make lots of cake.

-C

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Tomato Bundt Cake

Makes one bundt cake

• 2 -1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 -1/2 teaspoon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 large tomatoes (2 -1/2 cups after blended)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (for a tad sweeter, add another 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup of any neutral flavored oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350

Start by whisking together all the dry ingredients into a big bowl. Take tomatoes, remove core, chop into chunks, and place into a blender. Blend tomatoes until a smooth and frothy puree. Now add in the sugar, oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar and blend until incorporated. Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until combined.

Pour the cake batter into a greased (and floured if you want. I find it helps to make sure all the nooks are greases) and stick into preheated oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes until it's a dark reddish golden brown and a tester (I use a fork) comes out clean when stabbed.

Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two then invert cake, give the pan a few tap taps and hope that it comes out all nice and clean. (don't worry if a piece gets stuck, you can just dust the top with some powdered sugar)

Let cake cool and when ready, cut a slice and eat it up. I was told no glaze, but I was going to make a simple lemon glaze (lemon juice and powdered sugar) for the top. The mr said it was perfect, but glaze would have been pretty.  So glaze it up if you want.