Black & Blue Berry Jam

It's official.  I am obsessed with jam.

I can't go to a farmer's market without seeing all of the gorgeous local fruit and thinking of what I can do with it.  

I go with a list, a plan of what I'm going to buy and what I'm going to make from jams to sauces to preserves to pickles.  And other fruits just jump out at me.  Filling my cart and giving me even more to process on my already too short weekend. 

Spicy Pickled Carrots for the Pickle Party

Last month Shauna Ahern, the Gluten Free Girl, hosted a virtual pie party and it was a such a success that today she is hosting is a virtual pickle party.  I actually didn't know about it until yesterday, but luckily had these delicious looking carrot pickles in my back pocket just waiting to be written up.

I've been a bit of a pickling fool this year, so far I have asparagus, radishes, ramps, bread & butters, dill, two types of beans and these beauties.  I'm determined to keep as much of our eating as possible to local foods,  even in the winter.  In a climate where we have such brutal winters that meas freezing, jamming and pickling stuff when it's in season.  Lucky for me the Boy is behind this endeavor and has gone bean picking and let me buy obscene quantities of farm fresh produce to fill our shelves and chest freezer with. He was admittedly skeptical about carrot pickles though.

Gardening & Preserving Weeks 4 & 5

That big one is still our very first fruit. When is she going to change color?!

So the full heat and humidity of summer has finally caught up with us in Toronto.  It's been pretty brutal and supposed to get worse over the next few days.  It very exciting especially since we only have a measly A/C unit in our bedroom to say the rest of the house is a hot box is an understatement.

But you didn't come here to read about the heat you came to check in on my little urban garden which I must say is doing quite well.

Gardening & Preserving Week 3

the big tomato there was the first little baby we had a week and a half ago

We will have tomatoes in 2 weeks.

That's what the Boy said anyway.

look at these beauties, we'll have plenty of sweet millions very soon

He also said once they start coming we'll likely be set for the rest of the summer.

How awesome is that?

Gardening & Preserving Week 2

look at my little tomato flowers!

I think I am becoming a little gardener.

Not a real one or an expert by any stretch.

But look at these plants!?  Can you believe it?

the beans will have flowers by next week!

OK, so to those of you who have always grown vegetables and have a green thumb, this may not be that impressive.  Especially since I did buy these beauties as seedlings and didn't start them from seeds.

Gardening & Preserving Week 1 and other stuff

a row of pepper plants, getting ready to flower

It's finally summer here in the Great White North.  Things are growing, including my own garden which is chock full of tomatoes, peppers, beans and even an eggplant plant.  Oh and don't forget my plethora of herbs.

one of my 9 tomato plants

I have a funny story about tomatoes.  Well funny, depending on who you ask.  For the last two years in March we have started tomatoes from seeds.  Last year was completely learning year and from 24 little peat pods we only got two plants, which ended up not being a big deal since we were out of town for most of the season.  The Boy, who is generally in charge of all things garden related, learned from some mistakes and we started this March with new knowledge and a plan.  A plan that was going fairly well until I was left in charge of things.

Meatless Monday: Ramp & Arugula Pesto

Have you ever foraged for food before?  Picked wild raspberries off of a bush you found in the forrest or on the edge of your property when you were a child?  I vaguely remember picking berries with my grandfather when he would take my brother, cousins and I to find the creek, or "crick" as he called it,that was set deep in the farmland behind their house in Westmoreland, NY.  The few times we did it, I remember those wild berries tasting so sweet, maybe it was that we were on an adventure with Grandpa, maybe it was the sweetness of  sun-kissed berries in the heat of summer, I think it was a combination of these and many other factors.