We picked up a little fig tree from Monticello last summer and have named it TJ after Thomas Jefferson. This tree is a graft from the trees on the property. We will take you there to visit the beautiful gardens.
TJ outgrew his pot and is now planted with a ring of Echinacea partially surrounding him.
Now we will have our own ingredients for the Fig and Strawberry jam I learned to preserve in Sonoma County. Next, we will need to explore the healing properties of Echinacea while enjoying their gorgeous blooms with the bumblebees and butterflies.
What a glorious couple of weeks it has been! Experiencing the very slight change of seasons and still grateful for the harvest soon to be a memory :).
I believe a couple of the best parts of the journey called “gardening” are learning how to preserve the bounty and sharing. I have learned that freezing is a preferred method as far as preserving nutrients, color, etc. but I am still enjoying trying out new canning and dehydrating recipes. Yesterday was perfect…cooler weather, TV football in the background, canning, baking, dehydrating and soup-making…love it!
Sliced Jalapenos
We planted jalapenos for the first time this season and our little plant yielded about two dozen smaller jalapenos. I came across a recipe on this blog: Foodiewithfamily.com, Candied Jalapenos that calls for three pounds of jalapenos and promises to be a really flavorful delight.
Simmering Candied Jalapenos
The recipe peaked my interest. I have not been a big lover of jalapenos but my dad and your dad really like them. So I thought I would give it a whirl. I purchased the remaining jalapenos from our local market (which happens to be the largest open-air market in Northern California: Andy’s Market in Sebastopol), pulled out my mandolin, put on some gloves and got busy slicing all of those jalapenos.
Candied Jalapenos
It was a very easy recipe to follow. The hardest part was watching my gloved fingers around the mandolin! We will wait a couple of weeks as the author suggests before opening our first jar.
Last year, I found a recipe using one of my favorite fruits (figs): Fresh Fig and Strawberry Jam from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. It was DELICIOUS! We used it as jam and also served a spoonful or two over vanilla-bean ice cream and of course, shared some. I know…sugar! But Yum! I have had many requests from family and friends for this particular item this season and now we can fulfill those requests: the first batch = 7 half-pints stacked lovingly on our bulging shelf.
Garden Reflections 