Well now, a salad made with my second home grown tomato and my third home grown Mariachi pepper... With some lettuce and sweet onion of course... And zesty Italian dressing, yes that will do nicely...
Then this morning down to the Farmer's Market for some fresh sweet corn and a nice cucumber... Local corn just starting to come in and more good things at the market each week... Then back to the ranch for a country breakfast of bacon and eggs, with my third tomato sliced and of course toast and marmalade...
~ Is This the Good Life or What! ~
~ Friday July 17, 2009 ~
~ Tomatoes Again ~
Tomato tie-up time again, kinda spreading out, and probably time for some more Miracle-Gro at least for the one on the pot... Getting lots of tomatoes in the pot though, but only picked three ripe ones... Fewer in the bed... But the plants in the bed are growing taller faster like last year. and had tomatoes later... And the plants in the bed take less added water.. Guess the roots can go deeper.. Oh well, another day in the life of a part time gardener...
~ But... How sweet those Tomatoes Are! ~
~ Thursday July 16, 2009 ~
~ Is this First Class Service or What?~
Yesterday I got a call from Jim Reed, Director of the Parkville Nature Sanctuary... He knows I do a lot of smoking meat and asked if I wanted any apple wood...Sure do, I'll come and get it.. He says No.. on the way to the Farner's Market so he would drop it off... Now ain't that NICE! And here he comes with an armload that will last me the rest of the BBQ season, one or two of those little logs will do a couple slabs of ribs for smoke...
And then he asked for some advice as he was going to smoke a few slabs of ribs himself.. But I had little to give, the way he has been doing sounds fine with me, no set rules on how to smoke ribs for sure... Though the way he does is opposite of the way I do it...
And then .. That first Mariachi pepper, split and seeded it, parboiled a few minutes, then stuffed with smoked pulled pork with tomato sauce, herbs and spices, topped with Parmesan and into the oven a half hour... Now that was tasty, with mashed taters and all... And this morning after chat and a trip to the Price Chopper I sliced up that first Better Boy tomato, nuked up some bacon and made a really nice BLT for brunch... Then out to tie up my tomato plants and back in to cool off... Next, those tomaoto plants on my BLOG tomorrow...
.
~ And Yeah... How sweet THAT was! ~
~ Wednesday July 15, 2009 ~
~ Tomatoes! Mariachi Pepper!~
NOW... Number One Two and Three of the Better Boys in the pot... Picked the first one just as Can got here Saturday, the 11th.. Then Number Two on Sunday and Number Three today the 14th... That's all that are turning color now, but the landslide should be coming soon... No way to beat that record when I had the three plants in that pot in 2007... Got 140 tomatoes.. enough to give a few to neighbors...
And I have been watching that Mariachi pepper, they say they are best when deep yellow just turning to rose.. and that looks like where that one is... So... I picked it this morning and now making some stuffing from some pulled pork, tomato sauce, onions and a little spice...YUM!
~ And Yeah... How sweet is IT? ~
~ CAN! ~ In Parkville? ~
~ Saturday July 11, 2009 ~
Well, if you didn't know... Can was on a trip driving around the country sight seeing and also to find his Father in Arizona, but no luck there.. So next I hear he is in Los Angeles deciding where to go next... Las Vegas.. Utah, then North to Wyoming and Montana.. Then dropping down to Iowa, couple days later he was online about 50 miles East of Kansas City... Considering whether to stop by Parkville for a visit.. Deciding yes... and a couple hours later was here... My neighbor BJ was here using my computer so they got to meet...
Then He called from the Price Chopper for driving instructions and said he was bringing me a present... Showed hp here with the most expensive bottle of bourbon in the store... $40.00! some fancy juice huh! 54.1% alcohol... 108.2 Proof! Sippin stuff... So a little chat and we had to sample that didn't we? Too fine to use in a manhattan so I had a couple shots on the rocks and Can had a shot.. neat... Then a couple more as we discussed world events...
So... we were sitting out on the veranda... Sipping high dollar bourbon... Finishing that, Can wanted to try one of my Mahattans, so I mixed one for each... One would last me about 45 minutes, sip sip, but his was gone fairly quickly... Another please? OK, number two... already unwise, had maybe three or four shots of that 108 proof bourbon already... But.. here's number two... More chit chat...
So.. that one disappears, He says well, got to head out.. but one more maybe? OK, number Three, I was still working on my number One... Anyway that one almost gone, he says he better head on out... So, fond farewell and he starts out in his car... Whoops... He backs out a little too far, catches it, shifts to go and then kinda swerves over into the parking area across the street,, But straightens out and heads on up the hill.. Hope he does OK...
So then, later a smoked rib and some BBQ beans and off to bed... At 8:30 p.m. Phone rings.. Hey, it's me, can you come and get me? Will let me out if someone comes to get me.. No fine, no bail.. just OUT... So, up and get dressed head out to Plattsburg Detention Center, 20 miles North... Give the name, wait around awhile and here he comes... Then the story... Wasn't far away and pulled over to sack out.. shudda done that here.. BUT... Here comes a Parkville Cop, knocks on the window, ya can't sleep here... They towed his car and took him to Platte City, they don't have a jail in Parkville... So, discussed the situation, couldn't get his car out til Monday so he wanted to get a motel room... Dropped him off on the way back to Parkville...
~ Sunday July 12, 2009 ~
So... Sunday morning... Get a call... Can you give me a ride to the tow place on Monday? Sure... Says what you doing today? I says, the usual.. no plans... So he says how about I come over and hang out, maybe go someplace and get lumch.. Go to the Casino maybe? So I head up there, pick him up, head back by the Price Chopper as he wanted to find an ATM and I wanted a Bingo and Crossword... So he pops $500 out of the ATM, I get my bingo and we head to my place... I work my Bingo, no go but I won $6 on my Crossword, he has a smoke out on the veranda.. so then OK, let's go to the Casino... I go to my favorite machine, pop in a couple twenties, he takes off to wander around...
A bit later, I'm doing no good but he won $45 at Blackjack.. I run out my quarters and then drop over to the Riverside RED-X to trade in my winner for a couple losers, then head back to my place...
And then, after a bit he wants to buy lunch so we headed up to Nick and Jakes for a salad and drink... I had the best glass of merlot ever, should have asked what brand it was.. and the salad was fine..all I wanted to eat... But no, he wanted to go someplace else for appetizers or whatever... And wanted to go Main Street Parkville.. to the French place but I didn't like that idea.. high prices and no smoking (for him)... So we went half a block downhill to Frank's Deli... Got a small table outside on the patio, nice view of downtown Main Street... Kinda warm but a nice litle breeze... (can't smoke inside.. he asked first)...
So, I wasn't hungry but I ordered a glass of merlot, not as good as Nick and Jakes.. but that was exceptional... Can ordered some toasted ravoli and a beer.. Sampled the ravioli, pretty tasty... We had a good chat on the patio, they closed at 4 p.m. so we closed out with them... Headed back to my place... Late afternoon then so Can deceide he wanted to head on back to the motel...
~ Monday July 13, 2009 ~
So.. Monday, the day of reckoning! Pick up his car and he's on the way... Not quite... Can called about 6 a.m. ready to head out.. I went to get him, drove to the tow place.. Just a mile West of the Price Chopper... Paid the tow bill of $275.. Where's my car? Oh.. that's in our impound lot in Riverside.. HAH! Than's only about 7 miles... So we follow the guy over ther.. get the car.. and Can is on his way? Not quite... Can doesn't know the way back to the motel... No problem, that's only another 10 to 15 miles up there... So he followed me to the motel, says he needs to change and clean up.. then come by my place...
OK, another call... "What street are you on?"... missed the turn and is back in downtown Parkville... Go up to 13th street. turn left anf follow the road to the top of the hill..OK.. Yeah, he was here in 5 minutes... And hungry... Wanted a sample of my smoked ribs and had some stuff to nuke up for the road... So I nuked up half a slab of ribs, he took one to sasmple and I wrapped the rest for the road...
So a bit more chat... He wants to head out... I got my video cam to get a few minutes of him collecting his gear and heading out... And away he went... Excuse the verbose narration, but Can says tell the WHOLE STORY! So.. read on... More tomorrow?
~ Friday July 10, 2009 ~
~ A N T I C I P A T I O N! ~
Any day now!... Numero Uno Better Boy tomato... May just pick that one tomorrow... when they reach that stage they will ripen completely on the table with all their vine ripened goodness... And two more on there, among the twelve that I counted today, will be there any day now...
And the Mariachi peppers, I am watching the two largest for a bit of rose color and they will be picked and stuffed... Already planned the stuffing, some of that pulled pork from a few weeks ago with some onions and a bit of tomato sauce... and spices...
~ Oh Yes... someone around here knows how to cook ~
~ Wednesday July 08, 2009 ~
~ Easy Beef and Noodles ~
So, that brisket is proving to be very versatile... A beef brisket sandwich on a bun Saturday, then beef brisket hash on Sunday, that was good. next a repeat on a sandwich on a bun on Monday and then another version yesterday, on Tuesday...
So I checked the larder, had Vidalia onions, garlic, sweet green pepper, a can of beef gravy... Where is the celery and noodles? At the Price Chopper of course, so a run up there for a stalk of celery.. On Sale.. for 99 cents... Then some Best Choice frozen egg noodles.. Now stocked up...
Then... Here comes an IM from Sigi in Germany... then another from Can in Los Angeles, so a break to chat... Then off to the kitchen for my experiment... Chopped about half a large Vidalia onion, a nice green pepper, a couple stalks of celery and a couple cloves of garlic... Into the pot with a little olive oil, and saute a bit, then dice up several slices of smoked beef brisket and into the bot... Next dump in that can of beef gravy and get that all comingled with the onions and peppers and beef, lookin good... Next in with that one pound package of noodles and stir into the onions, peppers, garlic, beef and gravy.. looking even better... Now on with the lid and pop in to a warm oven, at maybe 160 degrees to hold warm til dinner time... At the right moment, nuke up a plate of scrumptious beef and noodles, with some buttered whole grain corn... And wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the King!
~ Good thing someone around here knows how to cook ~
~ Monday July 06, 2009 ~
~ Happy Fourth ~ Leftovers ~
OK... Spent part of Sunday slicing and storing the Beef Brisket... Some wrapped for the fridge here... Does that look better there, see, the "burnt" outside is just a flavorful crust, to make a sandwich trim off the the little side of fat... and see... a nice pink "smoke ring" around the outside of the meat...
On Saturday I made a nice sandwich from two of these slices on a whole wheat home baked bun from the Price Chopper... Then Sunday as I had some odds and ends pieces, I chopped up some green pepper and onion, diced a potato and into the skillet with that, a teaspoon of bacon fat and a little olive oil, simmered that a bit and added a half cup or so of diced smoked brisket... Brisket Hash! and yes, that was SO GOOD! With a sliced tomato sprinkled with basil and a few white radishes.. YEAH!
WHAT! The day before the 4th I bought a nice looking watermelon on a great sale... for the Holiday... Split it and into the fridge to chill.. and then forgot all about it afterthe tussle with the Beef Brisket... So It is still in there, waiting to be devoured, maybe some this morning?
Then Saturday while the brisket was smoking I went to tie up the tomato plants in the bed (not these)... Checked on the one in the pot I thought might be ripe and got a picture of the mariachi peppers busting out.. (on the right) They even look better today... But there is always tomorrow.. Isn't there?
~ Sunday July 05, 2009 ~
~ Happy Fourth ~ The Day After ~
~ How to Have a Happy Fourth ~ Buy a Fifth on the Third! ~
SUCCESS! If any of you fellow BBQers have tried to smoke a brisket, then you know it isn't the easiest piece of meat to smoke, nor the easiest to get properly done...
I figure my rate of success is about ONE out of THREE attempts...
But this time was a WINNER! Just about right, Most fat all gone, well done but still juicy and most important.. tender... Tried the first slice on a Bun with KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce and chopped onion and a side of BBQ beans.. Now that will do!...
So above left, ready to take out of the smoker after 9 hours or so... NO Sigi! It isn't burnt... That dark color is what is to be desired on a smoked brisket and called the "bark"... And plenty of smoke flavor there... Trim it off if you like, but most leave it on, just a crust on the edge of the slices... With what they call a "smoke ring" just underneath that...
On the right, after another 3 hours, sauced with BBQ sauce, wrapped in foil and in a 250 oven til finished...
Then let cool some, slice and ready to eat! In the smoker at 6 a.m. and out of the oven at 6 p.m. And the sweet smell of smoked success!
~ Saturday July 04, 2009 ~
~ Happy Fourth ~ Brisket in the Smoker ~
~ Beef Brisket ~ Marinated ~ Rubbed and Ready for the Smoker ~
OK, Up to the Price Chopper on Friday to find a nice 8 pound beef brisket on a bit of a sale, still higher than I expected... But then into the fridge after washing, scoring the bottom fat and marinating with Worchestershire sauce and BBQ dry rub... Then out of the fridge at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to warm to room temp, Light the smoker at 5:30 and into the smoker with the beef at 6 a.m. to smoke away all day... Stay tuned for results tomorrow...
~ Better Boys Tomatoes ~
And so... A look at the Better Boys tomatoes Saturday Morning, July 4th.. I was betting on ONE to be ripe today, but I lost out on that, be a few more days for the first red ripe Better Boy tomato this year..
~ Thursday July 02, 2009 ~
~ Sweet Basil ~ First Harvest ~
~ Before Clipping ~ And After Clipping ~
Next, as the Sweet Basil was filling and nice and bushy, and not yet blooming... Like the Oregano, I decided to harvest and dry it... Snipped it all back and spread it out to dry on the table... Now I am not sure if it will grow back for another crop...
~ Drying ~
~ Just Picked and Washed ~ After Drying a Few Hours ~
And Again like Oregano... into a 150 degree oven to dry a few hours... Then crumble up and store tightly in a jar... Ans again it looks like I got ALL of about two tablespoons again, maybe just a bit more... Easy to see how dried herbs are stronger than fresh, so much makes so little...
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