A Golden Summer Night

As we sat on the back porch enjoying our Sunday evening dinner, which included the gazpacho, the world outside the confines of the porch became suffused with a beautiful golden glow. Though the camera, my husband's Iphone, did not capture the intensity of the color, I used it in a pinch because I was afraid the color would vanish while I went to collect my camera.

Gazpacho - With a Twist

The addition of jalapeno pepper, lime juice, and cilantro gives a classic gazpacho an updated flavor. A dollop of sour cream and homemade croutons round out the cold summer treat. The recipe is as follows:

2 large tomatoes, peeeled

1/2 medium cucumber, seeded

1 medium green pepper

1/2 jalapeno pepper

1/2 sweet onion

2 cloves garlic

3 cups tomato juice

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp. lime juice

2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp. pepper

Salt to taste

Chop tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, and garlic roughly. Pulse in food processor until very finely chopped, but not pureed. Add all ingredients and chill. The longer the soup is chilled, the more intensified the flavors. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and croutons. See recipe below for croutons.

2 slices French or other crusty bread cut into small cubes

1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

1 glove garlic, crushed

Dash red pepper

2 tbsp. finely grated Parmesan Reggiano

Heat olive oil and butter in skillet until butter melts. Add cubed bread all at once and stir to blend in olive oil and butter. Cook bread on medium until bread begins to color on all sides. Add crushed garlic for the last couple of minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.

Painted Lady

This is the house painting project I have been following this summer. The house is owned by a young couple. They have a beautiful young daughter. The couple is painting the home themselves. For the past several weeks, they haven't made a lot of progress. Who could blame them? It's been "hot as blazes"! And, after an abbreviated dry spell, it has started to rain, and I mean great big flooding rain, yet again.

The old colors are the barn red and goldish orange. The new colors, taken from a historic palette, are olive green, dark green, purple, and, I think, creamy yellow. They weren't sure about the creamy yellow when I last talked with them, but I think I am seeing touches of it now. I absolutely love the purple.

As they make progress on their home, I will take more photos to share with you.

Saguaro Cactus Project

The photo, at left, is of several saguaro cacti which have been grown by my mother for the past 11 years on the window sill in her kitchen. The plants originally started as seeds in a package much like the one pictured.
The photo, at right, by Judy Hedding, is of a giant saguaro cactus at home in the desert.

The saguaro cactus is the image we all associate with the desert. The saguaro (the "guar" is pronounced "war") is found only in portions of Arizona and California. The cactus, which grows very slowly, may achieve a height of 50 feet and live for 200 years.

11 years ago, my brothers visited Scottsdale. They bought a package of saguaro cactus seeds for our mom as a souvenir. Mom,by the way, can grow anything. Her thumb is one of the "greenest" I know. She dutifully planted those seeds and they germinated. The plants were so very tiny. They grew so very slowly. She has cherished, nurtured, and protected those cacti for the past 11 years. She has told us she must return them to the desert from which they came.

As luck would have it, her grandson has settled in Scottsdale, where he works as a pharmacist. He is getting married there this fall. Mom and dad are going to the wedding with my brother and me. She is eager to take her pot of cacti with her to plant them in the desert. I am anxious for her to come full circle with her 11 year endeavor. I have contacted an organization in Scottsdale about the possibility of having the cacti planted in a conservancy. I don't want to her plant those cacti in just any old plot of desert sand. I wish for them to be as protected and cherished as they have been for the past 11 years. I'll let you know how this project progresses in the weeks ahead.

Drama on the North Forty

My husband and I arrived home this evening at about the same time. We are always greeted by Mama, the outdoor cat. Mama behaves much more like a dog than a cat, coming when called and generally "dogging" our steps as we move about outside. Tonight our sweet grey cat with the white tipped tail was nowhere to be seen.

After changing into some comfortable clothes, I went to the garden to pick some vegetables - tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Yum. My little friend did not follow me as she normally does. When I returned to the house, my husband asked me if the cat had turned up. I could sense some concern in his voice because Mama is so very predictable. So, he took a turn around the North Forty calling her name. Yep, our neighbors probably think us daft, strolling around the yard, calling for Mama, over and over again. I joined my husband in the front yard where there sat our beloved cat, on a branch 20 feet off the ground in one of the oak trees. A huge cat sat below her, I guess, daring her to come down. The brute was summarily chased away.

Mama walked back and forth between two branches, meowing non-stop. I suggested that we call the Fire Department to assist us in getting her out of the tree. Isn't that the classic thing to do when your cat is stuck in a tree? My husband just gave me one of those looks. We decided, instead, to give her some time, hoping she would back down out of the tree, as we have seen her do before. We entreated her to come down in our most soothing voices. We walked away from her, hoping she would want to follow us. No deal. This time, she was just too high in the tree to get herself down. I think she was afraid. I know I would have been.

When it became clear she had no intention of removing herself from her perch, my husband went to the neighbor's house to borrow his aged red wooden extension ladder. We placed it up against the tree, and my husband tentatively began to make his way up the rickety ladder toward Mama. My job was to try to hold the ladder steady (and break his fall, I suppose, should the ladder give way). I did volunteer to climb the ladder, though not with abundant enthusiasm.

When he approached her, she wasn't too keen about letting go of the branch. He finally managed to pry her claws free, and steadied her against his side. He slowly backed down the ladder and when he was still about 10 feet from the ground, Mama bounded out of his arms. She must have sensed that she could survive a leap from 10 feet. She landed with a thud on all four feet and fled the scene.

Once she had composed herself, she circled in for a long pet, some food and water, and a nap. She spent most of the evening recovering from her angst filled day. She is sleeping now. The rickety red ladder is back in the neighbor's garage, awaiting its next adventure. The fire department was not called to the rescue. And, my husband saved the day. He's such a sucker for Mama.

All is well.

A Few Favorite Things - Containers

Macho fern in cast iron footed container. I love the bulby shape and rim of this pot. As the fern grows, it will cascade down over the sides, but still remain suspended above the ground. The interplay between the rusty brown and yellowish-green will be luscious.


Resin container with fledgling plants. This classic lines of this container spoke to me. In time, a profusion of purple, dark rosy pink, lavender and white flowers will wreath this magnificent pot, at least I hope so. It sits in shade in the morning, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will bloom.


Homemade round hypertufa with impatiens & hosta. I'll show you how to make hypertufa some day. It's good fun. This is the first trough I made. It is pretty basic - round and shallow with a rough aged texture, achieved with a wire brush. I like the rustic grey look of the trough as it sits on a stone wall. These troughs also are striking when planted with succulents.


Chubby clay pot of mixed plants. This non-descript little pot is perfect for the purpose for which it is being used. It sits amid a grouping of pots of all shapes. Its stout little shape appealed to me and is a nice counterpoint to the shapes of the other pots in the group. It has taken on a beautiful patina as it has aged.

Boxwood in old clay pot. Years ago, I found this pot and his brother at Sam's Club. They have graced the front entry to my home ever since. I think these two pots signalled the beginning of my fascination with containers. Look how wonderfully they have aged! Over the years, the pots have been planted with flowers, grasses, notably penisetum rubrum, and other types of evergreens. The current planting is my favorite, but probably won't last too much longer. I have to remove the evergreens from time to time when the roots become too large, so as not to break the pot.

Pizza!

When I was a little girl, I never understood why my mom's cookbooks looked so distressed. I was determined to keep my cookbooks looking brand spanking new . This is my pizza cookbook, and I am incredibly proud to say it looks every bit as distressed as any of my mother's. What I see in my dog-eared cookbooks is life well lived. The stains and tattered pages are, I guess, kind of like me - a little dog-eared, a little the worse for wear, showing a few wrinkles, but loved, lived, and holding up rather well.

The cookbook is The Great Chicago-Style Pizza Cookbook by Pasquale Bruno, Jr. and I purchased one for myself and one for my brother about 20 years ago at Carfagna's, my favorite Columbus Ohio grocery. It has been in regular use in our households since then.

Now on to Pizza!

This is my very favorite pizza dough, about to be parbaked in a 475 degree oven for about 4 or 5 minutes. Note it has been pricked all over with a fork. The parbaking will give the crust its initial rise. The toppings would compress the dough if I did not cook it just a little bit first.

This is the almost done pizza - hot Italian sausage on one half, pepperoni on the other, with a scattering of fresh onions over all of it. The toppings sit atop the tomato mixture, which sits atop the cheese. It's sort of an upside down pizza. Here is the recipe as written by Pasquale. I'll give you my adaptations afterward.

Deep-Dish Pizza No. 1

Dough

1 1/2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (105 - 115 degree F)

1 tbsp. sugar

3 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup warm water

Topping

1 28 oz can Italian style plum tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand

1 tsp dried basil or 2 tsp. fresh basil

1 tsp. oregano

Salt to taste

10 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 lb. Itallian sausage, casing removed

Olive oil

Dough: Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup of warm water. Add the sugar and stir well. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, salt, and cornmeal. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the yeast mixture, the vegetable oil, and the 1/2 cup of water. Stir and mix thoroughly until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and a rough mass is formed.

Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured work surface. Knead and pound the dough (dust with flour if the dough sticks to your hands) for 5 - 6 minutes until it is smooth and soft. Dust the dough and a large mixing bowl lightly with flour. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

After the dough has doubled in bulk, turn it out of the bowl and knead it for about 2 minutes. Oil the bottom and sides of the 14 inch pizza pan (with 2 inch sides). Spread the dough in the pan with your fingers and palm. Work the dough until it covers the bottom of the pan. Pull the edges of the dough up to form a lip or a pronounced border all around the pan. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Prick the dough bottom with a fork at 1/2 inch intervals and parbake the crust for exactly 4 minutes in the preheated oven. Brush the crust lightly with olive oil.

Topping: in a 2 to 3 quart mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, oregano, and salt. Set aside.

To Assemble and Bake: Lay the slices of mozzarella cheese evenly over the crust. Spoon the tomatoes over the cheese. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the tomatoes. Next, add the Italian sausage - flatten the sausage pieces between your thumb and forefinger an distribute them evenly over the tomatoes. Drizzle about 1 tbsp. olive oil on top. Bake the pizza in a preheated oven on the bottom oven rack for 4 minutes; move the pizza to an oven rack 2 slots above the lower rack and bake an additional 30 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and sausage is cooked through.

My Adaptations: I've never used 3 1/2 cups of flour. The dough can't take more than just over 3 cups. I use only about 1/2 tsbp. of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of salt. I use olive oil in place of vegetable oil.

For the topping, I add a clove of garlice minced, and use about 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil in the tomato mixture. I generously add a couple of grinds of black pepper to the mixture, as well.

In place of the mozzarella cheese, I sometimes use provolone cheese, for the smoky flavor it imparts. When using Italian sausage, I pre-cook it until it is still just a little pink on the inside. It will finish cooking in the oven.

While this is not a pizza I usually make in the summer, this Friday evening was dark and rainy, and a perfect time to stay inside and make pizza. I hope you'll try it sometime. It is certainly worth your effort.

Butterfly Garden II

Here are some photos I took in the Butterfly Garden at the Children's Learning Center yesterday morning. The photos were taken after I finished weeding (of course). I'm happy to report all the plants and flowers are thriving since I planted them several weeks ago. They are being watered regularly by staff members. The butterfly weed (asclepias), third photo from the top, is my favorite plant in the garden. It was blooming when I bought it and it continues to have bright orangish-yellow blooms. It's long and lanky with dependably green foliage. It's a real winner!
I hope to have the garden finished by mid-August. There are stepping stones left to be placed, a tic-tac-toe game to finish, and some late summer blooming plants to get in the ground. I hope to find a small piece of sculpture to further enliven the space. So far, I'm very happy with the result and, apparently, so are the children for whom the space was created.

Chillin'

The last light of this day is almost gone. I'm chillin' on the back porch by candlelight listening to "Nothing but the Blues", my favorite Saturday night radio program. There's something about the blues that strikes a chord in me. The music is plaintive. It whines. The melodies are not all that sweet. I like it.

Tonight, the pond gurgles in the distance. A lonely toad groans. In addition to the summer sounds to which I have grown so accustomed, the stillness is broken by the snap, crackle, and pop of distant fireworks. Every now and then a fairly thunderous boom asserts itself. Poor Mama the cat isn't so happy with all the commotion. She's found a lap and is settling in nicely.

We went shopping today in Columbus, about two hours from our home. What wonderful treasures we brought home from the "big city". We bought Georgia peaches, homegrown first of the season sweet corn, and an Indiana melon from Carfagna's, our favorite grocery store. The rich, ripe smell of melon greets us each time we open the refrigerator door. A great breakfast awaits tomorrow - fresh fruit and crusty toasted bread.

We feasted our eyes on so many fabulous sights. I especially was drawn to the images at Pottery Barn. They offered some very understated nautical pieces, to which I took an immediate liking -browns,beiges, off-whites and clears, with a little burst of orange thrown in. It's probably a good thing I don't live in Columbus where all those temptations lurk.

My neighbor, known for his fireworks displays, has begun to launch his annual technicolor, quite loud display. I'm taking a break to revel in the sparkling magnificence. Poor Mama.

Happy Fourth of July tomorrow! Enjoy your time with friends and family!