TOMATOES IN THE KITCHEN

Yesterday I cut up a couple of big buckets of heirloom tomatoes and made a smooth silky tomato sauce to go over pasta while watching Sam’s gardening utube on the computer. I was preparing for lunch with a friend I had not seen for over thirty years. The simple lunch of pasta and tomato sauce steeped in basil was perfect. And One Drop Meadow though short was the perfect company as I chopped. A family voice in the kitchen with me. Whimsical.

Remember, when you steep basil in the sauce pull it out and replace it with fresh basil every now and then through the process. When basil is heated for too long it loses its sweet notes and can become bitter. I always add it stalks and all so it is easy to hook out.

This sauce was very tasty with the lovely fresh tomatoes.

I will go back out with my bucket and pick some more today. I have piles of basil so that part is not a problem!

Yesterday I awoke to find this steer once again on the wrong side of the fence. Wandering down the ditch.

It takes a long time to get him back in  (the last thing I need is for him to bolt so we go slow) and he is beginning to lead my calves astray (the calves followed their mothers back in so they were easy). So I am going to sell him on. I have to begin selling soon anyway but this guy is a right pain. He goes under the deer fence and over the electric fences. That night he knocked the entire solar unit aside after he was out, potentially releasing the whole herd.  He is the one who has one testicle still unfound so he was slated for an early sale anyway.

Now they are all back in. And I hope they are all there this morning when i get out there. I will run more internal electric fences this morning. But no more ditch grazing until I move the trouble maker on.

Talking of bulls this little bull is starting to look better and better. I am going to start work on the bull field soon.  He is going to be a lovely animal. I keep wanting to call him Stockade I don’t know why but there you are. Like titles the name-word won’t go away. I need to call the man who bred them and ask him again what kind of bull his sire was. This is not a full Black Angus that is for sure. But what other beef breed has this red fluffiness and that racoon eye. Not red angus because I would have remembered that.

The four pigs are getting through their sunflowers at an alarming pace now. They are almost at weight. (I try to get them up to 240 pounds). Hopefully they get there before their feed runs out!

Rose of Sharon.

I hope you have a lovely day.

Love celi

Sam’s latest UTube is here.

or here  if that does not work for you.

In this one he shows us his high tech method of random selection. Pretty fun.

He had another great one just before this but I cannot find it again and I really liked it too. There are three so far so if you caught his second video can you send me the link in a comment? Mama is behind. He loves comments both here or on the utube link – being early days in this enterprise he loves to hear what you have to say so feel free to comment either here or on the utube link. I told him my  people are always kind and constructive  knowledgeable and so he is looking forward to talking to you.

His next vid will be back in the garden which I am REALLY looking forward to.

Enjoy.

c