Hi All,

It’s November 13. The wind is blowing here steadily at 50 MPH and with gusts to 80 – typical for our Winters in Corbett, Oregon. We have a fire going and cats and pups are happy to remain inside.

I’ve completed the harvest and almost all of the processing and now I’m turning my attention to packaging and gift-giving (and clean-up!) – labels, jars, quantities.

What did I learn this year?

• After making chèvre I decided to can the leftover whey for future use, only to discover I’d created feta through that process! Check out the milky looking quart jars filled half with whey and half with feta!
• I learned how to make use of tomato skins, turning them into yummy flakes, thanks to a tip from Cynthia Wiancko.
• I observed that in our extremely hot and dry summer, the fruit seemed to thrive, as if the roots and limbs and vines and twigs were pushing out the fruit and extending it into the parched air – pears, plums, raspberries, apples, grapes, blueberries. I’d never made Chinese Plum Sauce or Plum Chutney or Green Grape Conserve before — necessity is the Mother of invention!
• I was reminded how nice it is to have neighbors and to share goods and services! I gave away seeds, and bountiful veggies, and lent out the dehydrator, and I borrowed a beautiful steam juicer for my grape juice production.
• I re-learned how important it is to my well-being to have my hands in the dirt and in the harvested bounty and how much I enjoy forward-connecting to a stocked Winter inventory and Christmas gift-giving.

Here are a few photos of life along the arc of 2018 Summer to Fall.

And here are a few random recipes that I came upon this year or in year’s past. There’s also a shared recipe from my neighbor Cynthia Winter, such a fine chef!

Random Recipes A few recipes from 2018

Late Summer Plum Cake LATE SUMMER PLUM CAKE

Every year in the garden is different and harvest varies year to year. I definitely adjust my food processing and seek out new recipes based on yield. I’m always looking for culinary learning and inspiration and am driven by Waste Not, Want Not.

Thanks for listening and Happy Holidays up-coming to All Y’all!