Thursday, July 14, 2011

Fixin' Squash....

I have a unique way of preparing summer yellow squash. Every time I have mentioned this method of preparing squash to anyone, they are always amused. My version is EASY and delicious, so I thought I'd share my recipe. Well, it's not REALLY a recipe exactly.... us country folk don't do much measuring and fiddlin' with amounts. We just pinch, shake, pour, and dab... and we go a lot on what "looks right." When it looks done, it's usually done....

Anyway ... I use yellow crook-neck squash instead of the standard summer squash for two reasons. One, it's what I was raised on.... what my mother fixed when she taught me to cook. And two, there are less seeds in the crook-neck squash.

I start by cutting the neck in circles, but when I get down to the main body of the squash, I cut around and around, cutting pieces off, like this....


I don't like to use the seeds. And the key is to make sure you have a bit of the yellow on every piece, since the yellow browns better than the inside white flesh.


Discard your seeds...


This is about the right size pieces....


Coat with flour....




Next, dump the squash, lightly coated with flour, into an iron skillet of hot oil...


Fry over medium heat. Turn when one side starts to brown....


Fry until a mixture of golden and light brown...


For a country supper, serve hot with new buttered potatoes, fresh green beans, and sliced tomatoes...


Then sit and watch it get cold while your husband runs late for supper....


Well, you don't have to follow that final step!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

A Growing Spurt.....

All day Friday we were blessed with a long, restoring, steady rain which caused our garden to take off on a growing spurt that was almost unbelievable. It sounds like a cliche, but I mean it literally when I report that our pumpkin vines grew a foot overnight!


All of a sudden, the numerous vines are crawling everywhere, so that there is almost not room to walk among them.


Every vine has bright yellow blooms.


And I even found one little green pumpkin!


The rest of the garden is doing well also, considering we planted every thing so late this year. It won't be long until we have fresh vegetables....

Tomatoes....


Corn....


Beans....


Squash...


Okay, seriously did you see those squash blooms? There's gonna be like 30 squash here in this one little spot... I think you need to look again....


And "The Little Pumpkin who Could" is still trying his best to reach the sky...

Friday, July 8, 2011

The Little Pumpkin that Could....

This little pumpkin vine is not like all the rest. He marches to the beat of a different drummer... he's reaching for the stars....





Maybe he's heard the story of the little engine who could....





Or the story of Jack and the pumpkin bean stalk....


The other "proper" pumpkins that vine along the ground laugh at him.....







But I see potential for growth here (pun intended)....

Maybe he was just planted too close to the fence so he can look across and see the trees so tall....


Chloe looks at me and rolls her eyes, "You have GOT to be KIDDING me!"


Maybe...

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Joy....

Now I can go to the pumpkin field and see changes DAILY. I love that! It's always something to look forward to.... After my morning coffee, and after Steve leaves for work, I walk out into the misty morning, through the cool, dew-covered grass, past the still-quiet barn, to the pumpkin field.




The massive leaves have turned in the direction of last evening's setting sun, and they cover the new yellow blooms like umbrellas.




Yes, we have blooms! To my dismay, I had to order a new camera battery charger, so we are without pictures of these first delicate blossoms. I have a picture from last year, which will have to do, because the blooms are all alike, right? I just wanted to document the first blooms of this season... (pout face).




Isn't it a joy to walk to your garden and see the daily changes? The new beans coming on, the corn stalks shooting upward overnight, new tiny green tomatoes? I hope you have that joy too... there's nothing else quite like it.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Red, White, and Blue

In honor of America's 235th birthday....


I went on a quest for our country's colors .....


Around the farm....







And around the house....








HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!


Hope you had a great 4th of July holiday.... from the Bolte house to yours!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Perspective....

As I begin to experiment and enjoy my fairly new photography hobby, I am starting to look at everyday things through new eyes, or at least from a different perspective. Sometimes the mundane... the ordinary... can look quite unique from varying angles.


Did you ever take the time to just lie in the grass with your camera?


Things that are quite small when you are standing suddenly become large through your camera lens.


And beautiful...


I don't normally see Chloe from this angle....


Interesting...


I think I like lying in the cool grass on a hot summer day. I like taking time to watch Chloe take time to smell the flowers.


The garden even holds some unexpected delights if you look the right way.... like this leaf on a pumpkin vine.


And this close-up of a first tomato bloom in the evening sun.



The world looks equally beautiful looking up!