Dinner from the Garden

Early in the day one of the guys voiced a longing for fried chicken, so I pulled a package of tenders out of the freezer to defrost. However, as evening approached (and a storm seemed to be rolling in), Jeff and I decided we'd better pick anything ripe lest it get blown off the tree/bush/vine, etc. So, out the back door we went. Luckily, I took a large bowl along because we filled it with goodies which then dominated our plans for dinner.

First, the fig tree had plenty more of the purplish fruits to offer up. The birds have eaten a few, but there are hundreds of still pale green gems bobbing on the branches. I'm contemplating what to do with them all because I'm sure we won't be able to eat that many fresh. Last year's harvest was minimal, so we didn't have this problem. But, year before last we had a huge crop. Those were pre-dehydrator days so I made them into a fig-onion tappenade which I froze in small containers and pulled out over a six month period. It was wonderful on a variety of dishes from crispy Italian crostini to chicken breasts cooked in white wine. We gave some of it to the in-laws, who also enjoyed it quite a bit. The thought of having that lovely topping at my disposal once again is tempting, but so is having some freshly dried figs to munch on a whim. Perhaps I will make both - given how much fruit is hanging on the tree.

After we more than half filled the bowl with figs, we moved on to the tomato vines which are also bearing heavily. At least a dozen juicy red globes were ready to take in. This variety (wish I could remember its name) produces massive amounts of smaller fruits, but they are sweet and smooth - lacking the biting acidity of some tomatoes. We checked the eggplants next, which have perked up since Jeff increased the water to combat the overwhelming heat. They have a number of blossoms, so we're hoping to see fruit soon. The tomatillo plant also seems to be reviving. Keep your fingers crossed.

The carrots are coming along nicely, but not really big enough to eat yet, and the zucchini has taken over one end of the new bed we put in. We've had some veggies from it, but none currently showing though it too is covered with blossoms. (I've considered plucking them and making fried squash blossoms which is supposed to be a high-falutin delicacy, but I haven't gotten past the thinking about it stage yet.) The melons too are blooming, and we're still hoping those will bear well. The news said this is the perfect time of year to plant pumpkins for a fall harvest, so we're going to use a corner where nothing came up to try those out.

The herbs are looking good, too. Apparently they needed a little more water, because they've brightened considerably. Standing there looking at my ripe tomatoes and all the fresh herbs, I could just taste pasta for dinner. So I clipped several handfuls of each herb and trundled it all inside completely disregarding the chicken in the fridge.

With the addition of just a few items on hand we had a fresh, delicious dinner. I started by cooking a couple of turkey burger patties left in the freezer. Next I added all the chopped herbs from the garden including purple basil, rosemary, parsley, oregano, and onion chives. While this simmered - filling the kitchen with the aroma of all those flavors - I chopped some zucchini that we previously harvested along with quite a few of the tomatoes we picked today. A couple of cloves of fresh garlic went into the pot along with the remaining green onions from the crisper. I also threw in a little bit of chopped broccoli left over from dinner a couple of nights ago for good measure. Next, I added a little white wine to supplement the liquid released from the tomatoes and let the whole thing simmer for half an hour before starting the water for the pasta. After a quick taste a little salt, pepper, and sugar were in order.

Unfortunately when I culled through the cheese drawer I discovered an amazing lack of Parmesan cheese. (I'd love to say I usually have the good stuff on hand, but at $20 a pound I opt for the cheaper, pre-grated variety. Last year, when Parmesano Regiano was on sale for half off, I did splurge on a small wedge which I peeled into curls and put on top of salads at a dinner party.) Tonight, I substituted some grated Irish farmer's cheese we recently acquired at Sam's Club. This has the dry texture of Parmesan but isn't as salty. Once the pasta was done I tossed everything together in a bowl effectively melting the cheese into the rest of the goodies while the pasta absorbed the liquid. Though the topping was not very "saucy," the garden veggies and herbs gave the dish an unmistakable freshness that was deeply satisfying, and we all enjoyed our bowls full of garden goodness immensely.