GTTC: fresh raspberry gratin and next giveaway announced!!

I spent some time purging the bookcases today - boy is this a difficult task. I added many books to the donation pile that were hard to give up - not because they were particularly good reads, but simply because I've held on to them so long. But I'm happy to not have too much of a hoarder mentality. I found a never-opened Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook by Ina Garten on the bottom shelf. It's a lovely book - don't know why it's not sitting with my other cookbooks. As I flipped through, I found a decadent sounding recipe involving raspberries - conveniently what I returned from the farmer's market with!

The dessert was fabulous! Now back to this essentially new cookbook. No idea where it came from. It was more than likely a gift (maybe from my mom?). Sorry in advance if it was from my sister who might be reading this, because...this week, I'm going to give it away. For a chance to win, join the Garden to Table Challenge by posting about what seasonal goodies you're cooking and including a link in the post back here. Link below and earn one entry to the giveaway. I'm drawing from every entry earned during the entire 2011 season of the GTTC. Winner of this great cookbook announced next Saturday!

GBBD - September 2011

September is a month of few blooms and maybe few words this time too...

Don't feel so fulfilled after this 3 photo post? I don't blame you. Visit May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming all over the world!

"Even the raccoons don't want your tomatoes"

Above: a young raccoon searching for remnants of kitty food. Below: one of the three young raccoons popping out of the trash. Every night, I sit and listen helplessly as the raccoons ravage the trash can. I really need to take some action on this.

My husband has commented repeated about my "poor garden", and the other day, told me that even the raccoons don't wan't my tomatoes. Ouch. That could be really hurtful if I didn't accept the fact that this year, I'm getting exactly what I'm putting into my garden...nothing.

Below: no melons for us. Above: the little 4x4 I built this summer. Guess he's right, every cat food crumb gone, the garbage picked through, the tomatoes...untouchable.

Above: a lovely green garden bed - too bad it's lush with weeds. Below: morning glories gone wild and growing over a strong structure...of roses.

And when the cat repeatedly uses the garden beds as her litter box...I just can't get ahead!!

GTTC: spicy chocolate kisses

While hurricane Irene was making a mess outdoors, we were making a mess indoors. My daughters found the Hershey's Kiss making machine from the depths of the game closet. It's pretty cool actually, the gun melts the chocolate that you squeeze into the mold. Then you cut out foil squares, cut out the paper strips, and another little contraption wraps the chocolate into a perfect little Hershey's Kiss. We each made our own set of 4 chocolates (each set taking waaaay too long!!!), my set contained bits of dried cayenne pepper - little spicy chocolate kisses!

What are you doing with your peppers or other garden harvests? Join the Garden to Table Challenge - post about it with a link to this blog, then add your blog to the link below!

Growing, Buying, Cooking - Sweet Potato Leaves

Sweet potato greens are among my favorite Asian greens to eat. They're mild, tender, and delicious, and are extremely easy to grow (see any signs of pests on the organically grown plant above?). The bonus is that at the end of the season, there are potatoes to dig as well!

GROWING SWEET POTATOES - My family grows a Chinese white variety of sweet potato because although the flesh is not as sweet and buttery as a traditional russet sweet potato, the leaves are tastier. To start your own slips, cut a sweet potato in half or large chunks. Place the chunk in a jar of water so that half of the potato sits above the water and half of it sits in the water. Use toothpicks stuck in the side of the potato to help with this task (think: 3rd grade science project). Once you see some healthy shoots growing from the top of the sweet potato, remove them carefully and place them in a cup of water. In a few days, they will root. Keep the water in the cup fresh. When the roots are about an inch long, the "slips" can then planted in the garden. Sweet potatoes grow well in soil that is loose and piled in mounds. Water well for the first few weeks, but water gently so that mounds don't erode. A big healthy plant like the one in the photo above has an abundance of leaves ready to be harvested.

BUYING SWEET POTATO LEAVES - I have never seen sweet potato leaves in a neighborhood supermarket or even at my large and diverse city farmer's market. It may be worth a trip to the Asian supermarket to see if sweet potato leaves are available.

COOKING SWEET POTATO LEAVES - Like most Asian greens, sweet potatoes are typically eaten cooked. The dish above is an easy family favorite. The greens are simply washed, boiled in a large pot of water for several minutes until tender, and then drained and topped with a few shakes of oyster sauce and lots of chopped garlic which has been flash fried in several tablespoons of oil. The garlic and garlic-flavored oil both are poured onto the tender cooked greens.

GTTC: summer corn pasta

This summer corn pasta is easy to throw together and contains flavorful savory ingredients everyone loves (and probably has on hand). Cook chopped bacon and drain on paper towels. Cut the kernels off about 5 ears of corn. Puree half of the corn along with about a cup of chicken broth. Add all the corn, the bacon, and a chopped onion to a large pot and simmer until corn is tender. Cook pasta in pot of salted water. Add cooked,drained pasta and about a cup of the cooking water to corn mixture. When hot, remove from heat and mix in about 2-3 cups spinach or arugula. Season with salt and pepper and top with shaved Parmesan.

What are you harvesting and cooking this week? Is it tomatoes galore for you? Summer gazpacho season?

My favorite store: the quarry

Best shop in town! I drive onto the scale with my car on the way in and wait for the guy to give me the thumbs up. I prowl the premises, load up with about 30 large rocks, drive back onto the scale and get a second thumbs up from the guy.

Total price: less than a brownie and frappucino. Rewards: creating a new raised bed! I honestly can't think of another store that I walk out of, receipt in hand, feeling so giddy from!