What I did on my summer vacation.

annie1992

18 years ago

OK, so I didn't exactly relax, but I got lots done. Elery was here all week and I took vacation time, so we went to the farm and picked beans. 54 quarts later, I'm tired of canning beans. Elery did help me pick and snap them, so I can only complain half as much, LOL.

We made 15 pounds of italian sausage for the pasta dish I'm planning for our "reception" in September. Yeah, I know, I'll post the "invitation" on conversations as soon as I'm done with this post. But here is the sausage, full of homegrown pork, lots of fennel, some tarragon, asiago cheese and moscato wine:

My basil was outgrowing it's pot, so I picked it all.

I put it all in the food processor with some olive oil, plopped it onto waxed paper and froze it by the tablespoonful. After frozen I stacked them in a box with waxed paper between layers so I can just grab out a spoonful when I need it for cooking this winter.

We went blueberry picking and got about 20 pounds for the freezer before we got rained out:

My greens were growing so well that they were crowded so I thinned them out and canned the ones that got pulled. So, 9 pints of collard greens joined the shelves full of vegetables. Elery said he never thought he'd see that, a northern girl, cooking collards. Yeah, well, he thinks the south has a monopoly on greens? LOL Just for that remark I made him clean them all. Well, he volunteered, but still:

I took about half a bucket of the white half runners, snapped them and put them in the dehydrator for "shuck beans", something requested by Elery's stepmother, so I have about 4 quart bags full of those, no pictures, I don't want to see any more beans!

We did take one day and went to the beach with the Monkey Princess and Bruvver, and I took Ashley shopping for scrubs for her labs, school starts for her again the end of the month.

Next week, it's back to work. Good thing, I need to rest. (grin)

Annie

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Comments (14)

centralcacyclist
18 years ago
I'm exhausted, too! What a glorious display!
jessyf
18 years ago
I was wondering where you were, Annie. I was about to drop you a line but figured you were um er busy with Elery. Looks like you guys were productive! What did you end up doing with the sausage - freezing? Curing? Etc.

For a wine appreciating guy, I'm surprised to see a Bud Light on the table.
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dedtired
18 years ago
Really, Annie, do you ever do anything in a small way? That is more cooking than I do in a year. I LOVE the idea of freezing the basil.
annie1992
Original Author
18 years ago
Jessica, Elery was out of wine and David and Amanda had been over and Dave brought beer. That can was a "left over". (grin) Elery does drink beer every now and then, but he prefers wine. I stick with my Diet Coke or iced tea.

The sausage is frozen, in bulk. We're going to just saute it to add to the pasta sauce.

Eileen, I completely missed the fair, darn it. It was last week, right in the middle of my canning!

Dedtired, that's the only way I've found to keep fresh basil, it loses flavor dried but it's good frozen, as long as I can find the freezer room.

Annie
artsyshell
18 years ago
Ok Annie, I am ready for a nap..how bout you? lol. I knew as soon as I saw the word "Vacation" that it meant tons of work around the homestead or in the kitchen. Your beans looks wonderful...would love your sausage reciope (if you want to share), and I do my pesto the same way. You had a lovely haul of basil there. I have never had collard greens either, but I am sure I would like them(haven' met a veggie or green that I didn't).

Your blueberries look lovely!

Glad you and Elery got to spend your "vacation" time doing what you both love best!

I really wish I had half your energy level though...the things I could accomplish! lol.

Thanks for sharing,

Shelley
dixiedog_2007
18 years ago
Annie everything looks wonderful and how great for you guys to do this stuff together! It all looks super. I grew up on collards on my grandma's farm. My Mom used to love going there every summer just for those when we moved to the "big" city. Enjoy.
Marigene
18 years ago
Looks like anything but a relaxing vacation, but one that I could get into! The sausage sounds delicious with all those ingredients.
annie1992
Original Author
18 years ago
Marigene, I'll never go back to commercial sausage again, homemade is just too good and too easy. This is a "sweet" italian type, made from an old recipe from the Italian gentleman Elery worked for when he was a teenager in Monroe (near Detroit).

Shelley, my recipe (as Jim once said) starts with "first, grow a pig". LOL No, really, it's easy. Take about 10 pounds of pork (we used a combo of pork roast, chops and butt) and grind it up. Leave the fat on, or your sausage will be dry. Get a 5 pound chuck or whatever roast is cheapest and trim the fat off that. Grind it up and mix it with the pork.

(These measures are all approximate depending on taste)

Add 3 tablespoons of kosher salt and one of black pepper, 1/3 cup of fennel seed (Elery thought it was too much but I love fennel), a tablespoon of tarragon, 8 ounces of Asiago cheese, grated finely and a cup of sweet white Moscato wine. Mix everything up and fry a bit of it as a sample. If you like it, eat it. If not, adjust seasonings and try it again. This can be frozen in bulk, in patties or stuffed into links, your choice.

I did whirl the fennel in the food processor to bruise them up but frankly, I don't think it did much, LOL.

Annie
bunnyman
18 years ago
Looks like fun! More work then I'd be apt to do but then I've always admired your energy Annie.

: )
lyra
wizardnm
18 years ago
Annie, I think your vacation sounds perfect. What could be better than doing something you love with someone you love.
And....no travel stress.

Nancy
artsyshell
18 years ago
Thanks so much for the recipe Annie!

Shelley
kayskats
18 years ago
bumping this up for girlsingarden who has all those herbs
pkramer60
18 years ago
Fifty-four quarts of beans?! And I was thrilled with my 9 quarts last week after a Ifound a sales at the market. My homegrown are blanched and frozen, only about a dozen.

Let Elery know this Yankee girl loves collards, simmered long and low with a good "pot likker" of ham hocks and a bone. Bacon rind too, if you have one leftover. A dash of hot sauce and I am happy!

Summer vacations can be hard, but you had some good help there.

Peppi

PS: I still have nine red cabbages to process.....
annie1992
Original Author
18 years ago
Peppi, should I send Elery to visit? He's darned handy with a knife and a canner. (grin)

Oh, and can I have that recipe for the pickled red cabbage? I lost it in the "Great Computer Crash of 2008". Sigh.

Annie

What I did on my summer vacation.

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