We are now the Produce Pals at church. Each Sunday, we’ve come with our buckets full of fresh food, and each Sunday, everything disappears. Next year, there’ll be only one zucchini plant. Never have I ever seen vegetables grow so fast!!! You can Monday morning and by the Tuesday, you have a mega squash at your feet.
Oliver is living up to his reputation as the trouble maker here at Winterpast. It’s partly my fault, I’ll admit. At the beginning of the growing season, I gave Tanner and Ollie a taste of an Armenian Cucumber. Just a little taste. They both LOVED their snack, gobbling up every single bit. They now not only love cucumber, but also yellow squash and bell peppers.
It’s the one thing in the garden that takes me back to my childhood. Each year, I was Oliver. After school, I’d run to the garden and steal green peppers, cherry tomatoes, and Armenian cucumbers. With such a clean, delicious taste, the cucumbers were my favorite.
These not only taste delicious, but they look beautiful when sliced. They have appeared to have been hand scalloped with a dainty little knife.
Each year, I’d help my mother with the canning. I always enjoyed this time of year because she truly needed our help. We’d harvest the cucumbers and cut them in thin, even slices. She’d bring the brine solution to a boil and “raw pack” the cucumbers, turning them into Bread and Butter Pickles. These were a family favorite over the winter holidays when our garden was empty.
This year, I struggled to get the cucumber seedlings to sprout. They took forever and then suffered with a bit of fungus. After applying NEEM oil, they slowly came back to life. They’d be healthy now if Oliver hadn’t trampled all the vines looking for cucumbers to steal.
Oy. Vey.
Dog for sale. Dog for sale.
Well, never mind. You’d bring him right back. We’re stuck for the long haul with Ollie. No one else would understand him like we do.
I finally collected four cups of sliced cucumbers and found Bread and Butter Pickle seasoning mix at a local hardware store. Adding water, sugar, and white vinegar, the cucumbers magically turned into pickles. I hope my vines have enough strength to grow a few more. I’d love to make another batch.
The simplest smells or tastes can transport me back to my childhood. German Sausage. Bread and Butter Pickles. Bierocks (a German version of a hot pocket). Homemade egg noodles. Unbelievably ripe and juicy fruit of any kind you can name. Simpler times so many years ago.
Whatever you do today, think about a food from your childhood and try a new recipe. There are recipes for every type of food imaginable on the internet. You only need to look. Remember to add, “World’s Best” and look for recipes that have five starts. Happy cooking!
More tomorrow.
