Just Remind Me

Was it only last month that I was complaining that everything was green? Tomatoes in particular?

Boy, I should have kept my big mouth shut! I have soooooo many tomatoes now I can’t keep up with them. The tiny wild currant tomatoes are the grand-daughter’s favourite and there is always a bowl of them on the table – better than lollies!

I think both M and I really prefer the Tigerella for flavour and looks but the Napoli Paste are fantastic to dry and the taste mmmmm. The Black Russian are also coming in now and they’re huge. To be honest it’s like a jungle in the grow house and I need to prune back quite a lot as I can’t see the labels of the different tomatoes in there because of the undergrowth!

I’ve already dried about three kilos, stewed and frozen 2 kilos and given away almost twice as much as that and I’ve still got tomatoes all over the kitchen and in the fridge. I think I’ll be drying a lot more soon.

                   

I’ve just realised that I forgot to get the tiny wild currant tomatoes out of the fridge!

The corn had to come into the house in one go as there were insects working their way down the cobs and munching out. So in they came, blanched and frozen. There is approximately 25 kilos of frozen plums (I might be repeating myself here, my apologies) in the freezer, along with 3 kilos of rhubarb and only 1 kilo of apricots. The freezer in the kitchen is an old tucker box type and I think that it will only be holding fruit and veggies this year.

The spaghetti squash is still going strong and I have given away a few of those. The zucchini is still producing but my hopes for the rock melon, well, there are two tiny teeny ones in the grow house but the vine has totally dried up and I can’t really boast about them. They’re so small it will be one each for breakfast – that’s if they’re edible.

Eggplants, the reason for the grow house. Masses of flowers but so far no fruit. I have my fingers crossed for a couple if I can just nurture them on. I have obviously put too many too close to each other (after reading other blogs) but I still hope. The mini chocolate coloured capsicum has lots of green fruit but I want to see them brown! All the chillies are still green too but the lemongrass is going strong.

I still have all the prune plums to process – and then the apples. Then it will be outside pruning all the trees ready for next year! Mind you, the pear tree is very confused, there’s already a flower or two on the unpruned tree, sigh.

Today is wet and windy and a perfect day to stay inside in the kitchen. I’ve made the pastry for an egg and vegetable flan for dinner tonight and that’s cooling in the fridge.

I have yet another 50th birthday party to attend this weekend and I have crocheted a hat and scarf for her. I’ll add some goodies from the kitchen and that’s sorted. But, the following weekend there is ANOTHER 50th birthday and this time it’s a guy. Why are men so much harder to give presents to? I refuse to resort to the obligatory bottle of red wine or port. A couple of weeks ago a male friend had a birthday and he received one lemon cake; a small bag of homemade ginger nut biscuits; a jar of smoked oysters; an assortment of apples and plums and a jar of plum jam. All home made. I’m pleased to say he was so happy with his gift he dashed inside to show his wife. She was very grateful as later she confided “I get to share”. This is the couple of friends who look after injured native wild life. They currently have a baby wombat in house. She requires feeding every three hours or so, hence the bleary eyes of my friends! But she is so cute! I was allowed to sit quietly on the floor and she came over and had a little sniff and snuffle at my jacket and then just wandered back to my friend. I even had a little pat. When I went back outside to the party I informed M that “I want one!”. But, feeding every three hours – been there done that. I’ll settle to be an auntie I think.