We mentioned a post or two back that our yellow crookneck squash plants have hit their stride (as opposed to everything else in the garden…). The other day Alicia made squash muffins, squash quickbread, and for dinner, stuffed squash. I’m starting to feel like Bubba and Forrest Gump, scrubbing the floor with a toothbrush.
Anyway, on the way to the mailbox this morning I decided to see if anything needed picking. And, um…
Back in July we were invited to tag along on another orchard gleaning out in Wenatchee (we did apples last fall) at Peter and Maryann’s and we ended up with a significant quantity of Rainier cherries, plus a couple bings thrown in for good measure. Apparently the Rainiers were being selectively harvested for just the right size and color at the end of the season, and a bunch were just going to be left to the birds. Dodging rain showers, Paul, Michaellynn and I spent a couple hours up on ladders filling bags.
Alicia had the foresight to get on Amazon and buy the highest-rated cherry pitter she could find, and we put it right to work. We were going to be pretty busy with a home-improvement project, so we froze them in gallon bags until we would have a chance to work on them.
(Time passes… one month to be exact.)
OK, I’m back and have finally started processing the cherries. Michaellynn had suggested freezing the cherries before drying them because when they thawed, they would release a lot of their liquid, which she made into jelly. We followed suit, and indeed, each gallon bag of cherries drained about a quart of liquid. After that it was into the dehydrator for about 16 hours, and we had what looked like giant raisins on hour hands. I reduced down the cherry liquid into a thick syrup, and we’re trying to decide what to do with it. Probably keep some for pancakes, and maybe make a bit of jelly too?
In the precarious, cold, wet months when we’re starting seeds, transplanting the seedlings, and hoping the plants take root, a lot of things can happen. This year I find myself with three yellow crookneck squash plants, and two of them are starting to produce pretty heavily. These are yellow squash pretty similar in taste and texture to zucchini, so we have a decent idea of what to do with them, but we’re still scrambling to stay out in front. Alicia made squash quickbread and squash risotto the other night. Last night she wanted to try open-faced squash Parmesan sandwiches, so I got to work.
I sliced the biggest of our crop into 1/8″ planks, and marinated them in some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and smoked paprika. After a half hour or so, it was onto the bar-b-que with them, monitored closely so they didn’t get too soggy or overcooked. I made plenty so there are leftovers for lunches.
To finish the sandwich, the squash was placed on grilled sourdough, then topped with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese, and broiled to brown them. Robbie was convinced they were pizza sandwiches and ate it right up, but Hannah decided she was back to being a picky eater and cried about dinner. You can’t win them all, especially where squash is concerned.
The little crabapples out in front of the run-down church next door are ready to go, so Robbie and I filled up a basketful yesterday. The sauce they make is really tart, but the batch we froze last year was perfect as a base for pie filling, adding either apples or rhubarb. The first batch today made 7 pints of applesauce, and I have the rest prepped to cook down tomorrow, hopefully for another 5 or 6 pints. That should get us through to next year in pretty good shape. Though pies have become my go-to potluck dish, so I think we’ll also do some apple pie filling this fall.
I got a little artsy with the photos this time, just to warn you. Here’s to steamy August nights in the kitchen.
In a good year, we have time to braid our garlic. Last year it all got dumped in a box and didn’t hold up very well. This year, I’ve settled for the messy bun approach in lieu of braiding. Not as pretty, but hopefully effective.
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