The garden is finally starting to release its bounty. But those jalapenos? I cannot believe how hot they are. I cut into one, planning on adding it to my Cucumber-Tomato Salad (I’ll post the recipe tomorrow) and the fumes about knocked me over. I actually removed the seeds and ribs – something I rarely do, because I love spicy – and it was still muy caliente!
It’s been a slow start, but I think we are getting into peak harvest. I’m off to buy some Palisade Peaches – I have some great recipes for peach season that we will revisit.
The garden is starting to overflow with ready-to-pick goodies. Here are some new flavors to try with fresh green beans. Below are stovetop and instant pot instructions.
Photo: Betty Crocker
Green Beans w/Red Peppers:
1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced in strips
1 tbsp olive oil
2 oz sliced black olives
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Stovetop:
Tools: steamer & saucepan
Place steamer, in saucepan, with just enough water to come to the bottom of the steamer and add beans. Steam beans until tender-crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain beans and set aside. Heat oil in saucepan, sauté pepper & olives for 1 minute, toss with beans, lemon and pepper flakes.
Instant pot electric pressure cooker:
Tools: electric pressure cooker and steamer basket
Place steamer, in the electric pressure cooker, with just enough water to come to the bottom of the steamer and add beans. Use the pressure cooker setting for about 3 minutes for crisp beans (my preference) or 7 minutes for super tender beans. Remove steamer and drain the water from the pan.
Add oil and use the sauté setting to heat the oil. Then add the pepper & olives and sauté for 1 minute, toss with beans, lemon and pepper flakes.
It’s official. Just before bed last night it was quite clear that Nick’s drake feather popped. Was 99% sure, because of his quack, he was a boy – but didn’t want to make assumptions. Not one of my ducks sounds the same, so figured no reason not to wait until we had a definitive answer.
Without further ado, here are Nick and his drake feather:
So it’s officially Nick and Nora. If they open their own detective agency, I’m sure it’ll make a good story…
The ducklings seemed bored today and were managing to get into a bit of trouble inside. So even though it was only in the mid-fifties, I decided some outdoor time would be good for their mental health and mine.
Scout got in on the fun and was, as always, very respectful of the boundaries.
They really enjoyed themselves, digging in the dirt with their beaks and munching on straw, grass and whatever they were unearthing.
I sat nearby and when I realized they stayed on the side of the enclosure where I was, I moved to the other side. They followed and found all kinds of new things to explore.
It was a successful first foray into the wild. It will be warm for the next week, so they will get a lot more outdoor experiences.
Annie DeMoranville 