Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Attacking the Killer Tomatoes



Well, I’ve been a naughty blogger – but in my defence, I’ve been knitting, nursing 4 colds (mine, Destructoboy’s, the Princess’s and The Accountant’s), adding to the yarn-which-is-not-stash, and rolling up my sleeves to deal with Autumn’s Bounty!

I have dried tomatoes, turned them into a quadruple lot of relish – with chilli and lime – mmmm!, and made enormous amounts of roasted tomato sauce. I have dried pears, poached pears and made caramel pear upside-down cake; I have poached and baked and stewed quinces (we still have paste and jelly from last year); dried nashis; eaten apples – and I’m preparing to dry lots more; made zucchini relish – around 3 double lots, did the plum sauce earlier; dried d’Agen plums and greengages. I’m preparing for the last of the apples, pears and quinces and then the walnuts need to be picked.

Out in the back paddock we have 21 very mature walnut trees. The walnuts need to be picked up off the ground, and then they get plonked in a HUGE basket, which holds around 45kg. When that is full we put them in 15 litre buckets, and boxes. Lots get given away and our friends all turn up with buckets too! Once the walnuts are done I can officially collapse, because it is basically winter and the bounty has finished.

I find it impossible to just leave any of this to rot. My parents remembered the after effects of the Great Depression and I’m sure all this preservation is part of that – I can’t bear the thought that my family could starve over winter! I didn’t make any wine, though! That’s my step-mother’s purview, and she has elderberries doing their thing in a bucket at present. My elderberries and olives aren’t mature yet, so at least I don’t have to worry about them.

Despite the recent visit to Bendigo, I have just received an order from them. I didn’t realise, when I was there, that they had made the rash and unjustified decision to discontinue the Harmony yarn. This wool/cotton/lycra mix is a bit of a fave, so I had to buy some before it all went away. We are writing a protest letter, because in addition to discontinuing the Harmony, there are now only 4 aran colours and less Colonial colours – and the range of colours is getting smaller and much less exciting!

I finished the adapted edge to edge cardigan – here it is in Jet (from the Doomlight of Spot sale)




And I realised I had never posted a picture of Bella in all her glory – so here she is, too:




I’m currently working on the Slouch Rib Cardi from Knitting Daily and thoroughly enjoying it. Yes, that’s in Jet too, why do you ask?


In addition to the Bendi parcel, my yarn that is not stash increased further this week because Kmart had 25% off yarn. I bought up some Vintage hues - enough for a cardi (just scraped together enough of the same colur/dyelot), and some other colours for presents of scarves and hats. Here is one of the scarves under way – it’s the Yarn Harlot’s one row scarf pattern.

That’s it really – my week has been unexciting (unless you’re heavily into tomatoes!). Back to nursing the nose from hell!

15 comments:

Rose Red said...

Oh you have been busy! All that domestic goddessing, and knitting too! Wish I could actually finish a garment or two. You are my inspiration!

Denise said...

You must be feeling very satisfied with yourself after all that baking, cooking and preserving! There's something very grounding about stocking up, and making your own preserves...

Hope you poor old nose is feeling better soon :) Your knitting is all looking fabbo - love Bella, especially!

Alwen said...

The one-row scarf is beautiful in that colorway. *sigh*, if I could only knit all the pretty things I see!

Our sympathies. We have been on the cold sniffly treadmill for weeks. We'll be so glad to jump off!

DrK said...

i looked at all the stash you were compiling and wondered how any human could possibly get through it all, and now i realise you are not human but a knitting machine. i cant believe youve made not one, but multiple, actual clothing items, while i creep my way down the leg of a rib sock! sigh. they look lovely though, all of them.

Nora said...

Love that cardigan!!

Nora

Donna Lee said...

As much work as it all is, it's very satisfying, isn't it? I always feel good after the grocery shopping is done and the food is put away. It's like, OK, now we can eat for a while and no one will starve. I can't wait to have a garden again this year.

Amy Lane said...

Wow! You have been so very productive--and so wholesome!!! Right now, outdoors is a bad place to go... Sacramento is like, the allergy capitol of the entire freakin' world... the family doesn't have colds, but we all have nasty noses... your lot of work made me wish I wasn't stepping out into the pollenated wind of death!!!

And such pretty projects!! Wonderful!

MadMad said...

Dear Lord! No wonder you haven't blogged! I'm tired, and oddly hungry, too... just listening to you. And did you say Kmart has yarn? Is this a different type of Kmart than we have here? And why aren't those sweaters being modeled? And what do you do with all the sundried tomatoes? (Just curious.) And do you need a recipe for walnut cake that is awesome? (You probably don't, but I figured I'd ask.)

How 'bout me and all my questions? It's like I'm two: Why, mommy, why?

knightlyknitter.wordpress.com said...

It's Saturday morning, all I've managed knit-wise is 2 inches this week on a sock...I am SO out-classed!!!
Back to dreaming of all the cardis I'm sure I'll get around someday - what will my wardrobe look like in 2020?
:>

frog ponds rock... said...

Oh yum.. sounds like you have been really busy..Could you please post the roasted tomato sauce recipe? Pretty pretty please???

I have just finished doing very similar things.. except for the knitting..

cheers Kim

amanda j said...

Oh my goodness, you are a domestic goddess. I have never preserved anything in my life! I have a lot to learn! Especially because quince jelly is one of my most favourite things in the whole wide world.

Your knitting is looking fabulous.

Glad to hear you are all feeling a little better.

Georgie said...

I am in awe of the amount of stuff you get done! Some days I feel lucky to get my hair *and* my teeth brushed....too many yummy recipes there to ask for just one!

Lynne said...

My, what a busy bee you are! I almost want it to be winter so you can rest [except I hate the cold!]

Five Ferns Fibreholic said...

Bella just has an aura of glam about it....wow...

Spring has finally arrived and planting season is about to begin. I'm hoping to have a half decent veggie garden this year, so that in 6 months I'll be doing the same thing.

Anonymous said...

we have one big mature walnut tree and that throws down enough walnuts to almost drive us batty..

out fruit trees in launceston didnt produce anything this year. that or the evil landlord and he demon sheep got to them first...

very nice knits you have there :)