GARLIC . . . and Maple Syrup Salad Dressing

Blog Aug 31, 1987

The buses are not running every day like thy used to.  I don’t even know how to get to your place.  I will find out if from Birtle I could as there used to be more buses there than here.

My corn perhaps will be alright to use this week.  I picked some last week so Nicholas and me had a feed but it was not ready yet.

The onions you gave me were planted too late so there is a lot of top, not much bottom, need another month.  So is the garlic even it was planted end of April but didn’t come up till after the rains so it was too late.

I have finished knitting for this year unless I want to finish the yarn.  But I have two cushions to make, will cut them out and give to Aline to zigzag them.  And I got to crochet around the leather zippers.  Then I don’t know what I will do to keep myself busy.  If I am alright Tuesday will wash the kitchen walls and big window. 

It rained all day yesterday so no combining will be done for a while. 

George was supposed to call in on the way to Strathclair.  They all went to a horse sale – Matt and Douglas, too.  Douglas wants more horses.  So George may call in on the way back. 

Tomorrow morning I will dye my hair as it’s white at the roots.

It’s very cold today.  Helen phoned today asking if I heard whether it will freeze.  Mine froze last week. 

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MAPLE SYRUP SALAD DRESSING with GARLIC

½ cup olive oil

2 green onions

½ cup parsley, cilantro, or basil

2 garlic cloves

1 lime: zest and juice

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Blend all in a food processor.   It looks thick but works great on a leafy salad with cucumbers.

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CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL speaking on MasterChef Australia:  “I hate to say this, but garlic.  Garlic is a no-no.”  

It’s not allowed in the Royal Family diet! 

LOL!

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My cousin Vernon grows and sells organic garlic.

Organic Garlic is available from Zeevalley in Manitoba.

"hit by hail" . . . and Swiss Chard Pizza

                                                       my daughter, Nicole, with Mom

August 20, 1983:  Mom wrote:

It’s very cold this morning and cloudy so don’t know whether it will rain or freeze.  We don’t need either.  We had a good rain Monday.  It did not rain when we needed so don’t need to rain now to rot what little we did get. 

The men are swathing and tried yesterday to combine but still wet as we did get a big rain but we were only hit by hail a little.  Some got from 80 to 100 percent hailed out.  Mike Y got 80 percent but he got hail insurance.  Lornie has hail insurance so they asked the insurance adjuster to come out. 

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  SWISS CHARD PIZZA : my recipe

Parsley Sauce (first topping on the pizza) : for recipe  SEE BLOG POST:  http://eleanorstadnyk.blogspot.com/2018/08/crotcheting-between-jobs-and-parsley.html

10 to 12 ounces Swiss Chard (weighed after stems are cut off)

1 cup sliced green onions

1 garlic clove chopped

1 tbsp olive oil (from Sun-dried tomatoes jar)

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

½ cup mildly hot peppers cut in half inch dice (Peruvian black peppers work)

1 cup sliced cooked new potatoes  (dressed with a vinaigrette: e.g. Spanish Potato Salad:

                                                                          p.   146: Lindsey Bareham’s In Praise of the Potato)

½ cup diced Sun-dried tomatoes

¼ to 1/3 cup sliced olives (stuffed with garlic works well)

6 ounces grated Havarti cheese with jalapenos

2 ounces grated Cheddar cheese

METHOD:

·        Prepare Parsley Sauce (see Blog Post) if you have not already made it to use on a salad. 

·        Rinse Swiss Chard and slice in 1 inch ribbons.  Place leaves with water still clinging to them in a large pot on high heat.  Cover and cook for 4 minutes, until wilted.  Transfer to a pot of cold water and then drain.  Squeeze out

excess moisture.   Set aside.

·        Sauté green onions and garlic in olive oil for 1 minute over medium heat.  Transfer to a small plate and set aside.

·        Toast pine nuts over high heat in a dry pan.  Stir constantly and transfer to a small plate.  Set aside. 

·        Remove seeds from fresh peppers and cut in half inch dice.  Set aside.

·        Boil new potatoes and slice.   OR  Use potatoes from a potato salad you made yesterday!  Set aside.

·        Dice sun-dried tomatoes and slice olives.  Set aside.

·        Grate cheeses and set aside.

Dress pizza in following order: 

            Parsley Sauce

            Sprinkle of Crushed Red Chili peppers  (about ¼ tsp to ½ tsp)

            Pine Nuts

            Potatoes

            Sun-dried Tomatoes

            Olives

            Onions & Garlic

            Swiss Chard

            Cheeses

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This vegetarian pizza is wonderful with a Chili.  I had leftover "Lamb Neck and Bean Casserole", p. 105 in THE GOOD COOK DRIED BEANS & GRAINS.

"Crotcheting between jobs" and . . . PARSLEY DRESSING for Salads or Pizza

August 17, 1989:  38 cent stamp

I been making holoptsy today.  Yesterday I made pyrogies but they are almost all gone as I fed the men yesterday.   And today for supper I would have fed the holoptsy but it rained where they were swathing so they went home. 

Clayton got a job for 2 weeks on the rig so George will be himself.  It will be hard on him with moving implements and walking back for the truck.  He’s done a lot of that.  Unless Lee will help now as he’s going to college in Sept.  Now he works some days at the garage. 

George is quite worried about the crop.  It’s poor this year.  It was nice but those hot days took almost half of the crop.  Lorne’s is insured and so is in Solsgirth but not at home. 

Douglas will be finished working this weekend and then a bit of holiday and back to school.   

I picked some cucumbers today, will dill them tomorrow.  I been crocheting between jobs but I rested some as I didn’t feel the very best today. 

My glasses are not too bad since I got used to them.  I will get another pair in Jan.  That’s when I am supposed to get a new pair.  Med care sure don’t pay much.  They sent me $34.00 out of $238.00 so it’s not worth to say they pay.  The way that guy was talking I was to believe it be much more.  In fact last time I got $48 and the glasses were $152.00.

Donald is combining.  He has a lot done.  Karen helps hauling grain.

Matt & Shirley went to gardens.  There is about 30 or more mile.  They bought cucumbers, few cabbage, and 2 cabbage for me, and 25 for George. 

I haven’t been going to town for a while.  May go next Thursday as it’s Senior Citizen’s day.  I need a few things in there. 

It’s thundering and lightning but no rain.  Maybe just as well as now we need dry weather.

I have finished the quilts.  There is one bag missing that I had some place.  Plaid cloth and green print piece.  I don’t seem to find it.  Likely when I am not looking it will turn up.  But now I can’t think where it can be.

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I know that feeling!

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PARSLEY DRESSING

             

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice with pulp

1 clove garlic minced

1 cup firmly packed parsley (remove stems)

1/4 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce

Blend in food processor.

Serve 2 or 3 tablespoons on salad with a tablespoon of a regular vinaigrette dressing.  I used it with the Cranberry Juice Salad Dressing I already blogged.  

Or spread it on pizza dough as the first topping.  

Dragon's Egg Cucumbers . . . and Cranberry Juice Salad Dressing

Mom used to plant Russian Cucumbers:

Dragon's Egg Cucumbers:  First time ever! 

    These were chosen for our garden because of their cool name and they are lovely and taste great, seeds and all!

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CRANBERRY JUICE SALAD DRESSING

                        From:  www.thriftyfoods.com

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp cranberry juice

1 tbsp liquid honey

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Shake in a jar.