Category: Turkey Tracks: My Life in Maine

Our Life in Maine, My Craft Projects, Quilting, Recipes, Book and Media Reviews

Garden Garter Snakes and Garlic Cream Kale

Turkey Tracks: July 5, 2020

Garden Garter Snakes and Garlic Cream Kale

I was in the garden all day yesterday, the 4th of July. The weather was overcast, the temps cool, and the ground was so soft that weeds just leaped into my hands. Restoring order is going quicker than I would have thought. And I hope to get back into the garden today.

It was my first big day in the garden this year, since the Brown Tail Caterpillar hairs have been so toxic that it has been impossible to weed without encountering the discarded hairs that were on all the plants. The hairs make a rash that is filled with blisters and that itches like mad, for days. My arms are only now healing up.

AC was “on it” with me.  He is fascinated with the garden snakes and is getting braver about grabbing them.  He has come close to catching them several times now and almost got one the other day with me looking on. The snake was hiding under the spent daffs by the strawberries—it was a longer one—about 18 or so inches.  I stepped in to give the snake some time to retreat across the path and into the growth and rocks on the other side. I think AC did grab it but jumped back with his mouth open as if the snake had shot it with some sort of noxious fumes. These snakes can do that, actually. It is a protective measure.

I uncovered a little one yesterday—6 or 8 inches—while trimming back the climbing hydrangea on the wall along the path—s/he was up by the house and went under the lower set of shingles above the concrete strip on the ground.  So, AC spent most of our many hours outside going from one “snake” place to another.  And, of course, checking on “mouse” at the compost bins, and “squirrel” on the upper porch, and “chipmunk” on the stone wall in back.  He was really tired after his dinner.  But happy.

Garter snakes work hard in the garden. They are a sign of a healthy garden, I’ve always been told. They eat insects, among other things. I know I have several here. And each year I see new little ones. The female snake gives birth to live little snakes. They don’t hatch from outside eggs. These snakes live together in a den. In the wild they can live to around five years. Some online sites say much longer. It probably depends on each snake’s habitat. Anyway, here they love the rock steps and the stone paths, where they lie in the sun. That is, until AC arrived. He does not allow such snake displays.

Yesterday I really wanted to grill something—it was the 4th after all. I wound up grilling chicken thighs for a salad lunch and, later, a little steak for a dinner that included corn on the cob, kale in garlic cream, and a bowl of summer berries (raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and strawberries from my garden).

Kale, garlic, and cream are a magic combo. Add nutmeg, for an even more magic treat.

Kale in Garlic Cream

Remember that it takes a LOT of kale to make enough food for more than two people. I count on one bunch for two people.

First, prep the kale. Put the kale in a sink and run water over it to knock off any sand or other debris. Start a big pot of water to boil—you only need about 3 or 4 inches of water. (This method is good for collards, too, but not chard or spinach, both of which are more delicate. Chard and spinach are better pan wilted in a good fat with only the rinsing water clinging to the leaves.)

I strip off the leaves with my hands. They come away from the central stem easily. Keep the leaves in big pieces for now. Some would lay the leaf on a cutting board and cut away the stem with a knife. I think that’s too much work for kale, but that is good for collards which have a tougher leaf. But, whatever.

When the pot of water is boiling, throw in the kale leaves and push them under the water with…something. Let them cook until they wilt really well—no longer than 5 minutes, which is probably a bit too long for kale. You don’t want to cook kale to death.

Drain into a colander and run cold water over the hot mass. When you can pick it up, ball it up with your hands and squeeze out all the water. Put the mass on a cutting board and cut it into smaller pieces—about one inch along the mass, then turn it, and cut the other way. Don’t cut it into tiny, tiny bits. You won’t some texture.

You can prep the kale at any time—even the day before. I prepped my kale at lunch while grilling the chicken.

Second, chop as much or as little garlic as you like. (You could do this step while the kale is cooking.) In my world, there is no such thing as too much garlic. Heat a knob of butter in a smaller size frying pan—enough to allow a generous coating and warming of your kale. Add the garlic and let it just simmer until it smells lovely. That will take only 30 to 40 seconds. Add the kale and turn it all around until it is coated and is warm.

Add a LOT of heavy cream—what looks good to you. For my one-bunch of kale, I probably added 1/2 cup of heavy cream. You could also add some nutmeg if you like it. Nutmeg on greens is magic. I can’t do it, so I added tarragon to my butter and garlic. Tarragon is sweet and adds a kind of licorice taste. Definitely add some sea salt. Pepper wouldn’t be bad either. Hmmm. I’m wondering if adding some heat wouldn’t be nice? Something in the hot pepper range? Then you would get a sweet/hot taste. Cook until everything is combined and is warm.

Enjoy!

My batch left me with about half the batch for another meal. I’m going to put it into an omelet for a meal today, probably with some mozzarella cheese added, since I can eat that cheese. Ricotta might be nice too instead if I had some here today. And maybe more tarragon.

Outside Grill Drama

Turkey Tracks: July 3, 2020

Outside Grill Drama

My little Weber Spirit II is 2 years old.

It is the perfect size for me as it will also handle grilled food when family or guests come. It’s not too big or complicated. It is just right.

Last year I had trouble with the propane hookup, and a kind friend came and helped me. Can I just say that I have no experience with gas and that hearing and smelling it escape terrifies me. My friend said the propane tank was bad, took it back to the local store, replaced it, and got me going again.

This spring, when I went to grill a steak, something went really bad, and I could smell gas. I turned everything off immediately and when my heart stopped pounding, I started to research. The bad tank had been replaced. Was it the hook-up from the grill to the tank this time?

The name for the silver round piece behind the black attachment knob is called a “regulator.” They can go bad. I ordered a new one which came in a few days. There are videos that show you how to safely replace the piece from the gold bolts. It looked easy, if one has the right wrenches. Nevertheless I called a Lion friend who very, very sweetly came to help.

My friend swiftly replaced the regulator piece. That was no issue, but something was still wrong. We couldn’t get the black knob in the tank right and then everything froze up. The handle on the tank would not budge so we could remove the tank. In time, the system “unfroze,” and my friend rehooked the tank and tested that the grill burners would light. All seemed to be ok.

The next night, I defrosted my steak, which I froze when trouble started. I turned the handle on the tank to let the gas flow to the grill, and Oh MY God!!! Gas everywhere. I turned everything off, walked away, and, heart pounding again, pan fried my steak in the kitchen.

What to do now?

I went to bed and woke with the idea that I would call the propane tank supplier, which is also my household propane supplier. I talked with a very nice woman who said that they “don’t do grills.” But she said she’d talk to the propane tank manager and would call me back.

She did. She said he said that it was most likely the gasket in the tank and to take it off the grill and if it didn’t stop releasing gas after I disengaged it, to just carry it out into the yard and let it play out. Meanwhile, she would call the local store and tell them to replace the tank for me when I brought it in.

With heart pounding, again I tried to remove the tank, but couldn’t budge the black connector knob. I think it was freezing up, like before, which is a fail-safe safety feature. After several tries throughout the afternoon, I finally got the tank off the grill—and it didn’t leak gas. Yeah, one victory.

I took the tank to the store and got a new one. These tanks are super heavy when full, and I had to get mine up a set of steps, a hill, and more steps to get it to the grill. But, I did.

The hook-up requires the strength to lift the tank on to its hook-up latch which is UNDER the permanent tray at the side. But it all went well. The grill lit just fine. And I’ve had several meals with grilled meat in the past days.

This is a long story. But it is a success story—made possible by nice friends, a nice person at the propane company, nice people at the local store, online research and videos, and some personal determination to sort and solve this problem.

Not bad for a 75-year old widow.

Robin’s Plantain Wildflower

Turkey Tracks/Interesting Information: July 2, 2020

Robin’s Plantain Wildflower

You saw this picture before of this vase of flowers in my kitchen window. At the time, I didn’t know what this little pale lavender flower with the yellow center was. It is Robin’s Plantain, and when I cut it, the lavender was a much stronger color. Now it has faded to almost white. This plant can also be a much darker lavender. The depth of color may depend on where it grows?

Next to it—the white lacy one like Queen Anne’s Lace—is Bishop’s Weed. It is also known as Goutweed or Snow on the Mountain. It’s pretty and lacy, yes, but it is horribly invasive, and I fight it all the time. At least one gardener online (Ecosystem Gardener) has called it “an invasive insidious persistent thug.” Another said, based on research, that it can displace a whole forest as it takes away all nutrients from the other plants. It is really hard to get all the roots, and it will come back from the roots left in the soil. Plus, it will put up a stalk right jam up to an existing plant, which makes it really hard to pull out without harming the plant too. Plus, it creates astonishing numbers of seeds if allowed to bloom.

Remember the Yellow Devil/King Devil wildflower I put online the other day. I had one in the arrangement above, and it died and dried out. Look how quickly each of those flowers can go to seed. I guess it has to be quick in our short and sweet summer.

The cheerful yellow flower below is Sundrops, and is in the Evening Primrose family. The pale pink sweet little blossom is a geranium form.

Sundrops are invasive too, but in a much more controllable way. They kind of have a life of their own in my garden, though when they show up in unwanted places, I just pull them out and send them to the side of the garage, where they can come up if they want.

Giovanna’s Recent Knitting Projects

Turkey Tracks: July 1, 2020

Giovanna’s Recent Knitting Projects

Giovanna’s pandemic knitting continues. Look at these two very pretty finished projects. She makes the difficult look easy.

I often wonder if I’d like to have a dressmaker’s mannequin. I read mixed reviews about them. The adjustable ones are also…expensive. And there is absolutely no space in my sewing areas to put one anyway. So today, as is usual with this issue, I’m not going there. That’s not to say it’s over though.

Sugaridoo QAL

Turkey Tracks: June 30, 2020

Sugaridoo QAL

I’m up to date with the Sugaridoo QAL and have joined many of the rows. Eight of 12 are done now, and each row to come will combine with at least one other row.

I am making TWO versions: one in Sugaridoo’s rainbow solids and one in Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society print fabrics because I want to USE what I have amassed now.

I am enjoying this project and though I have quilted for more than 20 years now, I have learned A LOT of new methods and have enjoyed the growing collection of new blocks I can use in other projects.

The Spectacular Peonies

Turkey Tracks: June 29, 2020

The Spectacular Peonies

RAIN LAST NIGHT AND THIS MORNING!

Oh my gosh! We have needed rain so badly. I’ve never seen my lawn grass die until this drought. And, the rain should wash off all the brown tail caterpillar hairs from the weeds that need pulling. My arms have been broken out with caterpillar rash for weeks now.

But, the rain will finish off this years gorgeous peonies.

Friend Marsha Smith and her husband Harry have the most beautiful garden–which is located on a side street in Camden, Maine. She recently sent me these pictures of some of her peonies.

Enjoy!

Larch Hanson: The Seaweed Man

Turkey Tracks: June 28, 2020

Larch Hanson: The Seaweed Man

Here’s a Sunday treat for…some…of you anyway.

Larch Hanson is from Steuben, Maine, which is located above the Mt. Desert/Acadia island/peninusula—and lies just east of Gouldsboro, on the Route 1 highway. Hanson’s business—and deep knowledge base—is Maine coast seaweed. He dries and sells the edible varieties.

But as near as I can tell, he is in no way involved in the mass harvesting of coastal sea plants, such as one would find in large commercial operations, some of which we do have here in Maine—and which many worry will alter our coastline habitats in negative ways. He is deeply involved with studying these habitats and preserving them.

Below is a link to Hanson’s web site, which has a video section. Maybe take a minute and look at “The Tide Pool” video found there.

theseaweedman.com

***

Today we may get some rain, with an even better chance tomorrow. My lawn grass is dying, which I’ve never seen before this year. I spent about an hour watering yesterday, so if it does rain, I’m taking some of the credit. I risk running my well low when I water that much. There is something about watering heavily that can create a jinx that brings in a good thunderstorm. LOL.

On a happier note, the strawberries are coming in strong. They are big and red and delicious this year.

Mint Tea Led to Herbal Tea Adventures

Turkey Tracks: June 27, 2020

Mint Tea Led to Herbal Tea Adventures

Look at this adorable little teapot I found in the back of a cabinet when I took everything out to wash and reorganize. I had totally forgotten about it—which makes sense as I have not been able to drink tea, given my Histamine Intolerance issues. (Black and green teas are fermented and inhibit one of the two enzymes one needs to process an overload of histamine.) I think it might have been a gift, but I have long since forgotten who gave it to me—along with its two adorable little cups.

So these days, I drink coffee. A lot of coffee, it seems. Probably too much coffee. The other day—after finding this pot—I really wanted to use it. Most commercial herbal tea mixtures have a lot of ingredients, to include a lot of “natural” flavor additives, which are chemicals I cannot tolerate. (I think, as well, that these chemicals are standing in for the real ingredients.) And the single herbal teas are…expensive.

This little pot comes with an insert where one can put a loose tea. I stuffed it full of my dried mint—which I dry every fall. And I added some sprigs of fresh mint and tarragon from the garden and let it steep while I ate my lunch.

It was DELICIOUS! Look at the depth of color it has. And I savored it with my fruit salad dessert, while I caught up with my Word2 games online.

I may have partially been swayed by watching THE GOOD WITCH—a tv show on Netflix which is a Hallmark production that is partly Canadian made. There, Cassie promotes drinking a lot of healthy healing teas instead of caffeine. I’m finding this sweet little show to be full of the kind of values with which I grew up and which seem so lost right now. It’s soothing to watch it, for me at least, in these challenging and turbulent times. The “right way,” for Cassie, is to find the way through a problem that does not trample on the needs of other people AND to work through what is really a better choice for our own lives.

Hmmmm… Fresh sage came in my food from Hope’s Edge CSA farm (Community Shared Agriculture). What if I dried it, flowers and all, to make tea? I had, at one point, bought herbal sage tea. It was…expensive, especially given the amount one needs to really get a strong flavor.

AND, I have sage in my garden. And it is blooming. And what about drying tarragon? One jar of these herbs is…expensive. And it would take about half of the jar to make one pot of tea. AND, I’ll be cutting more mint to dry right now rather than waiting for fall.

I really love having fresh herbs in my garden in the summer. And sometimes it is nice to just cut up some veggies and a meat protein for lunch—topped with fresh herbs, salt, and a bit of good olive oil. I’d add vinegar if I could.

“SOLID SCRAPPY GARDEN” Quilt

Turkey Tracks:

Solid Scrappy Garden Quilt

What a fun project this leader/ender quilt has been.

It was inspired by the “Cottage Garden” quilt made by Then Came June. I loved that it was a kind of “cross” between a granny square and a trip around the world quilt project.

I started it to use up some of the solid stash I’ve acquired over the past two years—most of which have come from The Color Collective online class (Tara Faughnan designs/projects) given by Sewtopia. (There will be a season 3 starting this October.)

Basically, the way a “leader/ender” project works is that you set up a secondary project, different from your current one, and when you need to break your thread, you feed through a piece of your leader/ender project instead. Thus you are making two quilts at the same time. Quilter Bonnie Hunter pioneered this method, and you can read more about it on her blog, Quiltville.com. For this quilt, I set up a block at a time and kept the pieces where I could join them as I went along.

The backing was in my stash. But I purchased the soft coral solid (Bella) to bind the quilt, and I really like that soft punch of color around the edges.

I quilted the grid on my domestic sewing machine with a Sulky 100% cotton 12-wt. thread in a soft blue color—using a 90 Top Stitch needle. I did use a titanium needle as I thought that extra sturdiness might be good. I did put this thread in the bobbin as well. And I think this shiny thicker thread worked really, really well. I will definitely use it again. I’ve had this thread for a long time though, so I don’t know about color availability right now.

Note: I have had at least one comment on the blog cautioning about using a Titanium needle as if they hit the needle plate, they don’t break easily and can do damage. So, I suppose one must be careful not to put weight on the needle that pulls the needle out of line with it’s intended trajectory.

The secondary patterns are kind of cool. And fabric choices of light/dark can make some blocks kind of shimmer. Look at the picture of the whole quilt—third row down, far right block, to see the transparency that can develop.

Here’s where this quilt is going to live for the moment. It just makes the room sparkle. I love the block on the lower right. Hmmmmm….