Pickles and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. No, I'm Not Pregnant!

I've been canning this week. I have been putting food by. That's the name of the book I took out from the library on canning, and I love the title! Putting Food By. It's a science and a bit scary because you can make big mistakes like BOTULISM. Anyhow, I've canned garlic dill pickles, sour pickles, dill pickle chips, and diced heirloom tomatoes so far.

Canning! 

And then I ran into my friend Jen, who told me she made mint chocolate chip ice cream from the mint in her garden. I said, in my head, game on. I have so much mint, it's outrun almost everything except the chives in the herb garden. So I found this recipe online and we started in today. The custard has to cool overnight before I run it in the machine. But it tasted amazing.

Mint infusing with the milk, cream and sugar

What else did I do? Last night I made bronzino that I marinated with the garlic and basil from the CSA. Baked it in a 400 degree oven with some tomatoes. I stuffed the fish with the basil, smeared olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic all over. It was great. I was going to grill it wrapped in grape leaves from the garden, but then I just didn't feel up to grilling.

Before roasted

Last week I had so many tomatoes that I think we had them at every meal. I made sauce, then braised squash in the sauce. I made panzanilla salad, that was awesome. That's toasted good bread, tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, capers if you like, more salt. So good!

Panzanilla salad. Cukes, tomatoes, bread, olive oil, salt, basil.

These are the squash I'm growing. I eat then raw (so fresh), but one time I stewed them in sauce I made from tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil. I forced the kids to try them, and they loved it. Jack usually won't touch squash, but now he's a believer!

Coleslaw revisited. There was a recipe in the NY Times yesterday for a coleslaw that I made. It was a new twist. Called for cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, scallions, mayo, a touch of mustard, horseradish, cayenne pepper. It was not shredded, but diced. It was very good.

Coleslaw with tomatoes and scallions

Last week I simply grilled some chicken kabobs with chunked up onion. We got six onions last week in a share. So I had to use some! I alternated the onion cubes with chicken thigh meat that I had marinated in soy sauce, ketchup, lemon, and olive oil. 

Chicken on the grill

And then tonight I made a Thai curry with the eggplant, onion, tomatoes, jalapeno and squash from my garden. Sauteed it all, added lemongrass, keffir lime leaves, coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime. Ate it over rice and it was wonderful. Arielle tried it, Jack wouldn't touch it, but they ate the brown rice and corn that were sides.

A bit soupy, but perfect over rice

I can't wait to see what comes in the next few weeks until the CSA ends. My garden is almost done. It's been a plentiful garden summer! And I almost never had to water except in the beginning.