My mother has been making lots of pickles so one day last week I went to see what she was doing. Actually it want more like “Don’t do another thing until I get my camera out.”

 

She had a bunch of pickling cucumber sliced up sitting on the counter.

 

In a pot she had the pickling liquid ready.

 

in another pot the jars were boiling or nearly boiling . 

 

She got out the hot jars to drain.

 

She then laid the cucumber slices in the jar.

 

She said slicing them long ways is much easier to pack in. 

 

To get as many slices in as possible she uses a butter knife to make more room 

 

and slides more slices down the side of the jar.

 

She tops each jar with sliced onions. Whatever’s on the top gets soggy and mushy over time so it might as well be a few onion slices instead of the ends on every cucumber slice.

 

She then pours the hot pickling liquid over the cucumbers and onions

 

until they are full, all the way to the top.

 

She wipes off any stickiness and put the lids and bands on.

 

Then it’s bath time! Into the hot water they go

 

for 10 minutes.

 

All done. Zesty bread and butter pickles.

 

Zesty bread and butter pickles

Cucumber preparation

• 6 cups sliced cucumbers
• 1 Tbsp sea salt
• 2-3 cups water to cover

In a bowl add cucumbers, salt and water, mix and let sit overnight.

Pickling liquid

• 3 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup pickling spice
• 1 Tbsp prepared horse radish mustard
• 1 Tbsp celery seeds
• 1 Tbsp turmeric
• 2 Tbsp ground ginger

In a pot add vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, horseradish, celery seeds, turmeric, and ginger; simmer 5 minutes stir occasionally.

Meanwhile

prepare canner jars and lids.

Drain and rinse cucumbers several times.

 

Remove jars from hot water, keep lids in a bowl of warm water till you’re ready for them

Filling the jars

• a slice of fresh ginger per jar
• 1 onion peeled and sliced

place ginger slices in bottoms of jars,

Then pack cucumbers into jars tightly, pushing them aside gently with a butterknife to make more room, leaving some headspace –choose your cucumbers accordingly so they don’t stick up too far; then cover with onion slices, allowing about 1/2 inch final  headspace;

ladle hot pickling liquid into jars;

wipe rims  of jars, cover with lid, screw on bands fingertight

place jars in canner

bring to boil and process for 10 minutes

 

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Apricot Cranberry pie  made with fresh apricots and frozen cranberries.

 

I almost didn’t post this because I forgot to put the full amount of sugar in and it came out extremely sour! It was eaten but it would’ve seemed more like a desert if it had had a full cup of sugar. I don’t know, I just got distracted and only put in a half cup.

 

I cut up 7-10 apricots

 

Put them in a bowl with frozen cranberries and sugar. Yes, here’s where I should’ve put in a whole cup.

 

A couple large tablespoons of flour

 

mix it all together and pour into pie shell.

 

 

Arrange pie crust shapes on the top. I like cutting out shapes with cookie cutters so much better than weaving the traditional lattice top for fruit pies. It’s mush faster this way.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

 

Let cool before serving.

 

Even though it was on the sour side

 

It wasn’t THAT bad.

 

 

Apricot Cranberry Pie

• 1 unbaked pie shell and top cut into shapes
• 7-10 apricots cut into slices
• 1/2 cup frozen cranberries or fresh
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Demerara  sugar for sprinkling on top

 

In a bowl combine apricots, cranberries, sugar, orange juice concentrate and flour. Pour into pie shell and top with pie crust stars. Sprinkle demerara sugar and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.  Let cool on a wire rack.

 

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Stratton Ridge (Elevation 5336’) sounded like another good place to go during this hot weather. Sometimes it’s referred to as a bald so who knows it might have a good view.

 

First thing we saw was the sign bragging about the quality of the road ahead.

 

The road wound along the mountainside in classic east Tennessee style, I mean, Classic North Carolina style with extremely steep drop-off from the non existent shoulder of the road.

 

Then we got to this! Hmm, it can’t mean what it says. Maybe it isn’t really closed.

 

Maybe I was right, it might be closed after the trailhead and we must be pretty close cause there’s the sign for it just ahead.

 

Um, I don’t think that’s a very good sign with that culvert pulled out. Oh, maybe they have put the new one in.

 

Then we came to a shiny rented excavator. I can spot an excavator a mile away.

 

Ok, I guess it’s time to start the hike right here.

 

First I took a minute to admire their work. It reminded me of the big culverts we’ve put in over the years. Each one a little different, the fun of the challenge to get in and get out before the rain, us against the water.

 

These guys have timed it pretty well, it’s been hot and dry.

 

Wait I see another excavator! This one looks paid for. I bet it’s seen a few culverts put in in it’s day. 

 

So we waived goodbye to the excavators. No, not really but I could have.

 

Wolf Laurel trail was pretty good, saw some other foot prints but didn’t run into anyone.

 

I don’t know what wolf laurel is, this looked like other laurel I’ve seen elsewhere.

 

Always nice to see these, reassuring that you are where you thought you were.

 

Once on the Stratton Bald trail it was looking less and less traveled.

 

Then there was a whole bunch of this! Shoulder high berry vines and the trail’s got to be here somewhere.

 

The flies were huge.

 

 

And this will do the trick once you get sick of being eaten alive.

 

Even though I didn’t really find much of a view up there it was 20 degrees cooler.

And that’s my story of Stratton Ridge,

The end.

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I have found another thing to do with zucchini! Martha Stewart’s photographer Andrew Purcell had me at first sight with his photo of Martha’s Zucchini tart.

 

I had all the ingredients on hand so this Zucchini tart was just meant to be.

 

The basil is still pretty small but there’s plenty of it.

 

Wash, dry and chop the basil.

 

In a bowl, add eggs,

 

milk and half and half,

 

Parmesan,

 

and chopped basil.

 

mix together

 

and season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Now the fun part! If you don’t have a mandolin cut thin slices with a vegetable peeler. This works as long as your zucchinis are small enough.

 

Pour custard into crust.

 

Arrange the pretty zucchini slices over the top in some sort of pattern but not too much of a pattern, a little randomness is good.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until custard is set.

 

Remove from pan right away and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

 

Serve or make ahead as fun picnic food.

 

Zucchini tart

Adapted from a Martha Stewart magazine

Ingredients

• 1 prebaked Buttery Pie crust in a 10x13” baking sheet
• 5 lg eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup half and half cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, cut into strips
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 small zucchini, very thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. 

Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, cheese, basil,  salt, and pepper.

Pour custard carefully into crust. Arrange zucchini slices over top, slightly overlapping. Bake until custard is set in center, 15-20 minutes. Immediately slide tart onto wire rack. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.