It was drizzling this morning when I went over to the nearby market and
I had a hit list ready to go. And then I notice that the pig farmer was
on hand this week. Hoo-yah! Real pork! No salt water injected into
the meat to pump the price. Just pigmeat. I bought four packs of loin
chops (2 to a pkg) for $3.29/lb -- about $4.75 each. "It was still
walking on Monday." Guy said he sells a ton of bacon. I bought two
packages, $3.89/lb. Bought breakfast links * he said they weren't very
salty. Bought patties to grill (essentially the same sausage).

My strike list included red potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, onions, a few
tomatoes, sweet corn, mint (for jelly), parsley (my own is puny),
cilantro (for salsa for a Fair entry). Bought all that and some okra
and more tomatoes. I've a feeling I may have stolen the tomatoes: the
normal packaging has been $3-4 for maybe 3-7, depending on size. I
mentioned the morning drizzle at the beginning of this. I was eyeing
the tomatoes and noticed a sign that said 'salsa tomatoes - $8.' I was
told that salsa tomatoes were cracked or not quite poifect - and would
need to be used soon. That fit my plan so I was about to pick up the
box (wet) and she offered me a dry box. Good idea. Well, I got the box
home and when I commenced to selecting tomatoes to use noticed that nary
a one was cracked and about half of them could stand a little more
ripening before use. I'm guessing I saved a good $5-8 on the deal. I
was tempted to go back for another box but my good sense mercifully
overcame me.

French toast and sausage links for breakfast after I came home. I was
disappointed in the sausage but don't blame the farmer. I think I
overcooked these bad boys and I did it bassackwards to boot. I was
browning them (from frozen) and ten added some water to sort of steam
them a bit. A fair amount of fat came off them; I'm thinking next time
I will first thaw them for starters, then steam them in a bit of water,
then brown them off. And they were saltier than I would have liked,
too. Gotta get back to the Sausage Sisters
http://sausagesisters.com/products.html. Their Poppa Joe Meets Granny
Smith links are nice -- very little salt.

I made a dutch oven full of vegetable stew -- I'm reluctant to call it
ratatouille‹it's not that classy, I think. :-) Eggplant, onion,
garlic, potatoes, zucchini, and canned tomatoes. Dried basil instead of
fresh; a little bit of sea salt that a net friend sent me for my
birthday last year. Tasty, tasty, tasty. It needs mushrooms, though.

I used a salsa recipe from the new Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
with some minor (and safe) adjustments. I don't expect it to win a
ribbon, but stranger things have happened. My favorite son is coming
home the day before the Fair starts and he and I will go together on
opening day. And then the whole family will go another day on the
weekend. Chris will be here for a whole week! Won't be back at
Christmas this year, though, because the Mars Orbiter will be doing some
serious picture taking by then, I guess, and that's the project he's
working on. <=8-0(
There you have it: What I Did on Saturday During my Summer Vacation.
--
-Barb
<http://jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 7-27-06, For The King and His
Princess
"If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."

Oh pshaw, on Sat 05 Aug 2006 07:30:19p, Melba's Jammin' meant to say...

> There you have it: What I Did on Saturday During my Summer Vacation.

Sounds like a very enjoyable and delicious day!

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

ERROR 103: Dead mouse in hard drive.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> [snip]
> I used a salsa recipe from the new Ball Complete Book of Home
> Preserving with some minor (and safe) adjustments. I don't expect it
> to win a ribbon, but stranger things have happened.


In Olmsted County, the most important thing for winning a blue ribbon
(or better) is the label. Ms. Judge wants lots of information on the
label without it looking cluttered. The contents of the jar just has to
be presentable. I've started labeling mine "Crunchy Dill Pickles", etc.
They don't open anything except the jellies, so it doesn't matter if
they really crunch or not.

Don't know that that helps in Minneapolis though. ;-) Good luck! (I
may go to the State Fair and see what you got... and get me a pickle hat)

Best regards,
Bob <-- lazy bum didn't enter anything this year

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> > [snip]
> > I used a salsa recipe from the new Ball Complete Book of Home
> > Preserving with some minor (and safe) adjustments. I don't expect it
> > to win a ribbon, but stranger things have happened.
>
>
> In Olmsted County, the most important thing for winning a blue ribbon
> (or better) is the label. Ms. Judge wants lots of information on the
> label without it looking cluttered. The contents of the jar just has to
> be presentable. I've started labeling mine "Crunchy Dill Pickles", etc.
> They don't open anything except the jellies, so it doesn't matter if
> they really crunch or not.
>
> Don't know that that helps in Minneapolis though. ;-)

St. Paul, you dipstick! <g> Snelling and Como Aves. Sheesh.

I gave 1/8 thought to entering something at the Dakota Cty Fairi (on
this week, I think), but didn't get A Round Tuit.

I'll be there on opening day for the Gedney folks in their booth in the
afternoon sometime (1-4?).

> Good luck!

Thanks. I have until Tuesday to dream up any more entries.
(Listening to Garrison right now with a rerun from the Fair last year, I
think. He talks about the daily parade with its high school band from
wherevere -- with the (Gedney) pickle walking in the parade. <=8-0)

> (I may go to the State Fair and see what you got... and get me a pickle hat)

Pickle hat? Did someone say pickle hat? I'm your girl, Dude.

> Best regards,
> Bob <-- lazy bum didn't enter anything this year

--
-Barb, asking herself when she's going to give up on this tomfoolery!
<http://jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 7-27-06, For The King and His
Princess
"If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."

In article 9>,
Wayne Boatwright <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote:

> Oh pshaw, on Sat 05 Aug 2006 07:30:19p, Melba's Jammin' meant to say...
>
> > There you have it: What I Did on Saturday During my Summer Vacation.
>
> Sounds like a very enjoyable and delicious day!


If I wasn't chopping all those damn vegetables by hand, it would have
been a helluva lot faster! But appearance counts for 10% of the score,
doncha know.
--
-Barb
<http://jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 7-27-06, For The King and His
Princess
"If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."

Oh pshaw, on Sun 06 Aug 2006 09:15:19a, Melba's Jammin' meant to say...

> In article 9>,
> Wayne Boatwright <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Oh pshaw, on Sat 05 Aug 2006 07:30:19p, Melba's Jammin' meant to say...
>>
>> > There you have it: What I Did on Saturday During my Summer Vacation.
>>
>> Sounds like a very enjoyable and delicious day!
>
>
> If I wasn't chopping all those damn vegetables by hand, it would have
> been a helluva lot faster! But appearance counts for 10% of the score,
> doncha know.

As it should, IMO. A pretty pickle is much more appealing. :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

ERROR 103: Dead mouse in hard drive.