Today is a slow day. A nap on the couch in the sunshine. Smoke slowly curling from the chimney. Warm coffee.
Hubby has been working away at getting our little cottage in the woods finished before winter. We have windows people! Windows! A huge thank you to my neighbour and my Dad for coming to help put the massive bay window in. A girl has never been so happy. Siding is going on the house as I type this. Next year we hope to put vinyl siding on and get rid of the chipped white paint look the house currently boosts, but for this winter we’re putting the matching siding on. Because a person needs walls. I’m just sayin’.
I’ve spent the afternoon meandering through the garden, picking, plucking, up rooting, and tossing. The dehydrator is working away dehydrating peppermint leaves for tea for those quiet winter evenings.
Our tomatoes got a rough start this year with the hail storm that happened in early June. But they were worth the wait. I’m thankful it’s been such a beautiful autumn, it has allowed my tomatoes the time to mature and I’ve been hauling them into the house by the bucket load. I see more canning in my future, as well as dehydrating. In my spare time (ha!) I’ve been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. May I just say I am captivated. And it has rekindled the desire to eat locally grown food in me. We have grown so much in the last 2 years on our little farm, and thus our dreams have evolved with it. I keep forgetting the main goal – the original plan. To grow as much food as we could ourselves and to buy local food from farmers to make up the rest. And thus Hubby and I have been more diligent about what we are putting up this year in the way of what’s going to get us through the winter. Despite the fact that my back is killing me and I just want to curl up and be done, trudge on I do. Because in January I am always happy for what I go through in the autumn. Canning, dehydrating, and preserving can be exhausting, but totally worth it.
So here we are. Where most people are in August. Eggplants, squash, tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, cucumbers all ready for us to sit down and feast.
And we intend to do just that. Raw milk with our coffee, fresh eggs for breakfast, a thousand different creations, made with our garden veggies to be served alongside a free range chicken I got from local farmer. And there is also crostini, because yum. Crostini is one of my favourite ways to enjoy the garden bounty. They’re super versatile and bite sized so they make a great midday snack or appetizer.
I made tomato balsamic crostini but the possibilities are endless. Fried eggplant with caramelized onions and goat cheese, tomato basil, apple and brie, pear and blue cheese, whatever your little heart desires. Mine was desiring tomatoes with parmesan and balsamic vinegar. So that is what I fed it. And then died.
How many times have I claimed to have died on this blog?
It’s possible I have a problem. Or I may just be a foodie. You decide. (Hint: I’m a foodie.)
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Tomato Balsamic Crostini
You Will Need:
1 baguette sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of olive oil
fresh cracked pepper
salt (I use pink Himalyain)
2 – 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
1 large tomato
fresh herbs of choice
balsamic vinegar
Directions
Lay your sliced baguette on a cookie sheet.
Mince, or finely chop your garlic. Add the garlic to a small bowl with the olive oil.
Brush the oil and garlic mix on to the sliced baguette pieces. If you don’t have a food brush, you can just use a spoon (that’s what I used).
Pop into a preheated 400°F oven and broil for 3-5 minutes.
After the time is up sprinkle the Parmesan cheese onto the pieces and pop back under the broiler for another 2-3 minutes or until your desired level of crispiness.
Place the crostini onto a plate and top with tomato slices and any herbs you may want. I used fresh basil and oregano. I also added a pinch more salt and pepper and Parmesan to the top of the tomato. Then pour the balsamic vinegar over. I only do maybe 1/2 a teaspoon for each bite. You don’t want the vinegar to over power.
Now feast.
And die. Because that’s what we do around here when we eat something that makes our eyes roll back in our head and our mouth explodes with flavour. We die. A million happy food induced deaths.
And amen.
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