Green Tomato, Green Grapes, and Brown Eggs

We had four chicks born here in the spring,
and we bought four around the same time.
Looks like someone has begun to lay!
 

The grapes are ready to harvest.
Here's a pot of green grapes, ready to make juice.

 

We have red, purple, and green grapes.

And we have green tomatoes!!!

These are called Green Zebra.
I think they are interesting.
The flavor is tart, and the flesh is firm.

 

Corn Bread

We needed a starch for dinner tonight.
We've had a lot of pasta and corn, so something else would be a change.

Found this recipe for Corn Bread at eatingwell.com.

Of course, I made modifications.

My recipe:

Preheat oven and skillet to 450 degrees.

When ready, add one tablespoon Canola Oil.

Mix 1 cup flour 

and 1 cup cornmeal with

1/2 teaspoon salt and

1 teaspoon baking powder.

Mix one huge egg with 

1 1/2 cups of milk and

2 tablespoons Canola Oil.

Add liquid to dry and barely mix.

Add to frying pan and bake for 20 minutes

at 450 degrees.

Let rest at least five minutes.

We served with butter and honey.

It was delicious.

There is a slight sweetness, even though there is no sugar.

For leftovers, I sliced it and grilled it with a bit of butter.

Even better!

 

Aren't those holes wonderful?
They scream to be filled with butter, honey, jelly, or whatever.

Fresh Tomato Salad

This has been a frustrating summer for gardeners.
This is the very first tomato!!!
August 28, 2013

This is a Cherokee Purple.
It is quite juicy and acid, so it makes a great raw sauce.

The corn has ripened.  We've had several meals and there are 51 portions in the freezer.

The garlic is Spanish Roja, which we have decided we don't like very much.
It stays woody in vinegar.
I cooked some in tomato sauce, and it never softened.

Clouds in North Carolina

I was fascinated by the varieties of clouds in North Carolina.

There are lots of different layers and types.
 

 These were all taken during the various field trips near Asheville.

 

They sit above, behind, and in front of the mountains.
 

The ones that sit in front of parts of mountains are interesting.
 

Most of these were taken through the window of a moving vehicle.

North Carolina Arboretum

I thought this trellis made an attractive fence.

 This little shed has a carefully designed moss roof.

There are several different pitcher plants in the gardens.

And insects abound.

 In addition to the flowers, trees, and plants, there are many sculptures.

This gate has some of the plants included in the design.

 There are several gates in the grounds.

There is a large bonsai collection. 

The curator believes that they should be appreciated for their beauty.

None of the plants lists the age of the plant.

 And no visit would be complete without the Cherokee.

This property is called the North Carolina Arboretum.

It is more noted for its gardens.

The "North Carolina Botanical Garden" name was already taken.

Carl Sandburg's House and Goat Farm

We spent the morning at Connemara, Carl Sandburg's House and Goat Farm.

The drive in is lovely.

 The house could use some whitewash.  We asked our ranger if she was affected by the sequester.  She has lost her weekends and will have to take 20 unpaid days this year.  Perhaps the upkeep money is reduced, too.

Carl enjoyed sitting on the porch and playing his guitar.   This is the view.

The kitchen looks like anyone's from the 50s and 60s.

There is a mixmaster on the table near the Crisco.

The cone shape on the tray is the packaging for the goat milk.

The stove has the same deep well we had when I was a child.

This is Sandburg's office.

His filing system included cardboard boxes from the grocery store.

When Sandburg died, his wife, Lillian, arranged for the Park Service to buy the house for about half its value.

She packed up her clothes and a few bits of furnishings and left everything else.

There are even partially smoked cigars in the ashtrays.

The front parlor has magazines and there are books in all the rooms.

In this room there is a life mask of Sandburg and a mask of Lincoln.

This room still has the iron and ironing board set up and a vacuum cleaner on the floor.

One of the rooms has a bedspread I think matched the one on my brother's bed.

Lillian thought that goats could feed the world.  She bred for milk production, with one goat producing almost 5000 pounds of milk in 10 months. 

If I am calculating correctly, that's averaging around 2 gallons a day.  A lot for a goat, I would think.

This is Lillian's office.

After touring the house (on a tour conducted by a ranger), you can visit the goats.

Boat Ride on Lake Lure

Lake Lure is a man-made lake that can be seen from Chimney Rock Park.

From wikipedia:
In 1902, Dr. Lucius B. Morse and his brothers Hiram and Asahel purchased 64 acres around Chimney Rock (within present-day Chimney Rock State Park) for $5,000. They later acquired enough land in the area to bring the total to 8,000 acres  Lucius Morse's wife Elizabeth is credited with naming the lake (and the town).

I was told the name was to make the location alluring.

There have been movies filmed here, including the part of "Dirty Dancing"  where he holds her over the water.  I was also told that much of the filming could not be used because their lips were too blue and quivery from their swim in the chilly water!

This may be the Buffalo Rock - or maybe not. . .