Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The moon and stars....

Fresh Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Panini
Watermelon Limeade

And something from the CSA bounty that involves chard, purple basil and peppers. We'll just have to see....
• • • • •

When I went to pick up our CSA shares this week I overheard Joan talking to another patron about which melons had seeds and which were seedless and an idea sprung fully formed into my head - watermelon rind pickles. The over-engineered, inbreed watermelons of the pale seedless variety have very thin rinds. By the time the green outer skin has been removed there isn't much rind left to preserve. Thinking the seeded melons might be what I was looking for, I asked Joan if the seeded melons had thicker rinds. In two shakes she was up in the back of the One Straw Farm truck bent almost double over a huge bin muttering something about just the thing. She came out with this heirloom beauty - a Moon & Stars Watermelon which she assures me has huge seeds that will make for great spitting.


It takes a full week to make Grandma's Watermelon Rind Pickle and another four weeks until they are ready to be eaten, but the reward is a very tasty, spicy and unique pickle. Panic almost set in when the yellowing recipe card in Grandma's distinct handwriting didn't turn up right away. On the other hand, flipping through my oldest recipe cards brought back some very fond memories. Most people flip through photo albums and get teary-eyed, I end up crying in my recipe box. Anyway, the recipe did turn up and we are going to make some pickles!

I can still feel her soft, Blue Grass scented check pressed to mine and she'd whisper in my ear, "I love you more than anything on this earth; more than the moon and stars."

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