we have had a few really nice days...
i am hoping, based on the weather forecast that i will be jumping in the river tomorrow! jambaloney jumped in yesterday and trust me - that water was COLD!!! but, if tomorrow is as warm as it is supposed to be - i'm jumping in!
last year we were still swimming in the river until october...but i am worried that tomorrow might be my last chance. i love the river and so does jambaloney!
anyway - enough rambling - this post is about making your own nasturtium spice. have you ever had a fresh nasturtium? they are so delicious! and spicey and peppery! they are excellent in salads or sandwiches.
here's a pretty little nasturtium:
they come in all different colours - red, orange, yellow and beige.
lots of people pick them fresh and add them to various food. but when you have a ton of them and you want that spicey, peppery taste to add to your food over the winter - you pick them and dry them!
on a screen, if you have one laying around (we have 20 million because jambaloney is a really good garbage picker!)
you could use a dehydrator or an oven...but heck, we have the good fortune to have a porch wrapped in plastic! it gets so hot out there on sunny days that it takes no time to dry the flowers!
make sure that the flowers are completely dry...and brittle....like this:
once you have gathered enough, stick them in a blender or anything that will chop them really fine to make a powder.
and there's your nasturtium spice!
you can add it to soups, stews, salads, dressings - whatever! it has a very delicious, lightly-spicey taste when it has been turned into powder. we love the stuff!
so besides a trip to the river, making hot sauce which i will share tomorrow, suntanning out on the front deck, many walks around the yard, filling the pond and feeding the tadpoles and various jobs that jambaloney has been working on throughout the day, oh and lots of good food - that's been our day! we love harvesting and preparing our food together - it's so rewarding! especially in the winter months. we have had a great day. i hope that all of you have a great day, too!
Nice. Knowing how to get your own spices is important.
ReplyDeleteWinter seems to be coming a bit earlier this year doesn't it?
Sweet Kymber,
ReplyDeleteThose clouds are showing a sure sign of Autumn rolling in. Soon it will be cold out, and winter will be knocking at our doors.
When we lived up in northern Michigan, we would swim every now and then in the cold lakes. Talk about waking you up, wooooohooooo that water would wake you. It would also make you feel so vibrant and wonderful too.
Those nasturtium flowers are beautiful, can you use the green leave in salads? or just the flowers?
Oh girl, I know you make some really good food. Were you afraid to show the pictures because I would be telling you I'm hungry, bahahahahahahha!!!!!
We received fabulous news, I'll be putting the news in a post tonight. I'll share it with you in an e-mail.
Your Friend,
Sandy
P.S. Sending hugs to you and Jam
I can break a sweat from regular BBQ sauce. Great photos, nice to see you back online. Soon we will have never guessed you went offline. ..Big Grin..
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of that. What a great idea. I'm going to put those on the planting list for next year.
ReplyDeleteI know you've been having a blast, enjoy those last warm days of Summer doing what makes you both happy!
I am guessing what you have is "Tropaeolum majus" which looks like a very useful plant.
ReplyDeleteNumber, have you been over to mystic mud? I usually see your comments.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get down to the river today, Kymber. I'm going to be taking advantage of the warm weather too. I'll be giving my chickens baths today.
ReplyDeleteMeat birds get so dirty on the back end. They can't help it. They are much too fat to roost at night so they get cling-ons. (chickens do most of their pooing at night). It drives me nuts. I hate to see them get in that condition. So, I'll be thinking of you in the river while I'm bathing the birds. Enjoy it! xoxo
I've never heard of the spice. Learn something new everyday!
ReplyDeleteI need to get back to dehydrating which I haven't done for a number of years. I loved making my own jerky and trail mix with dried fruits.
I wouldn't want to swim in the lake here now. I can't imagine plunging into the icy water up there at this time of year. What if the cold water makes you have a heart attack!
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to set out a spice and herb garden for my wife. She is a lot like you, she delights in raising useful things. All I can grow is Indian corn though.
I've never heard of drying the flowers and using them as a spice before, what a great idea. I'd have the flowers in salads and have had pickled seeds (called false capers, since they're very like capers) so now I'll have to try out the spice, too.
ReplyDeleteI learnt something new too :)
ReplyDeleteI, too, have only used the seeds as capers, and the fresh flowers in salads. I never thought of dryng them...
Thanks for sharing :)