(I was looking for an old cartoon we haven’t seen in a while when I ran up on this post, from four years ago this month. I figured I’d share the entire post with you and give you an update: the olive trees didn’t make it. The olive trees didn’t nearly make it.)
Tonight, we’re supposed to get the coolest weather of the season so far in my neck of the woods. It might frost, which would be about on schedule. Remember the olive trees? They’ll be facing their first winter outdoors. I think if they survive a couple of winters, they’ll have a chance. The problem with where I live in Zone 8 (Refer to the above link for a refresher in all that.) is that many tropical and sub-tropical plants—citrus plants for example—would thrive year-round 99 percent of the time, but sooner or later will come that two or three days in winter when the temperature hovers near zero. Then, it’s game-over for many plants that may have been perfectly happy for years. Olive trees could be another example. I’ll keep you posted.
198 responses to “Olive Pits”
It is calm and overcast here. I am prepared for tropical storm winds tonight out of the southeast. The storm will probably come in west of us and then curve north of us so what weather we have will probably last most of the night. I know from Hurricane Ivan in 2004 that the sound of wind whistling can be more scary in the dark, but we don’t expect high winds from this storm. If you don’t hear from me tomorrow it means the power is out. Debbe, you better not do a Denise on us.
Rick, Trucker, Mark: Nice to have company, + something to send to 2 blind-cc groups. Peace,
Llee, that sounds awful! Sorry, insulting your mama’s recipe.
I am pouring body fluids from remaining drain and Ghost is making me remain sedentary. Hard to do. I wanted to cook but he is off in search of bacon cheeseburgers from I Smell Bacon downtown.
It WAS awful! 🙂 But I was just trying to make folks laugh.
A cheeseburger sounds great- maybe a trip to Braum’s is in order. THanks for all the good links, people.
My mama was not often a good cook but my cousins all loved it and ate it enthusiastically.
I ate my burger and Dickens ate about a third of meat and cheese. I don’t know how he doesn’t look like a doggy inflatable?
Dear Llee, I didn’t realise you were being funny; did think your recipe was quite peculiar! Don’t know if you’re being humorous about the fruitcake, but seriously, I do love fruitcake. Any time of year, but mostly one cannot find it in the stores until Christmastime.
Pea soup is delicious! Around here either green or yellow split peas are used, for the French-Canadian pea soup traditionally uses yellow peas. You don’t need a ham bone, just some diced ham. Diced onion is nice, carrots also, and I add several whole cloves; a spoonful or two of molasses too — any type of dried bean needs some sweetness, in my opinion. I roll my eyes at food writers that want you to puree a pea or bean soup; cook them longer and they will fall apart; much easier.
Steve in R O, many of us (I bet) don’t mind at all reading of problems with breathing machines; it’s interesting, each story is different — and I know I am glad that I don’t have to use one. I am fortunate in so many ways, to enjoy good health.
Dear Jackie and Ghost, your mention of turnip soup has intrigued me. Would you use the small, white, purple top ones, or the large yellow ones, I think those are Rutabagas; also kind of purple around the tops? And how is the soup put together?
Being sedentary is hard for me. My body drain is literally pouring fluids. I have an appointment Monday with second surgeon so someone will be looking at this soon.
Ghost has gone off for a chocolate milkshake at Braums and for me a vanilla soft serve yogurt. He will add fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries to mine when he gets it here.
I am wanting to cook stuff.
Miss Charlotte I will get Ghost to post his. Mine used small white turnips, cooked in chicken or veggie broth, then thickened with a butter and flour mix and heavy cream added, then whirred into a smooth creamy soup or you could leave some cooked turnips slices to add back for texture.
Mmmmm, Jackie. It sounds so good! Thank you and best of luck with getting better soon.
Lots and lots of love, from The Village.
Hi, Llee! I’ve been a bit concerned about you, due to have not having heard anything from you lately. But apparently you are not only OK, you are well enough to be a bit of a smarta$$. 😀
Hi, Jean dear! Yes, we’d love to have you over for some homemade split-pea soup. I guarantee you’ll like Jackie’s’ version of it.
For those of you who have also noticed Debbe’s absence from the Village, I have it from a reliable source that she is having problems with the power cord for her laptop. She hopes to be back on the grid sometime Monday.
Miz Charlotte: The recipe for Creamy Turnip with Paprika Soup follows. There is a bit of a story behind it. Several years ago, I followed the blog of a Soldier during his tour in Afghanistan. His US Army Reserve unit of Combat Engineers was tasked with going out and finding IEDs (hidden bombs) and detonating them before they could kill our troops. On his first date with his fiancé after he returned home, he prepared this favorite soup of theirs.
Something about celebrating his return to his love that way, after surviving such a dangerous year, struck me as very poignant. So I saved and have prepared his recipe several times.
Creamy Turnip with Paprika Soup
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds peeled turnip bulbs, not the leafy tops, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large onion, cut into large dice
1 tablespoon butter
1 pinch sugar
3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or from a carton or can
1 ½ cups half-and-half (or whole milk)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep sauté pan until shimmering.
2. Add turnips, then onion; sauté, stirring very little at first, then more frequently, until vegetables start to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic; continue cooking until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
4. Add paprika, thyme and cayenne pepper; continue to sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
5.Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until turnips are tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, puree until very smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (If using a traditional blender, vent it either by removing the lid’s pop-out center or by lifting one edge of the lid. Drape the blender canister with a kitchen towel. To ‘clean’ the canister, pour in a little half-and-half; blend briefly, then add to the soup.)
7. Return to pan (or a soup pot); add enough half-and-half so the mixture is soup-like. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Heat through, ladle into bowls, and serve.
Be sure to opt for the ballistic armor when you order your new Tactical Urban Vehicle.
http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a12772476/this-dollar178000-500-hp-wrangler-based-truck-is-what-youll-need-when-doomsday-strikes/
Personally, I like True Grit, the Ford F150, better.
Today was a lovely early-autumn day in Eufaula, a perfect day for the main street art-and-crafts festival going on when I drove through downtown early this afternoon. I even saw several sundresses, all of which were being worn by ladies with actual sundress-worthy bodies. Even more amazing was the fact that one of them did not have a single visible tattoo. 🙂
I fear it will not be nearly as nice a day in my part of the Deep South tomorrow. In fact, sustained winds are forecast to be >50 MPH after midnight, with gusts to “who-knows”. I hope I don’t have to travel back there next week to pick up any pieces. Even though it has already been raining there for some time, a plus is that the storm is moving so fast that localized flooding may not be as bad as it otherwise would.
Found in Anu Garg’s A.Word.A.Day: This may interest some of you.
https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21729981-daniel-everett-believes-language-began-19m-years-ago-homo-erectus-ancestor
There was a Scientific American article decades back suggesting an even earlier beginning, plus a peer-reviewed journal article by same author[s]. I’d have to dig.
Peace,
Dearest Ghost, thank you for sending the recipe. I feel honored to have this, with such a touching connection to a man who, with his buddies, risked his life to keep us safe. I will make an attempt at it — should the turnips be the small white ones or the large yellow Rutabaga?
Ghost, I discovered that Jackie’s favorite seafood restaurant in Tulsa has a second location that’s not far from the Los Cabos she also likes. Look it up on Google, it’s the one on E Kenosha in Broken Arrow. I think I’ll give it a try next week myself.
Charlotte, I really enjoy fruitcake.
Mom just wasn’t a very good cook. A lot of ‘peculiar’ things showed up.
🙂 Smart-aleck. Ghost! Been working on that roses painting. It has gotten a little bigger. I was down for a few days but got back to the studio today. It is coming along. I check in on the VIllage, don’t always have words to add but I sure enjoy seeing everyone. Be safe, Jerry.
Hi Mark, yes, we have been to both but thank you for suggesting them. It is not a pretentious location, White River Fish in Broken Arrow is just like the old location in style and ambience. Good.
Miss Charlotte, use small white turnips.
I am reading a good sports novel by John Grisham called “Calico Joe.” It is in genre of “The Natural” with a sad, dark plot I have already figured out unless Grisham has misled me into thinking I have figured it out.
Very authentic with the baseball. If you like baseball and sports novels you’ll like it.
“Bull Durham” is my favorite sports movie of all.
Don’t feel bad, Arlo. During the hotel stay following Jackie’s surgery, I accidentally shampooed my hair with body lotion because I was rushed and the danged little bottles are almost identical.
Now if I could figure out why I’m reminded of the movie “There’s Something About Mary”. Oh, wait. Never mind.
About Calico Joe, I was right on dark tragic plot but missed concept of redemption through baseball.
Wasn’t that explored best in Field of Dreams? Another baseball movie I loved.
Jackie, what are you doing up this time of morning. We’re getting some decent rain and just enough wind to be able to hear it and watch my front porch swing move a little. It’s nothing that would keep me from putting on a raincoat and taking a walk. Probably not many people have a raincoat anymore, but I have one courtesy of the US navy. I don’t remember where it came from, but it may have been my Dad’s. For really cold weather I stlll have my army overcoat. Was I supposed to turn that in?
Whoops, lights just blinked and wind is gusting a bit, but this is a walk in the park compared to the two in 1995 and Ivan in 2004 and Dennis in 2005.