August 11, 2024- cool and dry

It finally cooled off. It was hot at the beginning of the week. Then, as predicted, it cooled off. But no rain. All the rain was with Debby, which was dumping 23 inches at the Tampa airport.

The last two mornings the temperture has been close to 50 degrees. Crisp and cool. I got out my light sweater when I got up in the dark at 5:15.

No rain this past week. I was starting to worry as there was none in the forecast.  But some rain is now in the forecast for this coming week. (For tomorrow) I almost complained about having to water some of the hanging plants. I had almost forgotten that watering can be pleasant.

Yesterday was epiphyllum hookeri day. Three plants, in different parts of the yard bloomed for the first time. I always marvel when that happens.

I had forgotten how this particular plant has gotten quite large.

Hookeri is in the genus epiphyllum. It is native to central America. I like the plant because it will bloom off and on from now to frost. I sometimes bring it inside when it still has buds. Guess what. They will not bloom inside.

Other pictures

I have started planting the caladium that has not sold. All together I bought 150 this year. I think I sold maybe 120. (I sold another 4 this weekend.)

Little Panda now has 3 flowers with the first flower having lasted two weeks.

I am waiting for the second plant.

This is part of the front parkway. The hosta is Beckoning, now having moved into my top ten hosta.

The seed pods on the the tree peonies are ripening.

This old reliable airplant is getting ready to bloom.

Here is a little seedling of a pachypodium. Pat sent me the seeds from Florida. It is some kind of miniature palm.

Zinnias- These, planted a little over a month ago, are doing fine. The rabbits are someplace else. I look to them to add color in September. 

Blackberry lilies

Here are pictures. The text would not copy and it is post time. I will figure it out and add the text next week.

The first one bloomed July 6, 2024.

Here are ones from the last two weeks.

Summer Candy

Another hybrid

Julia's recipe

Corn Bisque

Here's another recipe using corn. As I have said, we buy a dozen ears each week during sweet corn season, and we don't eat it all (by a long shot) on Saturday night. Some we take off the cobs and freeze, and some we take off the cobs and use later in the week. I have posted several recipes for off the cob fresh corn - corn salad, corn with shrimp and arugala and linguine, corn and potato chowder.

This recipe is for a creamy corn soup. The recipe is from the Milk Street magazine, where they called it corn bisque. It's good and easy if you have fresh corn kernels on hand. Which I do in the summertime. 

The ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter;

4 cups of corn kernels;

2 corn cobs, from which the kernels had been removed;

1 quart chicken stock (I used better than bouillon and 4 cups of water);

1/4 teaspoon saffron;

1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt

(not shown);

some fresh basil; and

some salt and pepper.

I have powdered saffron, and that's what I used. I don't think it is essential. It deepens the yellow of the soup, which is not actually necessary. Or you could use a little bit of tumeric to deepen the color. In a small amount, tumeric will not affect the flavor. Or you could leave it out. 

To be clear, when I say "fresh corn kernels" I mean kernels from ears of corn that were cooked briefly on Saturday, stored overnight in the refrigerator and cut from the cobs on Sunday. Not frozen. Not raw (although raw would work).

Why the corns cobs? They are reputed to thicken any liquid they are cooked in. Kind of like cornstarch on the cob. Apparently, some people simmer corn cobs in water and then save the resulting stock to substitute for plain water. 

I melted the butter in a Dutch oven and then added the corn. As you can see, some of the corn is still in slabs just the way it came off the cobs. Not a problem. 

I cooked the corn, stirring from time to time for about 5 minutes. 

Near the end of the 5 minutes, I stirred in a bit of salt and pepper and about 1 tablespoon of the better than bouillon chicken paste. 

Then I added the water and powdered saffron. And the corn cobs, which I had cut in half so they would fit into the pot more easily.

I cooked the soup for about 30 minutes. Then I took the cobs out.

I put the blender together and moved the pot to the counter. I put a couple of ladles of soup into the blender and carefully blended it. 

Carefully means not much in the blender at one time; lid on firmly and towel covered hand holding the lid down. 

This process did require dirtying a bowl, but so it goes. 

The last of the blending.

I poured all of the soup back into the Dutch oven and heated it up to a gentle simmer, tasted it, added a little salt and pepper and took it off the stove. 

I let it sit for a few minutes, then whisked in the Greek yogurt. 

While the soup was sitting, I chopped up some basil leaves for garnish.

I used Greek yogurt because that's what the recipe said. I think regular whole milk yogurt would work too. Whisk vigorously off the heat. Or use a cup of other dairy like half and half. 

In the soup tureen, garnished. The green basil leaves add a nice touch.

In the bowl. We had the soup with tuna salad sandwiches and salad and berries. 

The soup was good cold (as are all creamy vegetables soups). 

The recipe said to use a blender to achieve a "smooth puree." That didn't happen. The texture was more like smooth applesauce. Some texture, but pleasant. And thickish -I guess that's the corn cob effect.

I think an immersion blender would work well and would save a step and a dish to two.  I will use it next time. 

Odds and Ends

It is time to publish this and I am out of thoughts.

It is a busy time of the year with the refrigerator overflowing with cucumbers and zucchini. (A neighbor has been bring us their overflow.)

I am not as scared to look at the news these days. 

Maybe there is hope.

Pray for peace. Pray for the strength to keep going.

Find the little things you can do.

It is always good to hear from you. Connections with friends are really important. 

Philip