Greeneyes .... sorry to hear of your back/leg pain. My back is very “moody” .... if I do things bent over to a certain degree or stand a long time, I’ll end up with the threat of back spasms and in the worst case, I actually get them. Occasionally, I’ll get a bit of sciatica, but it usually resolves on its own. Up until the last couple of years, I could do pretty much anything so it’s been a real mental adjustment to realize I can’t lift/carry & dig like I used to and resist the temptation to do it anyway & end up hobbling for a week.
We were/are supposed to get some major rain from a nor’easter yesterday/today. It looks like the original forecast of several inches of rain for our area is fizzling somewhat; however, we have had some showers. I spent Wed/Thur on the mower, trying to get everything mowed before the big rains and also to work on the areas around the garden raised beds (getting them under control). Wednesday was a ‘cooler’, lower humidity day (we’ve been in a spell of high nineties & high humidity) and Thursday I lucked out & it stayed mostly cloudy so despite the humidity/heat, it wasn’t too bad.
In the meanwhile, sitting on my counter top, were 3 lasagna/roaster pans full of tomatoes that needed processing and there were more on the plants that needed picking. Yesterday was my “deal with it” day. I used up almost all of the tomatoes in the pans - got 8 quarts of canned tomatoes and 7 pints of salsa. I’ll be doing another batch of salsa today & that should leave me with some tomatoes for a fresh tomato soup and a tomato sandwich or two. The plants are still loaded with green tomatoes so I’ll have plenty more to deal with. Our freezer is fairly full so I’m doing more canning instead of freezing.
What to do with the eggplants? I have two big ones (Black Beauty variety) that are about a pound and a half apiece. After doing a little research, it appears that Baba Ganoush can be frozen. I love the stuff - if I make a double batch, it will take care of the large eggplants. I have quite a few small ‘finger’ eggplants & will use them in a Chinese dish I really enjoy.
My jalapenos are not doing that great this year although it looks like I’ve got a lot of small ones coming on so maybe the crop won’t be a total bust. This morning, I’m going to a local Farmer’s Market to see if they have any. Now that I have all of my canning ‘equipment’ sitting out, I’ve got Blackberry Merlot Jelly, Jalapeno Pepper Jelly and Cranberry Apple Butter on the canning “to do” list - these items make nice birthday/Christmas gifts. Despite all the work, it really is a feeling of satisfaction to see your produce preserved for future use & of course, one of the sweetest sounds to a canner is the pop of the lids sealing ..... got to hear it 15 times yesterday! :-)
Eggplants? Make eggplant parmesan then freeze what’s left! I was just thinking that I should’ve grown one eggplant bush. I love the beauty of the purple eggplant but only like it cooked a couple of ways, so wouldn’t want too many.
Anyway, I saw a delicious eggplant Parmesan being cooked on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. So I kind of made up my own version of it. It starts with the eggplant being sliced fairly thin, peeled, and fried until it is very crunchy. And then put in layers with tomato sauce and cheese. The other way I like it as an eggplant moussaka. If you like I can send those recipes when I can get to my other computer.
If you’re anywhere nearby, I will come buy some from you!
I have thought about trying my hand at canning. My mother used to can prickly pear jelly and a few veggies. Will have to buy the veggies from the local farmer’s market, since my bucket garden is so tiny that anything that grows to maturity doesn’t make it back to the house.