Posts from the ‘Weather’ category

Still smokin’

The Road Home … smoky version.

By all accounts, including my own 23 years in this area, this is the worst wildfire smoke ever. Even short exposure dries the throat and lips, starts a headache and generally makes a person feel uneasy and unwell. Mr. Bear licks his lips, sneezes and occasionally includes a hacky cough. We go out only as absolutely necessary. Auggie is confined to quarters and not very happy about it!

The crew of Lower Valley Farm, my CSA source, is working in masks as are many who must work outdoors. The local dragon boat race and festival was cancelled. School sports cancelled and all recess activities are happening inside.

BUT.

NOAA says, with some confidence, that things will be a bit better tomorrow afternoon and Sunday. AND THEN … Thursday into Friday they forecast a significant “pattern change” and a hopefully “last gasp” of smoke. I hope they are correct. At any rate, it is wonderful to have some hope of an end to this after forecasts that continued with the same “hot and smoky” line.

Meanwhile…

The recipe: Breadtopia’s Zucchini Sourdough .

This is the BEST sandwich bread I’ve made to date. I had a good one in Quinoa Sandwich Bread , but this is better, although I have a thought to combine the two because quinoa!

The zucchini sourdough bread is soft in crumb and crust but does not come apart even with a gooey-ish filling. And unlike the typical zucchini baked goods, this recipe uses all the moisture from the zucchini. I absolutely love it.

I am headed to Farmer’s Market in the morning to stock up on zucchini which I will shred and freeze so I can make this bread through the Winter.

And this week’s CSA box:

Eggplant, green bell pepper, potatoes, cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, golden beets with greens, red leaf lettuce, long red onion and basil!

A new recipe planned for this week: stuffed eggplant kind of a moussaka-light.

And so…

Still smokin’ but with an end in sight!

***Edit at 7:29 p.m. From the NOAA Forecast discussion for my area:

A significant Fall pattern change will take place Wednesday
evening through Thursday night. It`s finally happening.
Anticipate widespread precipitation during this time, with
temperatures and snow levels (yes, snow levels) decreasing during
this time. Snow levels down to 6000 feet appear plausible by
Thursday night. This system is likely to put a significant dent in
the wildfire season, which has gone on longer than most already.

Cool and showery weather will continue across the Northern Rockies
Friday through the weekend. Fall is here; Fall is here!

I just love our local NOAA writers. They write friendly and locally with good weather info and a minimum of “jargon”. I think most of the writers must be outdoors people as they seem enthusiastic about conditions for outdoor activities. I laughed out loud to see the “Fall is here; Fall is here!”

*** Bonus *** From “Great Big Story”. Leif Haugen – I met Leif briefly years ago when he delivered a cup of coffee to his wife Heidi on the way to delivering May Day baskets. Heidi worked in a book store that I frequented and also is the potter that made my sage green dishes with words (circa 1999!). I follow Heidi on Instagram ( Heidi Haugen Pottery Instagram ) and she often includes photos Leif takes from the Thoma Fire Lookout.

Labor Day weekend: gateway to Fall ???

Labor Day weekend in Northwest Montana is usually a beautiful gateway to Fall. Whenever anyone asks me about visiting Montana, I always suggest September if they don’t have school age children to consider. September weather is typically warm but not hot with cool, crisp nights and all of the July crowd is long gone.

But, this year – YIKES!

The beginning of September is darn ugly! However, when I’m tempted to complain too much I remember that unlike southeast Texas, my pain will be over in 10-14 days … hopefully.

Still, it has been a hot, dry, smoky summer through most of July and August and now into September. I usually am able to put the A/C units away on my birthday in mid-August. Maybe by mid-September this year.

There is good news about the heat.

The vegetables! Above is week 16’s box: fingerling potatoes, long red onions, baby romaine, baby kale, basil, sweet corn, red beets and greens, braising greens, cucumber, zucchini, patty pan, bell pepper and TOMATOES! I get a box of an heirloom mixed with cherry tomatoes. Both were gone the first night – sliced and eaten plain.

So … off to Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Bear and I left early, snagged a shady parking spot and I was at Lower Valley Farm’s spot for the opening bell.

I added more patty pan, cucumbers, rainbow chard, golden beets and greens, fresh flowers and a box of mini-slicer tomatoes to my week’s vegetable store. I’ve been blanching and freezing some of the beet greens, basil, chard and braising greens to have for Fall and Winter cooking but everything else I eat during the week.

The partial share (half share) with some occasional additions from the market has been working very well for me this summer. The variety of vegetables from Lower Valley Farm, courtesy of Jay and Mandy’s extensive research, is much better than my prior CSA experience which makes it easier to prepare a variety of things and not get tired of many, many greens as I did last round.

This week’s CSA newsletter says that the fall squash are doing very well so I am already planning on where I will store as much extra as I have room for.

Meanwhile…

Another smoky sunrise.

I’m ready for a Montana Fall and/or Winter!!!

It’s all relative

After several days of mid to high 90’s (F), low 80’s felt pretty good.

It’s all relative :) !!

Meanwhile on the local vegetable front … Last Thursday I forfeited my CSA box. I was waiting on a delivery that ran late and it was VERY hot and I finally texted the farm that I would not make it. Thankfully, one of the crew was able to take my box so no waste.

To compensate and fill the vegetable coffers, Bear and I went to the market on Saturday. We arrived 10 minutes early in order to snag a parking spot in the shade. I was at Lower Valley Farm’s stand as the opening bell rang and back in the Jeep 10 minutes after with: golden beets, spinach, pea shoots, basil and patty pan squash.

The new thing – patty pan squash – I stuffed it:

I stuffed it with crab, cheddar, mayo, dill, salt, pepper and lemon juice with a topping of parmesan and bread crumbs…

… and some Chipotle Tabasco for a little smoky heat.

But then…

BUT THEN…

GIANT BROCCOLI!!!

https://instagram.com/p/BWV4EPslqqe/

YA-HOO!!! I ordered some extra broccoli and some other extra stuff … to freeze for this winter when no fresh anything is to be had.

This week’s CSA box PLUS some extras.

We be eating local, seasonal, extra-extra good vegetables this week!

Meanwhile…

Hot outside, cool inside.

Bear is happy.

Auggie is napping.

It’s all relative.

Ten years of complaining about Summer heat…

I started this blog in June 2007 as I headed out in the motorhome.

It was a memorable trip. I got sick about 2 days in and was fairly miserable for the next ten days. I recovered enough to make it to my folks’ house and give myself into the care of my Mama!! She did my laundry, cooked for me … listened to me whine … did I mention it was HOT!

Mostly recovered, I headed for home on July 3… through more heat and a failure of my RV hydraulics. But we (me, Karl and Bob) rolled home on July 6 to the tune of 94F at 2:00 p.m.

Fast forward to July 2017.

Hot. Not quite as hot as 2007, but HOT!

And in between that 2007 trip and today’s 2017 heat, I have mostly complained about heat in July and August.

Broken record…

All things pass and this will also.

Meanwhile… last week’s veg…

I should have taken a photo before I bundled everything up, but in the cheesecloth is: carrot tops, fennel tops and green onion tops.

The bean broth is outstanding!

Looks kind of like dirty ditch water, but the flavor is tops! It is in the freezer for future soups.

Cold brew. It is too hot for normal coffee making. Plus I like cold brew:

101 g coffee
6 cups water

Let sit for 12-24 hours. Filter/strain and refrigerate.

Result = coffee concentrate for iced coffee or add water and heat for hot coffee.

And my hot weather savior: Instant Pot! Beans, pasta, turkey and chicken … all to perfection and no added heat to the kitchen.

10 years.

Too HOT!

Counting the days until Fall.

Weather delay

We are under Severe Thunderstorm Watch. That is a thunderstorm. I know it kind of looks like there is rotation, but I don’t think so. And that is rain coming down straight and hard. I also saw some spectacular cloud to ground lightning.

Bear and I were in the Jeeper coming back from picking up our CSA share. A wild afternoon/evening was forecast and I was keeping an eye on the Doppler all day.

It has been in the upper 80’s. A strong cold front was to whoosh through – colliding with the heat and WHAM! So now it is whamming. Thunder roars and we stay indoors!

At my house, it is just rumbling so far but getting closer and the power has been blipping off and on so I’m shutting down, pulling the plug and moving more interior-ly than my office in the sunroom.

CSA report later or tomorrow due to weather delay.