We are jammed and in a pickle!

It is August as we put this issue together, and there are zucchinis and cucumbers and tomatoes hiding under every leaf. And the blueberries are producing faster than we can pick them; especially since every handful of blueberries is accompanied by an equal number of mosquito bites. Now I can see the daily growth of wild blackberries, and the apples are ripening. Oh dear, time to breathe.

Summer is here and it’s time to be out of the kitchen and into the garden. Sometimes the garden circles us right back to the kitchen. Melissa Mount has provided some lovely, in all senses of the word, jelly recipes. I am sure they will be as appealing to the tastebuds as they are to the eye.

Well, maybe sort of, we hope, sure. But don’t put away your snow shovel. There is always the odd weather surprise in May. Never mind all that, just try some of these delicious recipes we have this issue and your weather woes will be forgotten.

    The maple sap has been running at a good rate, and the season was off to an early start with tapping the first week of February in some places. No surprise that we have several recipes that include maple syrup this issue. 

It seems like we’ve had a lot of winter these past few weeks. I watch my woodpile shrink daily and count the rows of wood to calculate when I might have to dig into my reserve. The temperature has hit a high of -1 degree tonight; feels absolutely balmy.

   It’s almost December and people are getting their holiday baking planned, prepped, and packaged. Full disclosure: I don’t like gummy anythings – not in food, on food, or even sitting on a plate staring at me with their little gooey eyes. Some people love their traditional gum drop cakes, cookies, squares, breads, and even martinis. Not even alcohol can bring gummies to my lips. But that’s okay. I’m here to share readers’ favourites, and I’m happy to offer two gum drop recipes this issue.

    It’s time to get the winter wood under cover and pull out some wooly socks. The mornings and evenings are cooling off quickly. Thank you readers for sending us some recipes for good nutritious food that will warm us from the inside. 

The strawberries have mostly disappeared, and the peaches are going fast. Not from the markets, but falling prey to mold within two days of arriving in my kitchen. We have not been able to eat them fast enough. I’m happy to share a few recipes that will help me (and you?) make use of the lovely crop. Thank you to our readers for sending these recipes.

We asked, and you answered. Wow, a great response to our request for egg help. Thank you everyone for your recipes and ideas for storing eggs now for use when our hens are taking their annual vacation. Some of these ideas are new to me. I love Bruce Blakemore’s suggestion of freezing eggs in sets of two. Having two eggs makes good sense when you thaw them for use later.

Our theme this issue seems to be making do. Whether it’s getting another use out of a shirt or a pair of mittens, preserving some fruit for a later use, or finding a way to get a favorite bread at home, we all do it. Often without thought of doing “the right thing.” We make, change, prepare, preserve because that’s how we get the product we want.

There’s a storm brewing today. The sky is getting darker and the wind is rising. It’s a soup day. And since we are supposed to get heavy snow overnight, maybe it will be a big pot that can simmer on the wood stove. We have two soups this issue, and both use ingredients that are usually on hand. That’s a selling point this time of year.

Snow, and rain, and freezing, and melting. Must be winter. No matter, there is always tomorrow. The sun may shine or we could get hail. We still need to put food on the table and find ways to keep home and hearth from falling into chaos around us. We have a grain-based salad that comes together easily and will bring a spark of colour and a zip of citrus to a dismal winter day. Oh, and a lovely potato vindaloo to fill your kitchen and your tummy with warmth. Plus a delicious bread to slather with butter and cheese and eat curled up by the fire with a big mug of coffee or tea.