Eighth of an Acre Bounty

I completed what was the last of the tomato sauce canning batches last night – and am I glad! It was frustrating this year having to do small batches, bit by bit waiting for the tomatoes to ripen. The majority ripened in boxes in my office, instead of on the vine. Not my chosen method by any means. Seven more quarts of tomato sauce leaves us with 18 quarts canned and another 4 quarts frozen to get us through the winter. I had hoped for more, but this will do. I also made a huge batch of hot salsa. 12 half pints, 2 pints and 3 quarts to be exact (can you tell I am running out of jars?). I have one more smallish box of San Marzanos ripening which I will most likely use to make some mild salsa for Gary (the stuff I made earlier is way to hot).

And, today – just a few minutes ago I finished harvesting all of the fennel seeds. I cut the seed heads off our golden fennel plant several weeks ago when it started to get really damp and rainy. I threw them in a paper bag and hung them in my office to dry for a couple weeks. Today I finally got around to separating the seeds from the plant material. I am currently sitting in a licorice flavored cloud. We ended up with just under half a pound. This is a LOT of fennel seed. No doubt some of it will be put to good use in sausage when we get our half pig order later this winter. But I need to find some other uses too. I know it is a key ingredient in Indian/Pakistani cooking and also is one of the five in five spice powder. But if anyone out there has other ideas, I am open (and supplied).

I would guess you could make some version of liqueur out of it, is that what Sambuca is based on? It seems every Mediterranean country has their own version of licorice flavored concoction (Raki in Turkey, Ouzo in Greece, Pernod in France, Sambuca in Italy). Maybe I will have to experiment a bit  -(beware friends and family who are in grave danger of getting nothing but salsa and Fennel Liqueur for the holidays).

It is a beautiful day today, I hope it lasts. We are about to head out to the last Farmers Market in Columbia City before they shut down for the season. The Renton market we usually frequent is already done for the season. Winter comes and we start having to go further and further afoot to get local produce. I think after this week the closest year round market will be in West Seattle.