Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Some Like it Hot . . . . . . . .


OK. It's really hot!  No actually it's so darned, over the top hot, I could scream.
The oppressive heat, the biting insects, the clouds rolling in late afternoon but still
no rain. The baby bunny who ran up the driveway this morning looking so hot and
raggedy in his fur coat. The birds, who just want to bathe in the baths, look skinny,
messy and tired of it all, just like me, except I'm not skinny.

This week promises days of 99F and nights of 75F so not much cooling. One wakes 
tired in the morning and gets more tired during the day as the temperature climbs. 
The southern summer is abominable - why do I even live here? 
Only God knows - oh and the international company who moved us here in 1977.
I never knew it might be forever.
How/why have I stayed so long? A pale English girl who grew up in a cool, 
often (very often) wet climate. I don't know. . . . . . . guess it was meant to be.
Will I stay forever? My 'forever' is probably not that long. We talk about it. You know,
which one will go first and what will the remaining one do with what remains
 for him, or her!


I'm staying in the kitchen a lot these days. I know, that sounds a bit silly, 
don't they say - "if you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen."

Yesterday I stoned a pound of Washington State cherries and made a 
French clafoutis. I added a big slosh of Chambord Black Raspberry liqueur 
which gave it a nice flavor.
We didn't really need dessert but I needed to use up the cherries.


The kitchen window sill basil has gone to seed but is pretty and cool looking as
 I snip off leaves to add to anything with tomatoes.
My three late seeded pots of basil are coming along outside. Earmarked for 
a few batches of pesto to freeze for the winter months, I'm hoping it does well 
over the next few weeks. 


My kitchen is producing quarts of soup. We were out of town last weekend but since
 returning I've made three vegetarian soups. 
Friends and neighbors are tossing lovely veggies our way as they harvest.
Today, this one perfumed the the kitchen - Curried Summer Squash, the recipe from
 my friend Jeannette. I love it plain to start then add lentils and a little more Indian spice
 to leftovers for another day.
A bowl with a salad is easy. Or a flatbread with melted cheese, arugula tossed in EVOO
 with freshly ground black pepper, makes a good light supper.


Actually, my kitchen remains a cool place thanks to the recently installed
 new HVAC system. A lot of money, but well spent, temperatures and tempers
 have definitely cooled too!

Hope your little corner of the world is comfy.
Have a good week.

9 comments:

  1. It's hot here in Texas too. The humidity is God awful. I'm making blueberry jam this weekend. I have more than enough blueberries in my kitchen so I'm making a blueberry cake tomorrow and then I'm canning the rest of them. But first is need to go stand in front of the air conditioner.

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  2. Very comfy here right now - just beautiful, sunny summer days, with nights cooling off enough to want a cardigan for the way to work. The tropical heat (close to 40C) of 3 weeks ago seems so out of place now. Who knows whether there will be another heatwave! A bit hotter weather foreacast for the weekend, but probably just above 30C, which is okay for July.
    I am surprised you make so much soup when it is so hot - for me, soups are winter comfort food :-)

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  3. It is in the high 80's on our side of the state. Some afternoon showers, but not always. That soup sounds great! My basil outside has seen better days. I am hoping to get to the garden center to get some more since my tomatoes are starting to ripen.

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  4. It's hot and humid here too but we have the air conditioners going so that helps a lot. Soup...fantastic idea. I want to make a roasted tomato soup I think. That's an easy meal to make and not too labour intensive in this heat. We got cherries this week too, they are so sweet and refreshing!

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  5. "How/why have I stayed so long? A pale English girl who grew up in a cool,
    often (very often) wet climate. I don't know. . . . . . . guess it was meant to be." could have been written by me living in the St. Louis area since 1963. Thank goodness for air conditioning! I try and get any chores done early morning but it does wear one down. Take care and I enjoy reading your blog.

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  6. It is hot here in northern IL, too! Low 90's today but climbing to high 90's - 100 tomorrow through Sat. High humidity, too. I'm one of those who can't eat soup when it's hot outside - and likewise, can't eat ice cream when it's cold outside. (That part is a good thing, ha ha.) I've been eating a lot of salads...green salads, quinoa salads, pasta salads. I picked up a flatbread at Trader Joe's today along with organic slicing tomatoes (garden tomatoes aren't ripe here yet) and fresh mozzarella. I'll make a margherita pizza with basil from my garden.

    Is there anyway you could move somewhere cooler?

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  7. Oh my, I can almost feel the heat in your words. I'm glad your kitchen is a cool place to be with all the wonderful food you are preparing. I'm wearing a sweater today and it's been drizzling rain all morning. Sigh. But just a few days until we arrive in Europe where it's hotter than here. Have a good day, Mary, and stay as cool as possible. Hugs, Lorrie

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  8. Thankfully we have had only two 90 degree days. I don't think I could handle the temperatures you are having. So happy you have AC now. That would indeed help in the kitchen. A cherry clafoutis sounds so wonderful. That is a favorite of my son-in-law. Take care and stay inside for sure.

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  9. Dear Mary,
    See how smart you are. You were looking ahead when you had AC installed. Our days are hot but everything cools down during the night. My cherry tree is laden with fruit. Why not come for a visit and we will make Cherry Likör.

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