I made some Lemon Basil and Lime Sorbet last night and got it in the freezer and am now dehydrating the rest of the lemon basil. I've put together, in my head, a recipe for a new tea blend and am so excited I can barely stand it. I want to make something a little different than I usually do and this particular recipe is both invigorating yet soothing to the digestive system. If it turns out I'll be sure to place the recipe on my Recipes page for you. Anyway, one of the ingredients is lemon basil and even though I have some already dried, I don't want to deplete my stores too very much, so I decided to dry this last batch of lemon basil. I have tons of it in the garden so bar an emergency I think I should have plenty. I'm also planning on using some of the Orange Bergamot I have growing in the herb garden. If you've never tasted this particular mint you are in for a great treat. It tastes so much like Earl Grey that some people think that's where Earl Grey comes from - but not so!! Got to get to work. Talk to you later!
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I decided it's time to take a little break. It's kind of hot in the kitchen. Everything is in the pan and simmering on the stove for the spaghetti sauce. I've tasted it and it is good, so I just want it to cook down a little and then I'll get it canned and that will be another item off my list of "need to do's".
Remember, I have 2 cases of tomato sauce stashed away so I'm trying very hard to preserve an assortment of foods, especially since our garden is not up to par this year. This morning when I picked the tomatoes I checked the plants all over and I gotta say the Roma tomatoes are looking pretty good. It would be a real boon for me if they did well. I love to dehydrate romas. It's actually the most space-saving way to store tomatoes. Dehydrated Roma tomatoes can be soaked in flavored vinegars and then put into olive oil, stored in your frig for a few weeks, and make anyone I've ever known grovel at your feet for more to eat!! Dehydrated tomatoes are also wonderful to use by grinding them up and then making tomato paste from them. I've been using the ground tomatoes this Summer to supplement the tomatoes I'm NOT getting from the garden. Today I put some of them in my spaghetti sauce to lend more tomato flavor and thicken it up a bit. The ways to use dried tomatoes are endless. I put dried tomatoes in polenta, pasta sauces, cheese balls and dips, in chili . . . well, let your imagination run wild!! Hopefully, I'll be able to dehydrate a few this Summer.
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My homemade Italian Seasoning and Garlic Salt were, as usual, the finishing touches for the spaghetti sauce. I ended up with 10 quarts of some pretty good stuff!! I'm really happy with the taste and consistency. Now, I've got to start on supper. We're having ground beef and mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, sliced tomatoes and deviled eggs. I'm actually kind of hungry too!! Have a great evening.