Well. I have, sadly, neglected this blog for awhile. I do have a good excuse. My husband and I are planning a party - the kind of party that requires place cards and flowers and guest lists. And of course, really good food. The food was actually one of the inspirations for the whole thing, and we are looking forward to eating it with gusto. But all this planning leaves little time for anything else, besides drinking wine to calm our semi-frayed nerves. SO, over this Labor Day weekend, I decided to put in some time in my neglected kitchen. And since I felt like I had turned my back on it for several weeks (do pots and pans get lonely down there in the bottom cupboard?), I decided to spend some serious time canning peaches. I bought peaches at the farmers market, carefully selecting those that were not bruised, and dragged my heavy bags home. You may can peaches several ways; the following is a rendition of a recipe in the 'Blue Book of Preserving', which is my personal canning bible. Sterilize the jars and lids, inspect them for cracks, and ensure that your counter top and tools are all clean.

• 1-2 pounds of peaches, peeled and halved per pint (to quickly peel peaches, boil them for about a minute. The skin will then come right off) or 2-3 pounds per quart
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2.5 cups water

Make the syrup by combining the last three ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Stir occasionally so the mixture doesn't scorch. Pack the peaches cavity side down in the sterilized jars and leave 1/2 inch head space. Ladle enough hot syrup into the can to cover the peaches (about 1/2 cup per pint). Remove air bubbles, wipe the top of the jars and add the lids. Process for 25-30 minutes in boiling water.

As a kid, did you ever pour fruit juice into paper cups, add a wooden popsicle stick, and put them in the freezer? If you did, you'll know why I was so excited to acquire a set of popsicle molds this weekend. I flipped through some recipes, and then went to market for some inspiration. Wandering around the produce stands, I found some lovely blueberries, and decided to use them in my new creations. I have a feeling that the possibilities are endless with these things.

Blueberry Popsicles

• about 3 cups of vanilla low fat yogurt
• about one pint of blueberries, rinsed
  
• popsicle molds and wooden popsicle sticks

In a blender, combine about 2 cups of yogurt with the blueberries. Blend until smooth. Distribute the remaining cup of yogurt into each popsicle mold. Add the blueberry mixture to the top of each mold.
Makes 12 popsicles

harvest time
Garrison Kiellor talks about summer as being the only time that mid-westerners lock their car doors -- so people can't leave their excess squash in random vehicles. It is true that using produce can be somewhat of a challenge, especially if your plants or trees seem to have a mind of their own. When we recently had dinner at a friend's house, we weren't allowed to leave until we had each picked a full bag of grapefruit to take home. Most of them we ate for breakfast; however, I decided to get a little creative and try grapefruit sorbet. I love sorbet; it satisfies my sweet tooth but isn't fattening; it's refreshing, and so easy to make. Grab an ice cream maker and a sauce pan, and you're all set. For this particular recipe, I used honey instead of sugar, which changed the taste quite a bit and gave it an amber color. Feel free to use sugar if you don't like the taste of honey in your dessert (I did, but my husband tactfully suggested that I try it the "regular" way next time). Of course, it's best on a hot summer day.Grapefruit Sorbet
2 cups fresh grapefruit juice
3/4 cup -1 cup honey or sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

On medium heat, dissolve the cup of sugar in 1/2 cup of grapefruit juice (do not boil). Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add in the remaining grapefruit juice and lemon juice. Chill until cold. Taste, and add more sugar if desired. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze as directed.