Strawberry pot Begonias

Just real pretty! I love the look! Hope you do too!

July '09 Vegetable Garden

In the direct front bed is squash and cukes. I planted 2 hills of yellow crookneck, 1 zucchini bush, 1 patty pan or scallop bush and 2 kinds of cuke hills. Potatoes to right, 4 different varieties.
Purple bush beans, blue lake bush green beans, kale, 2 kinds of beets, radishes and chattenay carrots.
middle bed is tomatoes, saved seed from last year! Well done!
peppers saved also and eggplant plants. Last bed across from gate is greens, chard and peas. Peas need to be pulled and pole beans put in along with peas on the back side. Blackberries are wild! Sooo many berries again this year. I will make syrup this year instead of jam since we have jam left over from last year! I love my garden! My manicurist doesn't!

Rustic Plum Tarts

Preheat oven to 350, halve and remove stones from 18-20 plums, slice halves into 4 or 5 slices so they are mostly the same size. place in a bowl and toss with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg & a dash of salt. After tossing this mixture thoroughly, place into a shallow baking pan, dot with 4 tbsp or butter and bake for 20 min to 1/2 hour. Remove from oven and strain juices into a saucepan. Reduce juices by 1/2 on low heat. Let plum slices cool.
In the meantime while plums cool, prepare tart crust.
crust, for 2 tarts:
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
mix dry ingredients, cut in butter with pastry cutter or 2 forks till crumbly.
in a 2 cup measure add 1 cup cold water, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 or 5 ice cubes to really make liquid cold, (don't use the ice in recipe though)
Slowly add liquid a little at a time mixing with a spoon to keep dough cool. when dough is manageable but not sticky, split into 2 portions and wrap with towel and let rest 1/2 hour.
Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness into a round circle.
place on baking sheet, I used pizza pans.
Place cooled plums in a design on each pastry dough. Turn edges into center about 1/2 inch to 1 inch, folding carefully not to rip dough. Brush dough edge with cold water and sprinkle with sugar.
bake 350 1/2 hour, turn heat up to 400, bake additional 15 minutes or until crust is browned. Cool, drizzle the reduced glaze on top of tarts and serve with vanilla soft serve ice cream, whipped cream or creme fresch. Yummy! Can be frozen for a quick desert for unexpected company!