Random Musings and Idle Chit Chat

That is black bean and corn salsa.

It's a recipe from Chef Andy Weber who owns the Nautical Inn in Sturgeon Bay. I recommend the joint. Tell Andy that Swamp sent you.

It's Labor Day weekend and the Frau and I have been laboring - constructing a picket fence around the kitchen garden.

She dug the post holes one by one, set the posts and mixed and poured the concrete. An industrious woman the Frau is.

This weekend we installed the pickets.

Speaking of Labor Day what do you think of all of that nonsense down at Mercury Marine? What were these people thinking?

I'm going to vote no and lose my job instead of a accepting a wage freeze and sharing more in my health care costs. I'm going to show them a thing or two. I'm going to teach them a big fat lesson. Just you wait and see.

Sanity appears to have prevailed in Fond Du Lac and the insanity has moved along and infected the radical right making them cower in fear over the President speaking to the children.

What is with all of this madness?

I have a good reason to be mad. I still haven't gotten over the loss of this year's corn crop to the raccoons. But yesterday I bought a big bag of sweet corn from Pierre for only two bucks. I guess at that price I shouldn't be engaging in risky corn-raising ventures. I should be letting the farmer down the road take that risk. For not a whole lot of money I can purchase a whole bushel of fresh-picked, bi-color sweet corn and save myself a pile of trouble.

I'll have to think about that before next springs garden planting.

We roasted a bunch of Pierre's corn on the Weber grill last night - along with a beer can chicken. And I just finished dining upon a sandwich of leftover chicken and lettuce and tomato from the garden. All topped with real mayo. That's living!

And what to do with the leftover corn?

You slice it off the cobs and make Andy's salsa.

Black Bean Corn Salsa

In a mixing bowl add:

1 C of cooked corn

1 C of cooked black beans. drained and rinsed

1/2 C of red onion - finely diced

1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced fine

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 t minced fresh garlic

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 t honey

Juice of one lime

2 T balsamic vinegar

1/4 t of chili powder

Pinch of salt

Lots of fresh cracked pepper

Stir to blend it all together and chill for at least an hour to allow the flavors to harmonize.

Serve with grilled chicken, pork or seafood.

Not wanting to drive to Sturgeon Bay for cilantro I skipped that step. I substituted red and green bell pepper and sweet onion from the garden.

I've got lots of fresh cukes so I whipped-up a batch of cold cucumber salad. Neighbors invited us over to grill tonight.