More of the Brood Flock

The trail camera closest to the house has been busy lately with plenty of wild turkey action - including at least one mama hen with her poults.

This series of photos was taken a week ago Sunday morning about 8:30 over a period of more than ten minutes.

click on images for a closer look

 

Judging from the number of poults in these images this may very well be a couple of brood flocks or a bigger brood flock than I originally imagined.  If I had to hazard a guess it is the latter rather than the former.

For sure the second hen to wander on to the scene is a Boss Hen - the dominant matriarch of the local turkey clan.

 

Evidence of this is her strutting and displaying behavior. 

Interesting stuff to witness second hand and gratifying to see the local turkey population flourishing.  Glad these birds took the opportunity to loiter as long as they did... 

The Garden Chronicles

 click on images for a better look

 

So far, so good, with the garden this  year. 

It was smart to install the green beans in three separate plantings spaced three weeks apart.  Those Blue Lake beans like to ripen just about all at once in the space of one to two weeks.  Last week was the end of the first row and after picking enough beans to fill a giant canvass bag I uprooted the row and sentenced it to the composter.  Row number two should begin next weekend.  The broccoli is done for the season so those plants have been removed. 



Cukes are producing fantastically.  And I planted a final sowing of radishes, spinach and all three of the usual lettuces,

The tomatoes are coming online - although I'm disappointed in the size.  Lack of rain perhaps?  They taste fine however.

And how about this from the fridge in the garage..... 

From top to bottom - a box of fresh cucumbers, green peppers and a crisper filled to the top with pickles for pickling.

Vive le jardin magnifique!

Friday Music

This song was composed in 1961 by Phil Medley and Bert Berns.  Originally recorded by the Top Notes it charted as a cover single by the Isley Brothers in 1962.  The song has since been covered by any number of artists including the Tremeloes in 1962, The Beatles in 1963 and the Who in 1970 and 1984.  The Beatles released this tune in the states as a single early in 1964.  

Twist and Shout was the only million-selling Beatles single that was a cover record, and the only Beatles cover single to reach the Top 10 on a national record chart.    

The song failed to hit #1 because the Beatles had another song occupying the top spot - Can't Buy Me Love.  The British Invasion brought Beatlemania to America.    

Cheeky intro from these mop-headed Liverpool lads performing for the Royal Variety Show in November of 1963……

Don't Poke the Eagle

John Brennan - former CIA chief whose security clearance was revoked - struck back at President Trump today. 

 

Brennan called the president’s claims of no collusion with Russia to influence the 2016 election hogwash and suggested that President Trump was simply attempting to silence anyone who would dare challenge him.     

 

Fran Townsend – Homeland Security Advisor in George W. Bush’s Whitehouse - had this to say:  The fact that the president did this himself leaves him open to the criticism that it looks politically motivated.   

 

Here's what I think.  This is more about symbolism that practicality.  Brennan is retired and he doesn't receive regular (much less daily) security briefings.  Revoking a retired CIA Director's security clearance isn't going to shut him up.  Moreover, if you piss-off a CIA spook you best cover your tracks. 

 

I may be just a simple James Bond aficionado - yet has anyone in this administration considered that this guy is - A SPY?

 

Who has a huge pile of friends who are SPIES? 

 

I'd rather enjoy a colonoscopy than poke a nest of spies. Imagine all the smoking bimbos out there to be resurrected.

Going to town tomorrow for additional supplies of Merlot and popcorn.  This Palace Intrigue is hilarious....

Clairvoyant?

It is not often that I make predictions.  Nevertheless, I am going to go out on a limb with a wild-ass, two-part whopper.

Paul Manafort's tax, bank fraud and money-laundering schemes will go before a jury of his peers to stand judgment in federal court to answer to charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

He will be found guilty as charged.

President Donald Trump will pardon Paul Manafort.

You read it here first...

When You Can't Catch An Uber

You hear about this phenomenon from time-to-time - this is the first time in my life I have actually witnessed it. 

A guy going to town on his lawn tractor.

State Highway 57 is a four lane divided thoroughfare so it takes some nerve to cross on a vehicle capable of only 7 miles an hour.....

How to Freeze Garden Broccoli

Yesterday I published my secret to making the best crispy crunchy dill pickles in the world. 

Today is how to put-up your homegrown broccoli for when Old Man Winter is rattling the windows and you have a hankering for something fresh from your garden.

Early in our relationship Jill professed to a dislike of broccoli.  True story.  Until she had fresh-picked broccoli from the garden.  After-which she embraced broccoli as a cruciferous vegetable.  I completely understand her original opinion as her previous options were quite limited.

The reason supermarket broccoli can be mediocre (or downright bad) is that it is old.  Grown somewhere out west - say California - it is picked, packed, shipped by truck to a distribution hub.  After many days it is eventually delivered to the market and displayed in the produce section for any number of additional days before someone comes along and purchases it.  In a word it is OLD and STALE.  And as a consequence all of it's natural sweet goodness has disappeared.

Homegrown, freshly picked, tastefully prepared and eaten broccoli is terrific as it retains and holds all of its natural goodness.

click on images to enlarge

 

Isn't that one of the most handsome heads of broccoli you've ever seen?  That's mine and it has been such a good year for garden broccoli that I had some extra to put-up in the freezer for a future date.  Fresh-picked and promptly frozen broccoli is pretty good too.  Here is how to do it.

Break-apart your broccoli head into manageable florets and soak in a salty brine.  This will drive any critters out that might be lurking in a crevasse.  Drain the brine and soak and rinse twice in cold tap water.  In the meantime start of pot of water on the stove top to boil.





Drain your broccoli in a colander and introduce manageable amounts to the boiling water for no more than 90 seconds.  Immediately remove from the boil and plunge them into a sink of cold tap water.  This process of scalding followed by immediate cooling (called blanching) places the plants enzymes into suspended animation without loss of vitamins or taste.  It is critical not to cook the broccoli completely so keep the scald short and the return to the cold water bath immediately.

Drain your broccoli in a colander (again) and scatter on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.  Place the sheet of broccoli in the freezer (uncovered) until each floret is frozen solid.  This takes less than an hour.

Edit to add:  A reader has pointed out that broccoli will continue to release gases if not frozen before packaging,  Do not skip this step. 


After the florets are solid - package in manageable portions and vacuum seal them with your FoodSaver®. 

Date the packages and keep frozen until ready to use.  When you are preparing stir-fry on a cold February afternoon you can enjoy your garden goodness too.