Funny how we develop routines without even realizing...

If you will look at this blog post from almost exactly 1 year ago, http://woodsidegardens.blogspot.com/2010/09/you-know-its-fall-when.html , you will find almost my exact dinner for tonight!  I just added some chicken to the pan this time!  Some things never change!

I made Crabbapple/Wild Blueberry Jam today, with apples from my sister's tree and berries my mom picked up north.  I also managed to make a batch of Mint Jelly, with the last of the mint from my herb garden.  We added some food coloring, at my son's request, and it is a very yummy emerald green!

The garden is officially put away for the year, as we have had a hard frost the last two nights in a row.  All the raised beds have compost and steer manure covering them, which will be turned into the soil in the spring.  The new compost pile has been started, and I covered the clematis, which isn't supposed to make it through the Alaskan winter, with old leaves from the edge of the yard.  I also put some of the leaves in a burlap rice bag and put that over the top of the whole thing.  I'm not holding my breath, but we will see if it works!

I didn't post any pictures of the garden this time, as I'm not sure you all want to see a bunch of bare raised beds full of compost and steer crap, but I'll take some if you want them!

Rhubarb/Red Currant Preserves

Yum.

A dinner worth writing (ok, bragging) about...

First off, I just had to share this picture with you!  Playing in the rain!

Tonight's dinner just had to be shared!  

We start with the halibut, caught on my Dad's boat last week out of Seward.  This picture is of my Father-in-Law, who should be very proud of himself!

Here it is again, just thawed.

Turnip greens, Spinach and Kale, from the garden.

The halibut is seasoned with olive oil, lemon and curry powder, dried onion, and fresh green onion from the garden.

A nice cup of tea while I cooked, flavored with milk from the local dairy, and local honey I bought at the farmers market.

Sauteed the greens with some olive oil and minced garlic.

Halibut is baked until just flaky.

The finished product, and it was SO yummy!  The boy kept stealing the greens off my plate!

How's that for a sustainable, local, completely chemical-free dinner?!

In other news, I changed the front path from the driveway to the deck.  I had a flower box up against the wall before:

I moved the flower box and the bench that was on the deck:

I like the feeling of sitting in a little garden that you get now when you sit on the bench.  It also freed up a little room on the deck.  What do you think?

Cranberry-Apple Butter

The most recent project has been Alaskan Cranberry Apple Butter. The high-bush cranberries (which I have learned aren't really cranberries at all) were picked here in my yard. You have probably noticed by now that my un-landscaped land provides quite a bounty of wild food every year. The apples were picked from my aunts house in Palmer. They are Parkland apples, grafted onto a crabapple root, so that they will survive our -30F or colder winter temperatures.

I baked some pork chops last night, smothered in this wonderful stuff, and my son couldn't contain his amazement over how good it tasted!

Today's Kitchen Project...

Just look at that color! - Currant/Raspberry Jelly

I canned a batch of jelly completely on my own for the first time today... and it was a complete success! I feel so accomplished this fall, learning this new skill. Next, I need to apply it to preserving vegetables. Rob is going moose hunting next weekend, and it would also be great to get some stew meat canned up. I need to learn to use the pressure canner, soon!

My first attempt at 100% whole wheat bread...

Let it rise...

In the oven...

Everyone was eating it before I could even get a picture!!!

I love fresh artisan bread, and it went especially well with the Raspberry Jam we made last week. Today we are making Current Jelly, as we were able to pick over 2 quarts from just one wild current bush!

Wild Rosehip Jelly!!!

Today was a good day. I officially made not only my first batch of jelly ever, but it was my first time canning as well! Rosehip jelly, made from Wild Sitka Roses that grow all over my property. This is better than homegrown... this is wild food foraging!

Wild Sitka Rosehips

Boiling the rosehips to make the juice

Cooking the juice with the sugar and pectin

Made 1 dozen half-pint jars

Beautiful color

I was determined to learn how to can this year, and I'm excited to learn how easy it really is! Tomorrow its on to Raspberry Jam!

On another note, I officially joined a local CSA this week. Glacier Valley Farm CSA is unique in that you purchase the produce by the week, rather than by the season. Its a good price, and if you live in Anchorage or the Mat-Su Valley, I encourage you to check them out!