30.8.10

Harvest Food



This is a photo of my monkey sorting through the bountiful harvest we picked from our neighbours yard. 
We picked peaches, pears, Asian pears and limes.
The peaches were sweet and the limes juicy.  Both pear varieties were hard yet flavorful.
We tried to make as many creative things as possible this weekend using our fresh harvest.
Here are some of our creations:
Asian pears with cinnamon sticks, sugar and one granny smith apple- boiled down and strained to make a tasty cider. In this photo is was almost all finished- All four of us said Yum!


Lime-o-ade: a bunch of limes halved (with peel on),  a bunch of mint from our garden, boiled down and sugar added at the end- This makes a very pungent syrup which tastes great mixed with water OR vodka.
I used a metal potato masher to squeeze the remaining juice from the limes and mint when straining.

This is a close up of pear pizza.
I sauteed pears in butter with a sprinkle of sugar to brown them.  Then added a little tomato sauce, feta cheese, caramelized onions and rosemary from our garden. 

The most time consuming was the peaches-
We made peach jam and peach chutney.

I know that in some states fruit found on branches that over-hang onto public space are free 'game' for the picking- I also know that there are many people who have fruit bearing trees that either don't harvest them or have more then they can use.  I am still looking for a friend with a fig tree!?

Do you have access to fruit trees?

34 comments:

Lenore @ Lather. Write. Repeat. said...

Pear pizza?? I must I must!!

You are so creative with food for your kids, they are very lucky that they will grow up as little gourmet foodies!

XO
Lenore

Annemiek said...

Oh yummie, the pear pizza look delicious... And so does the syrup! Unfortunately we don't have a fruit tree ourselves, but my husband's parents have the most beautiful apple tree which gives lots of apples every year. I love that!

Signe said...

Pear pizza sure sounds exiting, never heard of it! And you just got to love homemade lemonade :)

Mama Gone Green said...

Yum! We had a big plum harvest this year and made quite a bot of chutney. But, like you, I would love to expand and find some figs, pears and apples next year!!

Jacqui said...

Ha! We were looking at our laden pear tree this afternoon and wondering what to do with them apart from canning or jam. Pear pizza sounds the very thing.
I have a huge pot of apples simmering right now, and will be turning this into apple jelly. xx

Jude said...

Everything looks exquisite - esp. love the cider and pear pizza :) What a great tribute to the beauty of fresh, seasonal food!

Anonymous said...

This is amazing. Pear pizza?! Sounds good (I always love the sound of 'caramelised onions', even though I'm not such an onion fan!). And I would love to try that homemade cider!

Grace said...

As I said when you first posted this photo, my daughter loved it. She named all the fruits but thought the Asian pear was potato. I couldn't tell for sure either so I'm glad you told us. Looks like some good stuff was made.

We used to have access to a fig tree but not since we moved. We have access to wild blackberries and persimmons though at a friends house.

Pearl said...

Oh, my. Two hours before yoga and three hours before I eat dinner and THIS!

:-)

I have apples and grapes in my back yard. I love them.

Pearl

Mary Bergfeld said...

It all looks fabulous, but the pear pizza has made me curious. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

jeanette from everton terrace said...

Peaches and pears and limes oh my! First I was jealous of that awesome looking fruit but now, now I'm drooling over your amazing culinary adventures. I have no fruit tree friends but fig would be my #1 request!

k said...

wow this makes me incredibly jealous. i wish i had stuff from a garden to cook with!!

Unknown said...

Envious! I would enjoy picking some fruit off trees and taking some veggies! Sadly we don't know anyone with a garden of good enough size to share! Looks like you guys made some really great stuff though!

Sam said...

This all looks so mouth watering! There's nothing quite like fresh produce for cooking with.

Stacey said...

I love that syrup and i especially like how it goes with vodka:-). Sometimes i could use a stiff drink. I wish i had this info 2 years ago. I had planted mint which grew like weed. I had so much in the garden that i didn't know what to do with it. Thanks for sharing and i must try that pear pizza too.

this free bird said...

the bf has peach, plum, orange and raspberries in his yard. it's smoothie heaven!!!

ps - i wish i had a ghost chair, too.

xoxo,
carrie

essbesee said...

chuh-chuh-chuh-chutney! yum!

Clair said...

Mouthwatering- Would you consider coming to my house to do some cooking? I would gratefully sample it all!
Clair

Valarie said...

I have fig trees. Would you like some fig jam? What a great bountiful harvest you found. Everything you made looks absolutely delicious. Hope all is well.

Lovely World said...

Wow! You made a lot here. I would like to make jam. I don't imagine it would be very difficult, but I have never given it a go. I've canned vegetables and frozen tons of fruit. But jam...

Nancy Grossi ~ Churned In Cali ~ The Wife of a Dairyman said...

LOVE the lime! and pear pizza?! I could eat entire pizza pie right now...it looks so good!

Bossy Betty said...

Beautiful harvest!! The pears are my favorite.

mermaid gallery said...

wow! it all sounds so wonderful! Such creativity! I have to try the pear pizza..it sounds so fresh and all those limes!!!yum yum....thanks for the inspiration.....

its simple love said...

I don;t have any fruit trees. I love that you made jam. Awesome. I know that is a lot of work.

Rachael

its simple love said...

Oh, and about the music, if you want to turn off the music you just go to the bottom of my blog and press pause on the music player down there.

Rachael

Gabbi said...

Omgosh... all looks so yummy and wholesome!! :)

LenoreNeverM♡re said...

Thanks for clarifying 'BedBathBeyond' haha...
Delicious post! Cheers to a wonderful season*

Mise said...

Pear pizza sounds amazing! Are you secretly a celebrity chef?

Unknown said...

wow, this all sounds (and looks) so wonderful!!!!

The Gallery Gal said...

I must agree... The pear pizza sounds delicious!!! My mouth is watering. Was it your own creation or a recipe?

Metropolitan Mum said...

Fruit trees? Not yet, but we plan on having them soon in close proximity. I always was a fan of cooking my own jams and jellies. Figs with red wine is one of my favourites.

Suzanne said...

I wish I had neighbors like yours! How cool you are cooking up such things! YummmmmmY!

Lady Grey said...

Oh how I love harvest time... it's magical!

Claire Kiefer said...

Okay so all this looks incredible and it's awesome that your neighbors let you benefit from their harvest! I just recently made a pear and rosemary pizza too (I used pear, ricotta, brie, rosemary, and this brown butter sauce)--not exactly healthy, but delicious. Looks like y'all were incredibly creative in the ways you used all that fruit . . . and peaches? My fave.

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