Dedicated to the memory of my Grandma Helen,
whose soul I imagine continues to garden in my heart.

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Imaginagarden Cuisine

September

Autumnal Work
Ralph Waldo Emerson

But when the harvest with ripe ears of corn
Grows yellow, and bright Titan with his Twins
Extend the day, and with this burning heat
Shall garlic join with onions, and with dill
The Cerealian poppies; and , when bound
In bundles, while they're green, to market bring;
And, when your wares are sold, with chearful voice
The praises of propitious Fortune found,
And to your gardens hasten back with joy;
And, in new-broken and well-wat'red ground
Sow basil, and with weighty cylinders
Compress it, lest the scorching heats pervade
The loose and open dust, and parch the seeds;
Or the small garden-insect, creeping in
By stealth, infest and vex them with its teeth;
Or the rapacious plund'ring ant destroy,
Not only dares the snail, wrapt in its shell,
And Hairy palmer-worm, presume to gnaw
Then tender buds and leaves; but, as soon as
The lurid cabbage, on its thriving stalk,
Begins to swell, and pale beet bulky grows;
And Gardn'r, free from fear, rejoices in
His adult wares, and , now they're ripe, prepares
The sickle to put in; oft-times fierce Jove
Does dart his grievous show'rs, and with hail-stones
The labours both of men and beasts destroys:
He, likewise, oft with rains, pregnant with seeds,
Pestiferous, bedews them, which produce
Those worms, which to grey willow-groves, and vines,
Are hurtful; and o'er all the gardens creeps
The caterpillar, which, with pois'nous bite,
Dries up the plants, which, of their comely hair
Bereft, lie mangled with their naked tops,
And with the baneful poison pine and die.

September 18

"Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vines do yield their strength."
~Joel 2:21-22 (KJV)

"The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell."
~Song of Solomon 2:13 (KJV)

Fig and Berry Gratin

12 ripe fresh figs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup Grand Marnier LIquor
1/2 cup raspberries

Prick the figs with a fork and place in a lightly greased glass round baking casserole. Combine cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar and sprinkle over the figs. Add the water to the dish. Bake uncovered, in 325 degree oven for 30 minutes, basting often. Combine the cream, butter, sugar and Grand Marnier. Fold in the raspberries and spoon over the hot figs. Return to oven and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve hot drizzled with cream and Grand Marnier.

*Figs have been flourishing since Biblical times. Not only are they fundamentally very healthy, being packed with minerals and fiver, they are versatile in how thy can be prepared. They do just fine being eaten alone and are great when cut into yogurt or added to granola. Figs can be incorporated into an appetizer by wrapping them with partially cooked bacon and broiling. But, the most favorite way of enjoying figs seems to be sinfully hidden in sugar, cream and butter. Be sure to enjoy some soon, as fresh figs are only available July through mid-October. Serve after a meal of Stuffed Eggplant or Spring Pea Linguine.

September 19

"To get the best results, you must talk to your vegetables."
~Prince Charles of Wales

"Too many cooks may spoil the broth, but it only takes one to burn it."
~Madeleine Bingham

Cream of All-Vegetable Soup

1 small bunch broccoli, cut int florets
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 large zucchini, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 large potato, peeled and shredded
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cup snap peas, broken into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 bay leaf
2 1/4 quarts hot vegetable stock
1 1/2 quarts milk
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sherry

Combine the broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, celery, mushrooms, potato, onion and snap peas in a large bowl. In a large stockpot, saute half the vegetables in 2 tablespoon of butter. Add the salt, peer and bay leaf. Saute for 8 to 10 minutes, then add the hot water and milk. In a separate smaller saucepan, melt the 1 cup butter and add flour , stirring to make a roux. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes stirring constantly. Slowly add to vegetable mixture while stirring. Add the rest of the vegetables to the stockpot. Stir in the sherry, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.

*Surely, you can think of a favorite vegetable or something from your garden that isn't in this All-Vegetable Soup. As usual, feel free to add and delete as convenient or as preferred. Serve with Sweet Potato Biscuits or Bacon Muffins.

September 20

"In search of my mother's garden I found my own"
~Alice Walker

"O thou Lord of life, send my roots rain."
~Gerard Manley Hopkins

Mom's Peach Cobbler

1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup water
3 cups peeled and sliced peaches
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup milk

In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, cornstarch and water to a boil and continue for 1 minute; remove from heat and add the peaches. Place fruit in a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Dot the fruit with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder., salt, shortening and milk. Mix together until just moist. Bake in 400 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes,or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve with vanilla ice cream.

*Many of the recipes in this book were either contributed or inspired by my mother. Of all of them though, this one sticks out as a favorite. The fall harvest was a busy season on our farm house growing up, and homemade peach cobbler was a quick and easy. It hel its heat well, so even hours after coming out of the oven, you could add a scoop of ice cream and it would melt into a heavenly swirl. Peaches seemed to taste better in those days. So, to now dream of those aromatic, juicy peaches just leaves a soft, warm, fuzzy feeling, jut like you find on a fresh peach skin. And, I can still picture my mom working over the counter, making the dough. But, for some reason, it doesn't get made as much as it deserves, getting buried amongst the latest and greatest by Martha Stewart. So, in honor of my mom's birthday, I intend to make it more often, and I hope you do too. Or better yet, dig our a favorite recipe from your Mom.

September 21

"Took it for granted"
When it was planted
That I had just enough.
Now during my days
I'm trying new ways
To use up all the stuff.
My basement is crammed,
It's been jellied and jammed;
Made into bread and cake.

It's been chopped and sliced
And grated and diced-
There's nothing else to make!
I've baked and canned it;
Boiled it and panned it.
And frozen all I need.
I have had my fill.
There's too much - and still
It's growing like a weed!"
~Madolyn Brown

Zucchini Salad

2 pounds zucchini, about 2 large, cut into 3/4 inch slices
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/2 cup large ripe pitted olives, quartered
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 clove garlic
1 avocado
1 red pepper, thinly sliced

Combine water and salt; pour over zucchini in saucepan and cook until tender crisp. Drain; add olives and set aside. Combine oil, vinegar, paprika, pepper, sugar and basil. Spear garlic on a toothpick; add to dressing. Pour over zucchini mixture and stir gently. Chill overnight. Several hours before serving, remove garlic. Peel avocado, cut into slices, and gently add to salad. Garnish with red pepper slices.

September 22

"We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumber, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions and the garlick:"
~Numbers 11:5 (KJV)

"Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night."
~Hal Borland

Garlic and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

6 large pasta shells, cooked al dente
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups mushrooms, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped basil
16 ounces cottage cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jar favorite marinara sauce
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta shells according to package directions and drain. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet and add mushrooms, garlic and basil. Cook on medium heat until soft. In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, cottage cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Add the sauteed vegetables to cheese mixture and blend well. Stuff the cooked shells with cheese mixture and arrange in a greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Pour marinara sauce over shells and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake in 375 degree oven fro 20 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

* If you are a moon follower,m you may be aware that the turn of the new moon, or the arrival of the autumn equinox, is the time to plant garlic,. You can mail order special types of garlic, but the ones purchased at the grocery store seem to grow equally well. Just make sure you use the biggest, fullest cloves and don;t over water. The Farmer's Almanac can give you precise planting dates per the moon cycles for all your vegetable crops.

"My garden is an honest place. Every tree and every vine are incapable of concealment, and tell after two or three months exactly what sort of treatment they have had."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

September 23

"If the people have no bread, let them eat cake."
~Marie Antoinette

"Sometimes... it takes me an entire day to write a recipe, to communicate it correctly. It's really like writing a little short story."
~Julia Child

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups mashed pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix together flour, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon. In a large mixing bowl, mix pumpkin, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Blend with dry ingredients. Add walnuts and chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until knife comes out of center clean. Eat plain or frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 ounces soft cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 - 2 teaspoons milk

Cream together the cream cheese, margarine and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Add milk if desired for softer texture.

September 24

"The autumn drifted away through all its seasons.
The golden corn-harvest, the walks through the stubble-fields,
and rambles into hazel-corpses in search of nuts;
the stripping of the apple-orchards of their ruddy fruit,
amid joyous cries and shouts of watching children;
and the gorgeous tulip-like coloring of the later time
had come on with the shortening days."
~Elizabeth Gaskell

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land,
And verily thou shalt be fed."
~Psalm 37:3 (KJV)

Molasses and Bran Buns

2 packages yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups All Bran cereal
1 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
12 - 14 cups flour
3/4 cup shortening, melted
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water. Set aside. In a large bowl, pour boiling water over the cereal and let sit for several minutes. Add the 1 cup cold water, molasses, eggs and salt; stir together. Add 1.2 cup flour and the yeast mixture. Beat with a wire whip until all combined. Let rise for 20 minutes. Add the melted shortening and enough flour to make dough stiff. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place into a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, place in a warm area and let rise about 1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down and shape into tennis ball size buns. Place onto greased cookie sheets minutes, or until golden brown. While still very warm, brush melted butter over tops of buns for a richer flavor and color.