Berry Busy

Erik and I spent the morning at the Portland Farmer's Market.  Our weather was stunning.  Summer has finally arrived in the Northwest. Here's our weather forecast for the next several days:

I realize that some of you are slow-roasting in record-setting heat. If you consider, however, that it has been raining in Oregon since last September, you'll understand why we are bragging about our great weather.  Don't worry, it will only last until about Labor Day, and then we'll be back to another year of rain.  And besides, you have thriving vegetable gardens.  Mine is a total loss this year. Even the zucchini is a failure, and you know it's a bad year in gardening when zucchini won't grow.

No matter because we are very lucky to have a wonderful Farmer's Market.  Today I picked up some red raspberries.

Those were promptly doused in vodka to make raspberry-infused vodka.  I blogged about how to make berry-infused vodka when I made it last year.  And I told you what to do with it too.  (Hint:  It starts with lemon, and ends with drop.)

And I got some pretty peaches, which were promptly put into a peach pie.  (Absolutely awesome alliteration, huh?)  For whatever reason, I've had a yen for peach pie.  I think it was all the peach recipes that came out in Food & Wine recently.  Anyway . . . these were so fragrant, I could smell them as we approached.  And they are also very sweet.  This variety is called "Red Haven," but I would call them "Red Heaven".

And here's my beautiful pie!

Also, I got some blueberries, which are in season for us now. Tomorrow I'm going to make blueberry chutney out of these guys. I'll tell you how I do it then.  And allow me to say just one thing about blueberry chutney:  Yum.

And I found these monster zucchini.  They aren't very good for eating, but they make great zucchini relish.  I'll be making that on Tuesday.  I'll show you how to do that too.  It's the simplest thing, and so good on sandwiches, hamburgers, and hot dogs.

And finally, just because they were beautiful, some tomatoes.  I'm not sure where these came from, but I'm guessing Southern Oregon.  It's a little early here in Portland for ripe tomatoes.  Still, these looked and smelled so good that I brought some home.  They aren't for anything fancy.  They're for eating like apples.

Not much sewing going on lately.  It's too beautiful to be stuck in my basement sewing room.  Time to be outside, soaking up some of that Vitamin D.