End of summer.

The end of summer brings about lots of work.  Undoing the garden is not as much fun as planting it.  Here are all of my tomato plants with the majority of the fruit still green and attached. It was a great ab workout uprooting them. 

Cruz helped me organize the fruit by color.  What to do with all of those green tomatoes...

Two techniques that I read about to ripen tomatoes - one is to hang the entire plant upside down and let them continue to  redden on the vine.  Problem - I had 6 vines, each over 5 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide and not enough space to hang them.  I put one in the garage (which Miles and the neighbor boy promptly took as an invitation to pick the growing tomatoes off and chuck at our brick wall).  The others I layered in paper in a box and kept them in the garage (up high).  They have been ripening, so I am happy about that.  And we have been making lots of salsa.  Speaking of which, a new recipe (thanks to Amber) that is similar to our fave Cuca's has been a hit recently:

One dried California chili
3 tomatoes
Half of a white onion
3-5 garlic cloves
Bunch of cilantro
Salt to taste
squeeze of lime (optional)

Boil chili in water to reconstitute, about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes to boiling water and the skins will come off.  Put chili, tomatoes and some of the cooking liquid into blender.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend away.

This reminds me of another recent recipe that is easy and amazing and reminiscent of  Cuca's chicken taco's.  Next time you get a rotisserie chicken, try this one:  

Corn tortillas
Grapeseed Oil
(I don't know why but I think it contributes to the flavor but any oil would work)
Chicken
Cheese
Flaky Salt

Heat about 1/2-1 inch of oil in a pan (I use one big enough to cook about 4 at once)
Assemble chicken and cheese in center of each tortilla, fold in half and hold together with tongs in the oil until it cooks enough to hold itself, then move on to assembling next taco.  Flip when golden and crispy on one side. Remove from pan, drain oil while holding with tongs, place on paper towels and salt immediately.  You can add lettuce and tomatoes is you like as Cuca's does.  Any way is delicious.  You can also use other fillings.

With some of the green tomatoes I made green tomato pickles.  I'll probably never use these, but again, I needed to use every last one for my own peace of mind.  

I also dried and preserved my hydrangeas.  

I have an illness - and it involves making too much work for myself for no apparent reason.