Garden

I have uploaded some pictures of my garden:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2844403&id=6846068&l=bfd1299558

I also took a picture of my all Indiana dinner from tonight. When I got home I didn't know what I wanted, but after looking through the fridge I decided on:

Brat with kraut and mustard + a 1 egg omelet with fresh corn, garlic, peppers, and cheese, all cooked in butter from Berne. It was complimented very well by the Hoosier Honey Wheat beer from Bee Creek Brewery in Brazil, Indiana.

I also wanted to share something fun and Indiana I made last night. It started with a trip on Sunday to the Irvington Farmer's Market. It wasn't the largest market I've been to, but it had the most sense of community. Once a month Irvington hosts a market in Ellenberger Park. There were the vendors you would expect, but live music and a lot of community outreach (state agencies, political candidates, Irvington associations).

I was there near the end of the day. This gave me a great chance to talk to the people from Harvest Cafe Coffee. I was already familiar and in love with their coffee. Want a good dark roast, look no further than Black Magic. On this trip I got to talk about their tea. I have been wanting to make a nice sun tea this summer and got from them an Apricot Tea and a Raspberry Herbal Tea. I also picked up an Earl Grey that I am going to use to make a mint tea with the mint and stevia in my garden.

As I was walking through the market I cam across caramels made by jevelyn confections. She was also selling caramel popcorn, but I wanted to make my own! I bought a pack of her caramels and went home. I pulled out of the cabinet some popcorn from Mozingo Farms and popped it on top of my range. As it was finishing up I melted the caramel and drizzled it on top. Another great Indiana treat and so fun to make. If you have only ever made microwave popcorn, here is an easy approach on top of the stove.

Place a heavy bottom pan on top of the stove. Coat the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil and heat on low heat. Place one kernel in the pan and cover the top. Now listen. After the 1 kernel pops you are ready to put in another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of kernels. It will take between 5 to 10 minutes for the first kernel to pop. Place the lid back on top and shake the pot some the kernels all get covered in the oil. Keep cooking on low heat. You will hear the popping start in about 5 minutes. Wait until it slows down and then pour your popcorn into a bowl. You may want to check the popcorn while it pops, but if you take the lid off, be ready for an aerial attack of popping corn!. You can of course melt butter, melt caramels, or just put some salt on top.