I missed my July post for “In My Kitchen” so I’m combining two months in one today.  This photo string is in somewhat chronological order from June and July.

You can read about my mint blackberry mint pepper jam here.

I didn’t pick quite as many blueberries but I had enough for two batches of jam (lemon blueberry jam and basil blueberry jam) and some Blueberry Banana Chocolate Bread. I also had enough for some blueberry-basil vinegar.

Jamming and canning became a bit simpler with this new gadget.

My sister has one and recommended it. It’s an electric canner. I can put it on the patio so it doesn’t heat up the whole kitchen like my old granite traditional canner did on the stove. It’s also smart so it will proceed through the steps of canning from heating jars to processing to cooling down.

This specimen was almost four feet long. A co-worker gave it to The Hubs.  It’s sometimes referred to as a gourd. (I had no idea there were edible gourd varieties.) We were told we could basically use it as a zucchini. We peeled it and shredded it and made one batch of quick bread and one batch of chocolate muffins. I think it might not have the moisture content of regular zucchini but it worked well for us. I want to get some seeds and grow cucuzza on trellises next year.

The pickled raisins above are a teaser. They were from a cookbook review (which I must get back to). Delicious idea and more to come with these in a Waldorf salad with a twist.

I fit in a four-day trip to Iowa to see mom. We visited Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, a lovely home and gardens. Worth the drive to Cedar Rapids for the tour.

While in Iowa, I picked more blueberries from my sister’s yard.

I went to Nashville in mid-July to a conference and ate the obligatory hot chicken at Hattie B’s.

We also did the touristy things like concerts at the Opry and the Ryman and a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Of course, I found some foodie books I wanted in the gift shop.

Feels Like Home by Linda Ronstadt and Lawrence Downes: “Grammy award-winning singer Linda Ronstadt effortlessly evokes the magical panorama of the high desert, a landscape etched by sunlight and carved by wind, offering a personal tour built around meals and memories of the place where she came of age. ”

South by Sean Brock: “Sean Brock’s influence on American Southern cooking during the twenty-first century has been striking. Although he has not been alone in advocating the return to ingredient varieties that had fallen out of the Southern culinary lexicon, through talent and tenacity he has been one of the most prominent voices raised on their behalf. At the same time, he continues to ask how the cuisine might evolve. In South Brock offers 125 touchstone recipes for contemporary Southern cooking. These are serious recipes for serious cooks, with the style and sophistication to anchor the menu of a fine dining restaurant but a commitment to traditional flavors and components that make the food unmistakably Southern. ”

Added to my library list as well. And, speaking of books…

I luckily run with some word nerds so the absolute first thing we did when we got off the plane was to go here:

This is the best bookstore ever and everywhere I looked I wanted another book.

Of course every Patchett book was signed.

Absolutely the best bookstore I ever visited! With all my book purchases, I’m surprised my luggage was not overweight for the flight home.

I bought four or five signed Ann Patchett books that I didn’t already have, a signed first-edition of Tommy Orange’s latest book, and a signed copy of this:

Bite by Bite  by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.  “From the New York Times bestselling author of World of Wonders, a lyrical book of short essays about food, offering a banquet of tastes, smells, memories, associations, and marvelous curiosities from nature. In Bite by Bite, poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil explores the way food and drink evoke our associations and remembrances—a subtext or layering, a flavor tinged with joy, shame, exuberance, grief, desire, or nostalgia.”

I can’t wait to dive in to this one and leave a review here.

The only foodie item I found this month was a great summer sipper.

We did have family here the third week of July and one of them is on a low FODMAP diet. Honestly, it wasn’t too tricky for us to incorporate (and I have to say I even felt a little better). I found two great recipes that I’m incorporating into our daily salad (and dip) routines. One is the Maple Mustard Dressing I posted for Cook the Books. (Scroll toward the bottom of that post and you’ll find the recipe.)

The other one is a riff on Melissa Ben-Ishay’s green goddess dressing.  I mentioned this recipe when I reviewed her cookbook, Come Hungry, back in April. I’m soooo glad I got around to making it! Here’s my riff on her recipe:

Thanks for sticking with me on my two-month catch up. Have a good August and see you back here soon. IMK is hosted by Sherry’s Pickings.

Oh, and at some point I had to do some work reading on the boat.

See you in September!

For all  my IMK posts, click here.