It has rained here for most of the last week, with torrential downpours on Sunday and Monday. I picked these gorgeous eggplants in the rain on Monday, when I just went out for a few peppers.

There's something so satisfying about getting soaked in a cool autumn rain while picking the last of the veg for this season.

I'm hoping to plant a fall garden but it's way too wet right now and more rain expected this weekend. But I will have more chances to plant for "wintered-over greens" as the ground dries up some.

Planning to cook these sweet young thangs tomorrow night--after a long day of being at the computer, catching up on email and trying to fix a problem with Outlook Express. Standing at the counter with a sharp knife, with some sizzling garlic in olive oil and slicing tender eggplant will be a nice reward. Not to mention eating the things.

Next, I'll tell you the exciting adventure of creating a rustic wine--red currant. With another batch of grape wine fermenting in the carboy, we turned our sights on a fruitier wine.

Gad zooks, what will be next? Parsnip wine? I have to save the elderberries for tincture, you know.

Cortland Apples

I went to the farmers' market on a wild hunch today and scored some local Cortland apples. I have several varieties that are my absolute favorite--most heirloom varieties. I'm sentimental about Cortlands because the old and dying apple tree in my backyard looks to be a Cortland.

The fruit is good for a lot of things--eating out of hand, crisp, sauce. I prefer a tougher apple for apple butter but in a pinch, Cortland will do.

I made some lead pork medallions for lunch today and they require some apple sauce, too. So, as I type this on my netbook in the kitchen, an apple crisp is almost ready to come out of the oven and the apple sauce is whistling on top of the stove.

This is also corn season in western NC but I was disappointed once again. Some fat Silver Queen was available...but...when I was a kid, my family preferred what they called "horse corn," a durable silage corn that was probably used by most folks to make hominy. We didn't like overly sweet corn or overly tender corn and I'd love to eat some of that big-kerneled, rough corn again.

We boiled it for a while and then slathered it in butter and salt. My, it was good.

Cooking Taters

I cooked up a beautiful batch of little potatoes--you know the drill: olive oil to coat, a little salt, a low temperature. Then I tossed them in chopped parsley and cranked ona little black pepper.

Yes, they were good.

I spent a brief but happy time earlier today picked lettuces out of the Italian garden. Here they are, ready to slide into a baggy and into the fridge. I love the tenderness of garden fresh greens, don't you?

We're having a very good eggplant year, too.

My next goal is grape jelly sometime this week. It's leftover grapes from the wine, which is happily perculating in the kitchen.

Did I mention all those peppers? Pickling time, perhaps.