June 18, 2012

Meet my little gardening friends. You’ll hear more about them later. Leaning over the fence on Saturday, we talked about compost, snails and apricots. They each ate one apricot and begged for another. Don’t you love their smiles and pure delight?

I’ve dispatched most of the 90 pounds of apricots. About five pounds chill in the refrigerator and another five ripen on the counter. Forty pounds, by my husband, Ken’s estimate, linger on the tree, probably ten days from being ripe.

Ken requested apricot cobbler for his recent birthday  The tree and I obliged. This is my Mom’s recipe and along with her apricot jam, she is remembered for her legendary cobbler. The recipe lends itself to most any summer fruit. I add grated nutmeg with the dry ingredients, less butter and substitute cornstarch for the flour mixed with the fruit.

To have a repeat performance after apricot season or to make other Rustic Fruit Desserts, I freeze individual halves.

Dipping the apricot halves in citrus juice prevents them from browning. When frozen, I toss them into a freezer bag (actually double bagged).

I plan to make Mom’s apricot jam soon. Now should I do that before or after I get the tomatoes in the ground? Apricots have slowed the summer garden progress.

Apricot smoothies for breakfast–what a treat!

Apricot compote daily now and all through the winter.

Oh by the way, apricots are pronounced with a long "A". Though there might be a bi-coastal moment here–a short “A”, rhyming with nap, I’ve never opted for the latter pronunciation. We grow them here in the West, New England can’t, so it’s settled for me.

Harvest Monday is hosted by Daphne’s Dandelions. It’s a time to share what you’re harvesting in your garden or how you’re using it.