This week, we decided to finally use some of the vegetables from the garden. The peppers could still get a little bigger, but I couldn't wait any longer! Valeria remembered an ají salsa that her mom used to make, and I love anything spicy, so she picked a couple of banana peppers from the garden and put it together for me. This ají might just be my new favorite spicy salsa, and it doesn't take long to make either - check out my new recipes page for the details!
I also hadn't made my pesto in a long time and we had lots of basil, so I decided to make that as well with some fresh pasta. It takes a lot of basil and a lot of patience, but it is completely worth it! It's punchy, rich and beautifully done in the style of Italian grannies, who have years of wisdom in traditional methods of cooking. Much of my inspiration comes from the Pasta Grannies YouTube channel, and I also picked up some tips from the Fat episode of Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix (check it out around 13:30).
While there are many tomatoes growing, I have lost a few to blossom end rot. I've been reading up on this, and it sounds like it typically happens due to overwatering. I only water the bales a couple of times a week if it hasn't rained, so this goes to show how much moisture the bales really do hold. Thankfully, only one of the tomato plants has been affected and we've tapered way back on the watering. And, we have our first big boy tomato turning red to look forward to!
Unfortunately, I also have been unable to locate any female flowers on my squash plants, so I still haven't been able to pollinate them. The plants are really large and growing quickly, so I'm trying to hold out hope for more females. There's still plenty of summer left!
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