Damn Good Case of the Mexicali Blues

Yesterday, I decided that I was going to have quesadillas for dinner, but realized I was completely out of salsa. I thought about running to the store, but didn't really want to go just for one item. Then I figured if I was getting salsa, I may as well get tortilla chips too. As I was sitting at work mentally running through the inventory in my kitchen, it dawned on me: why not make my own chips and salsa?! Recently I have been overrun with tomatoes, peppers, and onions; this plan was perfect! Just one minor problem...how exactly do I make salsa?

Tortilla chips were the easy part, and I had made these in the past. All you need are corn tortillas, oil (I prefer the aerosol olive oil), and kosher salt. Preheat the oven to around 350°F. Next, place tortillas on a baking sheet lined with foil, spray or drizzle the oil on the tortillas, and then sprinkle with salt. When the oven is hot, place the baking sheet in the oven for about 15-20 min. Just be sure to watch them so they don't burn! Once you take them out, let them cool and
then break into bits. That's it!

Moving on to the salsa. Not only did I not really know what I was doing, but it meant I had to get back to the cutting board and face the peppers. This time it was not just bell peppers either; it was time to battle a jalapeno and a serrano chile as well. I was extra cautious and wrapped my one hand in a plastic bag while handling the peppers. I am happy to report that I managed to dodge the capsaicin! Below is roughly the recipe I came up with for the salsa, but some of the things I just eye-balled; taste often to adapt the recipe to fit your palette.

2 large tomatoes (chunked)*

1/3 medium white onion (chunked)

1 small/medium bell pepper (chunked)

1 jalapeno (chunked)

1 serrano chile (chunked)

1 tbsp minced garlic plus some juice from jar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp lime juice

kosher salt to taste

*Prior to cutting up the tomatoes next time, I will slice them and place them between paper towels to drain some of the water from them.

• Place the peppers and onion in a blender and pulse on "chop" several times until chopped into relatively small pieces. When desired size, empty into a bowl and set aside.
• Place the tomatoes in the blender and proceed as you did with the peppers and onions, but leave the tomatoes in the blender.
• Mix the peppers and onions in with the tomatoes and add the garlic, lime juice, and olive oil. Blend until desired consistency.
• Finally empty into bowl and stir in the salt to suit your taste.
• This can be served immediately, but tastes better if you place in the refrigerator for a bit.

Chips, salsa, and quesadillas in under an hour; Rachel Ray and her pre-packaged goods can see me in hell!

Lesson Learned 1: And it Burns, Burns, Burns Like a Ring of Fire

Capsaicin--the component of peppers that determines their hotness a.k.a. how much pain they inflict. I knew that when handling extra hot peppers, gloves were suggested; however, I never dreamed an innocent bell pepper could cause so much pain!

As I was making dinner the other night, I decided that I wanted to harvest the seeds from the pepper I was using (from an amazing farm in West Virginia; Kitchen's Orchard), so I could plant the seeds in the spring. After cutting off the top of the pepper I simply used my hand/fingernails to scrape the seeds from the membrane. I really didn't think much of it, until about 15 minutes later when my finger started to burn. At first, I figured I must have accidentally touched something hot on the stove, but then it started to spread, and the pain quickly intensified.

Through process of elimination, I figured it had to be something with the peppers. I tried scrubbing my hands with soap and water to no avail, so I did what all good children do: called my mother. After chastising me for cutting up peppers without gloves, we argued for awhile as I tried to explain that I was merely handling innocent little bell peppers! Anyway, she told me to go soak my hand in milk.

This alleviated the pain for a bit, but then the milk started to get warm. I placed the milk in the freezer to chill, only to find my hand virtually aflame. I figured there had to be a more immediate solution out there somewhere, so with my one working hand I did some Googling. I found remedies ranging from using alcohol (both externally and internally) to making biscuits (something to do with kneading causing pores to open and the flour and the shortening extracting the capsaicin). I decided to forgo the drinking and the baking and try out a bevy of household products instead. Clorox, rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, olive oil, lemon juice, toothpaste--I was willing to try ANYTHING.

By the time I went through virtually half the items in my kitchen and bathroom, my hand was REALLY on fire and the pain was starting to creep under my fingernails. It was back to the trusty bowl of milk for me. Four hours of soaking later, my hand still hurt, but I needed to go to bed. I didn't think keeping the bowl of milk on my nightstand was a viable option, so I ended up sleeping with an ice pack bound to my hand with a Pucci scarf. The next morning showering was quite a feat, and driving to work was sheer agony. I spent most of the day at work with my hand in a plastic bag of milk: do I even need to elaborate on my co-workers' reactions?

My hand finally started to feel normal by late afternoon, but what baffled me most was what went wrong? I frequently cook with peppers, and I've never had this problem before. Plus, bell peppers are one of the mildest of the pepper family! Amidst my remedy research, I found my answer. Apparently the largest concentration of capsaicin is in the membrane that holds the seeds in place. This would explain why it never was an issue; I had never tried to harvest seeds from peppers. Needless to say, I will definitley wear gloves next time! Talking about learning a lesson the hard way...

Weekend Outing

I had said that I was not allowed to buy any more plants, but when I went to Merrifield Garden Center this past weekend, all bets were off!

There are two locations in the area; my friends and I visited the Fair Oaks location. At roughly 30-40 minutes outside D.C., this nursery is well worth the drive! In addition to a plethora of plants, there were these amazing displays!

My favorites were the ones with the different mosses.

They also had these really great water displays. I think it's time to figure out how I can incorporate a water fixture into my mini-garden.

Perhaps something like this?!

All in all, I didn't do too badly. I only came home with a

Poppy,

Bergenia,

and a Wandering Jew!

Meet the Plants

Here's a glimpse of my mini-organic garden.
I have a Purple Cherokee heirloom tomato, a Better Bush tomato, a purple bell pepper, a Sweet Banana pepper, scallions, basil, spearmint, and lavender.

I used to think shoe sales were my weakness; however, I've found that I can barely drive past a nursery without stopping, much less walk out of one empty-handed! The one advantage of having limited space on my back porch, is that I don't come home with enough plants to start my own farmer's market. I guess it is also helpful that there are only so many plants, pots, and bags of dirt that can fit into a Mini Cooper.

Albeit, good things can come from impulse purchases. Take, for instance, this amazing hanging strawberry plant! Growing up, I loved the strawberry patch we had beside our house. There's absolutely nothing better than a nice juicy strawberry that's been soaking in the sun. As much as I love strawberries, I didn't think I would be able to have any given the constraints of my back porch. Of course, that was until I discovered that apparently you can get hanging strawberry plants: sheer Genius!

Check back soon for not only updates, but tricks I've learned, mistakes I've made, and vermin I've battled...

How it all Began

Being from West Virginia, I thought I knew a thing or two about gardening. This spring when I started my very own garden (of the container variety) I quickly realized how little I actually knew about gardening. Despite hours of online research, no one told me that a monsoon might hit at 4:00 a.m. and I would have to run outside in my pajamas to save my little seedlings from drowning. Nor did I think that due to the aforementioned rain, I would spend much of the spring with my bathtub filled with waterlogged plants. And I most certainly was not told that I would spend many a morning chasing squirrels around my backyard in my bathrobe...