Cool October nights are bringing the garden season to a close. While I still have some tomatoes on the vine, and more still green, they are mostly done. I harvested these, and I’ll pull up the plants when the first frost occurs.
There is still one squash left on the vine, and it finally appears to be ripening into a golden-tan color.
We are finally seeing a bit of color on some trees.
Because the black cherry tomatoes were unusual and flavorful, I saved some of those seeds for next year. See my method on my previous post Saving Seeds.
While I was out working in the planter bed, I decided to dig up the basil and pot it so I could have it in the kitchen over the winter. In the process of doing that, I broke one of the branches with a few leaves. I have these cute little mason jars that were salt and pepper shakers but the lids corroded. So they sit on the kitchen window sill just as a decoration. I put the branch in one with some water, intending to only keep it alive for a day or two until I could use it.
Naturally, I didn’t get to it right away, and in a week it had roots.
That got me thinking about using Mason jars as small planter pots for some herbs in the kitchen over the winter. I dug up the parsley, and planted it in a jar. There are a couple of advantages to using clear glass jars for this. First, I can easily see now much water is in the jar, so I don’t overdo it, and conversely I can tell when it needs water. The jars don’t leak either.
With the last of the garden tomatoes, and a few from the farmer’s market, I cut slices and laid them out on a baking tray sprayed with cooking spray. I added a thick slice of onion so it wouldn’t dry out and burn, and a whole clove of garlic with just the very tip top cut off. A little olive oil was drizzled on the onion and garlic.
Baked at 350º for one hour, the tomatoes have released most of their water, and the onion and garlic are nicely roasted but not burnt.
I used half the garlic for the jam, and put the other half in a glass jar in the refrigerator for use later. Then I put the garlic, onion and tomatoes in a food processor. Voila, tomato jam! This is delicious on crackers with a bit of cream cheese, or use as a base for pizza. The intense fresh tomato flavor is so good! I add some to bottled tomato sauces for pasta dishes, too.
I harvested the remaining basil leaves, washed them and set them on a paper towel to dry. These can be added to the tomato jam, used chopped in sauces while fresh, or frozen to use later. When the leaves are frozen, they break into flakes easily and add fresh basil taste to dishes.
While you are cleaning up the garden, now is the time to plant bulbs if you like lots of daffodils and other spring blooms from bulbs. Plant them with a bit of bone meal for lovely flowers.
This week, a fun new cookbook arrived in the mail with some fabulous recipes to use the last of the garden harvest, Milk Street’s Simple (now on introductory sale at Milk Street’s website!). When I get a new cookbook, I like to sit down with it and a pad of tiny sticky notes. I put one on the top of the page of a recipe I’d like to try where I already have all the ingredients. I put one on the side if I need to add something to my grocery list for it. You can see, this book has much to try!! The first recipe I put a note on was on page 3! Shrimp and Avocado Tostadas.
The first one I actually made was further in the book, and used Brussels sprouts with bacon and apple. It sounded so good, I had to try it since I already had everything I needed. Begin with cooking the bacon.
While it cooks, mix up the dressing.
Trim the Brussels sprouts and slice them. I sliced each one into four slices. This makes them cook a lot faster than just halving them.
Drain the bacon, wipe out the pan and begin sauteing the apples.
Add everything back to the pan and cook through.
Toss with a bit of dressing. I served it with roasted chicken. The balance of apple sweetness to vinegar tartness with the onion, meaty bacon and sprouts was superb.
One thing I did try that I liked a lot was to use a balsamic glaze instead of the mustard dressing on my second serving. Yum! There were no leftovers.
Download the recipe to try – Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apple
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Milk Street will give away a copy of their latest publication Simple, just published yesterday to a lucky commenter on today’s post. If you love trying new flavors, get 15% off your first purchase at Milk Street with code MILK15. See their sale page and super store for fantastic bargains. Check out Milk Street’s Simple (now on introductory sale at Milk Street’s website!) and their gift selections, what would you like to have in your Christmas stocking this year?
Just added! Milk Street announced a 30% off Sale, today through Sunday 10/22/23 on the Made By Milk Street product lines including knives, cookware, cookbooks, aprons, linens, pantry items and more. Click on Milk Street Sale! to see all the bargains. No codes required, sale prices are on the website.
From My Carolina Home 
Milk Street: Noodles but my stocking is way too small. Maybe I’ll have to purchase a new one for this year.
I love that idea–use mason jars for planter pots!
You mentioned freezing your basil leaves but I was wondering if you just lay them out on something and place in freezer or some other method? Sounds like a great idea and I have a couple of plants still growing and going. Thanks!!
I put them in a zip top bag in a jumble. Once frozen, they break into flakes with handling.
Brussel sprouts & bacon! You can’t go wrong. Meanwhile I had to chuckle over your sticky notes, it looks like you added one to every page. LOL
I would so love to have the Folkroll Medium Rolling Pin Snowflakes in my Christmas stocking this year.
What a great idea to make mason jars into planters! I like transplanting herbs from the garden into a kitchen sill planter. Nothing like fresh herbs!
I am hoping that Santa brings me Milk Street’s Alphonso Mango Puree. Sounds divine!
Thanks for another wonderful post. Great way to start the day!
Jo Anne Seccurra
Simple is the name of the game at my house lately. So I would love to get the new Simple cookbook. Need some new ideas, like your yummy-looking bacon and brussels sprouts! Hubby has bad memories of them being overcooked by his mom, so I’ve only made them once in 52 years. But maybe sautéing them and adding bacon will change his mind. We’ll give it a try!
I have tried some recipes from the World in a Skillet cookbook – but Simple sounds like something wonderful to try also. I try to “audition” cookbooks from the library before I add them to my shelf! Happy Fall!
I wonder if this recipe would get my husband to eat brussels sprouts. It does sound good
LOL, it might! Don’t forget to visit Milk Street and answer the question of the day to be entered into the drawing.
Milk Street has the most interesting items on their website. I broke my daughter’s pizza stone some time ago, Ouch! Would love to replace it with the Fiero Forni Italian Pizza Stone. Your tomato jam recipe looks so good. Definitely going to add it to my recipe book.
Thank you for the tip about freezing basil. I have been disappointed with just drying it. I’ll also try this recipe for Brussels Sprouts. Yum!
The Brussel sprouts recipe looks delicious! I would love to add the new Milk Street Simple cookbook to my collection.
Another fantastic sounding brussels sprout recipe! I’ll definitely be trying this one. I’ve never frozen basil (no room in my small freezer), but I’ve dried it in my microwave. It dries quite easily that way and seems much more flavorful than what I’ve bought at the store. And now I’m hungry, lol.
The Milk Street Precision Rolling Pin would be ideal for rolling out my grandma’s sour cream sugar cookies!
A new cookbook what could be better!!
So many good tips in this post! So many fantastic gift in Milk Street’s store. I don’t have an adventurous husband, so the SIMPLE cookbook would be a welcome addition to my cookbook shelf!
I would love Milk Street cookbook as my stocking gift. The brussel sprout recipe sounds delicious and I’m going to try it.
You are always cooking up something yummy! The roasted tomato, onion, and garlic look like they would be a delicious combination. At Milk Street, those Flex-It measuring cups look handy!
Read through my new Vegatables book I couldn’t resist last time I was visited Mild Street. I would love any one of those knives in my stocking this year.
I want that Precision Rolling pin!
I love that snowflakes rolling pin. I can imagine using it to roll the dough and then use cookie cutters to make the cookie. Thanks.
I’m so excited to see the basil root. I have never tried it here. Our tomatoes were so late this year, but our warm weather is finally giving us an abundance. I’ll have to roast some for future use. Although the link to Milk Street didn’t work for me, I follow them and Christopher Kimball. I’ve been eyeing that precision peeler.
When the links don’t work, it is the email server adding code to the link that breaks it. I’ll talk about this on Saturday. In the meantime, just click on the post title to see the post online, and the links work. Using my links may provide a small commission on any sales, which helps support the costs of the blog, shipping prizes, along with materials for free patterns and fun events.
Thanks, Carole. I’ll do that. I’ve just used a search engine in the past, but will try that instead in the future.
I would love the ginger confit. I love ginger and this would be fast and easy.
That was fun ~ looking at all the fun items in the gift section. I especially like the “Dark Cherry” Balsamic to go along with the Tuesday Mediterranean cookbook!
I could almost taste the brussel sprouts dish ~ delish! I wonder how that Dark Cherry Balsamic would go with the dish, hmm.
WAY CUTE SITE! The Piggy Steamer Lid, who would not want one. The book looks like a wonderful addition to anyone’s cooking library. Thanks for sharing the site. And the Brussel Sprout recipe.
Okay, this is one of the best Fall posts I’ve read (and imagine tasting, too!) this month. Yum and fun!
The thing on freezing Basil – I discovered that by accident years ago – it’s way easier and tastier than hanging the bunches out to air dry IMHO!
Milk street has so many great gifts. I think I would choose Shortbread House Sarah Miller original cookies. They would be a yummy treat
Their new cookbook sounds great, I need to have new recipes to try. I get stuck in a rut of making the same things over and over.
Thanks for the garden update, always interesting to know what you are doing there
I would be excited to see the Kitchin-to knife in my stocking this Christmas. I’ve enjoyed cooking from the several Milk Street books.
I like your method of putting bookmarks on the top or side of a cookbook to indicate if you have all the ingredients or not.
I would like to cook more than I have been. “Cook What You Have” looks fantastic to me. Thank you.
The Brussel sprouts, apple and bacon look yummy! Definitely will try it. I have saved seeds and have still some tomatoes growing voluntarily from compost in my garden cart—South Carolina coastal winters!
Thanks for sharing the new brussels sprout recipe. I love sprouts. I think I would like to find that cookbook Cook What You Have in my stocking.
I can smell the dinner all the way here! On my way to the store right now! Great idea on how to save seeds. Thanks!
I love Brussels sprouts !! (No one else does 🤣)…I’m
Going to try this recipe soon !!
We had no garden this year …
We did stop at all the roadside stands and gave them frequent business …(without all
The work !!)
The Brussel sprout recipe sounds delicious! It sounds like something I would like to try. Thanks for sharing this with us!
I’ve tried brussel sprouts with bacon and onion, but never thought of adding apple too, must try that next time.
Love to try the carmelized onion jam.
What fun gifts to peruse – I would take some of that vanilla hot chocolate with almond – yum. I printed out the brussels sprouts recipe – thanks.
Oh I love that idea for freezing basil! I still have some here that I need to freeze pronto! Love Milkstreet and I still am focusing on that cool precision rolling pin that you introduced to us previously on the blog! Their chili oil sounds nice too!
Both the tomatoes and sprouts have yielded wonderful flavors in your kitchen. It’s making me hungry! And the mason jars for planting is a good idea. Love that your basil rooted quickly. More to come, I hope!
I have never, ever had a good knife. I need a knife. This looks like a nice one: Milk Street Funayuki All-Purpose Prep Knife It would fit in my stocking.
Dear Santa,
Please bring me the samp
Oh, I can just imagine how wonderful the aromas are, wafting from your kitchen. I love brussel sprouts and these sound heavenly. Milk Street- from the gift aisle….SandStone and Sage Organic Cotton Produce Bags – 7-Piece Set
You have taught me a few new things about basil! I almost always grow a bushy plant outside every summer, but then it goes spindly and the frost gets it. I didn’t realize it would root in water, nor did I know the leaves could be frozen! I will try this next summer for sure! One thing I like on Milk Street’s gift page is Serrv International Double Vine Bread Warmer in Natural Basket.
I have other Milk St. books, but this title sounds tempting to buy also.
What fun gifts to peruse – I would take some of that vanilla hot chocolate with almond – yum. I printed out the brussels sprouts recipe – thanks
The Brussels sprouts dish looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks.
I’m always looking for another way to prepare Brussels sprouts. Didn’t think about mixing them with apples! Brussels sprouts have come a long way from when they were just boiled and served!
Vegji Bag reusable storage bags sound interesting…but this cookbook could be my favorite idea!
The brussel sprouts sound delicious! I think I’m going to buy this cookbook for my husband who loves to cook, it’ll be a great Christmas gift!
I just received my seasons cookbook from Milk Street but I’m not at home right now because I just got married! I’ll be making some dinners from it with my new husband.
In my Christmas Stocking I’d love to find the Poterie Renault Small Wine Jug! It’s absolutely beautiful and practical!