Droughtfruit

This summer was tough on our vegetable garden, a casualty of the drought that affected much of North America. Because we don't actually have vaporators, only about 60% of our garden came to fruition.

Undaunted, we turned to our most prolific produce to see what we could make of peppers, tomatoes and (believe it or not!) watermelon*.

Last year we were (happily!) overrun with cucumbers so I quickly learned how to make preserves and, with the help of Krista and various visitors to Small Pond, made jar after jar of relish, bread & butter pickles, and garlic dill pickles. With nary a cucumber in sight this year, we decided to try our hand at salsa, and last night Krista and I preserved eight jars of it, using a recipe provided by our friend Elizabeth D'Anjou. 

Salsa!

Perfect peppers.

Tomatoes, scored for easy peeling.

Tomatoes taking an ice bath.

Then it was on to a depression-era recipe that a recent visitor mentioned to us...pickled watermelon rinds!

Prepping the watermelon.

Pickling the part you normally discard.

Watermelons in the sun.

Only two jars, but lovely.

And finally, a refreshing and sweet treat...

Fresh watermelon sorbet (secret ingredient: vodka)

If there is a lesson to be learned from all of this, which is dubious, it is this: if you can't pickle the one you love, pickle the one you're with! 

*UPDATE, 06 September 2012:

Our very first watermelon harvest.

That speck near the top is the moon.

Gorgeous and delicious!