FAREWELL SWEET SEPTEMBER ~ A GARDEN STROLL

"With the first gleam of morning rays, the garden is a prism of a thousand hues refracted in tiny does of crystal dew, a dazzling quilt of millefleur colors covering the sleeping flower beds."

~ Duane Michals (The Vanishing Act)

This morning's garden prism

ANNABELLE HYDRANGEA

GAILLARDIA (Blanketflower)

OAK LEAF HYDRANGEA

CONEFLOWER

(Echinacea purpurea 'Prairie Splendor')

CONEFLOWER

(Echinacea)

VARIEGATED TOAD LILY

(Tricyrtis)

Oak Leaf Hydrangea, Sedum, Annabelle Hydrangea, Nasturtium, Coleus,

Heuchera, Anemome, Verbena, Streptocarpus, Turtlehead,

Sedum, Alyssum, Hydrangea, Oxalis, Coleus, Phlox,

Coreopsis, Japanese Painted Fern-Heuchera, Hydrangea, Coneflower, Phlox, Cyclamen

CYCLAMEN

A hint of September's many garden miracles

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"But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my possessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head ... The harvest has dwindled, and I have grown apart from the intense midsummer relationship that brought it on."

~ Robert Finch

MUM'S AUTUMNAL FACE (MONDAY MUSING) ~ CARAMELIZED ONION PORK TENDERLOIN with CRANBERRY-CHERRY CHUTNEY / ROASTED GOAT CHEESE POTATOES

"No Spring nor Summer Beauty hath such grace

As I have seen in one Autumnal face."

~ John Donne

Basket of Mums

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CARAMELIZED ONION PORK TENDERLOIN

with CRANBERRY/CHERRY CHUTNEY

~ A 'winner autumnal dinner' adapted from April 1999 COOKING LIGHT magazine

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2 (1 lb. or more) well-trimmed pork tenderloins

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:

1 thinly sliced onion

juice and zest of 1 lemon

6 Tbsp. dry red wine

2 crushed garlic cloves

Dried Cranberry/Cherry Chutney:

4 cup dried cranberries and/or cherries

1 cup sugar

2 cups orange juice

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar

1 cup diced Vidalia (sweet) onions

1/2 cup raspberry vinegar

2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. minced jalapeno pepper

2 Tsp. cilantro

1 tsp. cardamom

1 tsp. ground cumin

juice and zest of 1 fresh lemon

1 tsp. ground cloves

2 (3-in.) cinnamon sticks

Caramelized Onions:

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 cups thinly sliced onions (red or yellow)

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup dry red wine

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

• Combine ingredients for marinade and pour into zip-lock bad. Add tenderloins, seal and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Cranberry/Cherry Chutney: (make ahead) Combine all ingredients in large saucepan, bring t boil, reduce heat and cook uncovered until thick (abut 1 hour), stirring occasionally. Discard cinnamon sticks. Place in airtight container and chill until ready to serve. (Leftovers delicious on block of cream cheese, brie, or log of goat cheese.)
• To Serve: Remove met from marinade and discard marinade. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Prepare Caramelized Onions*. Place pork on hot grill, reduce heat to medium-high, close cover and grill 10 minutes. Turn and continue grilling for another 10 minutes (internal temperature of 160º - slightly pink). Or bake at 425º for 20 minutes. Let rest before slicing 1/4-inch thick slices. Serve with Caramelized Onions and Cranberry/Cherry Chutney. (8 servings).

* Caramelized Onions: Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with sugar (helps onions to brown) and continue cooking for 25 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring constantly. Add wine and cook for 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.

ROASTED GOAT CHEESE POTATOES

8 well scrubbed favorite potatoes, cut into small wedges

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

3 minced garlic cloves

chopped fresh rosemary to taste

coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

6-8 z. crumbled goat cheese

additional freshly chopped rosemary

• Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and rosemary and toss with potatoes. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes or longer.
• Preheat oven to 425º. Drain potatoes and spread on lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake 45 minutes, turning occasionally, for 45 minutes or until browned.
• Place in bowl and toss with crumbled goat cheese Sprinkle with fresh chopped rosemary.

BLESSED BE 'AUTUMNAL EQUINOX' ~ WELCOME 'AUTUMN HARMONY'

"There is a harmony
In autumn, and a lustre in its sky,
Which through the summer is not heard or seen,
As if it could not be, as if it had not been!"

~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

Hubbard Lake Sunset

(Autumnal Equinox)

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"Equal dark, equal light

Flow in Circle, deep insight

Blessed Be, Blessed Be

The transformation of energy!

So it flows, out it goes

Three-fold back it shall be

Blessed Be, Blessed Be

The transformation of energy!"

~ Night An'Fey

(Transformation of Energy)

'LIKE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS' ~ COLEUS 'Mint Chocolate'

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

COLEUS (Solenostemon) 'Mint Chocolate'

"In the right light, at the right time,

everything is extraordinary. "

~ Aaron Rose

'THY ETERNAL SUMMER SHALL NOT FADE' (MID-SEPTEMBER FAVORITES) ~ PISTACHIO PESTO PASTA with GRILLED LEMON SCALLOPS

"But thy eternal summer shall not fade."

~ William Shakespeare

ANNABELLE HYDRANGEA

PISTACHIO PESTO PASTA with GRILLED LEMON SCALLOPS

~ Before the frost hits, harvest basil for this deliciously sweet meld of flavors

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PESTO:

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup roasted pistachios

1/3 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped green onions

2 Tbsp. chopped red onion

2 cloves chopped garlic

1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

pinch coarse salt

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. linguine

1 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese

chopped green onion for garnish

pistachios for garnish

• Combine basil, pistachios, Asiago cheese, green and red onions, garlic, salt and pepper in food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add oil and incorporate into pesto until smooth. Adjust seasoning.
• Cook pasta into boiling salted water until tender but firm. Scoop out 1 cup pasta water and reserve if needed. Drain pasta and stir in pesto and Asiago cheese. Toss and add pasta water if too thick. Top with grilled scallops and garnish with additional pistachios and chopped green onion. (4 servings)

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GRILLED LEMON SCALLOPS

24 large sea scallops

2 cloves minced garlic

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lemon

freshly ground black pepper

• Combine scallops, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, zest and cracked pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes.
• Heat grill. Remove scallops from marinade and grill on high for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Sedum, Henry Eilers Black Eyed Susan, Japanese Anenome, Echinacea, Hardy Hibiscus, Garden Phlox, Moonbeam Coreopsis

WARM THOUGHT ON WANING SUMMER

"Beauty without colour seems somehow to belong to another world."

~ Murasaki Shikibu

Asiatic Lily

(popping potted lily for late summer interest)

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"We only part to meet again."

~ John Gay

TURTLEHEAD & TRANQUILITY ~ ROASTED EGGPLANT and RED PEPPER PENNE PASTA

"A late summer garden has a tranquility found no other time of the year."

~ William Longgood

TURTLEHEAD

(Chelone obliqua)

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ROASTED EGGPLANT and RED PEPPER PENNE PASTA

~ Sunny combination of rich harvest and herb flavors, fresh basil, a must.

(Sutter Home Napa Valley Cookbook)

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2 medium globe eggplants, peeled if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 red onions, sliced vertically into thin strips

3 seeded red sweet peppers cut into narrow strips

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary (1 tsp. crumbled dried)

1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh oregano (1/2 tsp. dried)

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 lb. penne pasta (or other favorite short tubular pasta)

1 cup chopped/shredded fresh basil

1 cup crumbled mild goat cheese or feta cheese

• Preheat oven to 375º.
• In roasting pan, combine eggplants, onions, and peppers. Add oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt to taste, and generous sprinklings of freshly ground black pepper. Stir vegetables to coat. Transfer to oven and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until eggplant is very tender when pierced with fork, 35-45 minutes.
• In small skillet, place pine nuts over medium heat and toast, shaking pan or stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour onto a plate to cool and set aside.
• In large pot, bring 4 quarts water to rapid boil over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Drop pasta into boiling water and cook, stirring frequently until tender but still firm to the bite.
• Drain pasta in in colander. Rinse past pot and return to stove over the lowest heat. Add drained pasta and roasted vegetables, stirring to mix thoroughly and heat through. Stir in toasted pine nuts and fresh basil.
• Divide pasta among warmed serving plates, sprinkle with cheese and serve. (8 appetizer servings - 4 main dish)

Suggested wine: Merlot or Zinfandel

Turtlehead

(Chelone obliqua)

Height: 2-3 feet

Bloom Period: midsummer - early fall

Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6

Sun or partial shade

WELCOME SWEET SEPTEMBER! (Garden Bloggers' Muse Day) ~ 'INTRICATE AND LOVELY' (Hydrangea macrophylla)

"A dead hydrangea is as intricate and lovely as one in bloom."

~ Toni Morrison

Hydrangea macrophylla

Gifts from my garden

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I have loved flowers that fade,

Within those magic tents,

Rich hues have marriage had made,

With sweet memoried scents.

(Robert Seymour Bridges)

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Note: Drying Hydrangeas Naturally

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But now in September the garden has cooled,

and with it my possessiveness.

The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head ...

The harvest has dwindled,

and I have grown apart from

the intense midsummer relationship

that brought it on.

Robert Finch

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Join Carolyn @ Sweet Home and Garden Chicago

for Garden Bloggers' Muse Day