August can be a really rough time of year for folks who work outside. I personally am afraid to work in the garden or vineyard after 12:00 noon, since spontaneous combustion is very probable. Seriously, reality is that the unusually cool and rainy weather in July has made it hard for me to get used to the summer heat.

Vineyards in Northeast Texas are also suffering from the unusual July. If the mid-April frost that killed off blooms wasn’t enough, now the grape clusters are bursting with too much moisture, and they are rotting on the vine. Add the usual June- and green-beetles to the mix, and you have very poor harvests all around. I heard one of the local wineries is absolutely “trolling” for grapes. Wish I could help them, but I’m in the same boat.

Luckily my chickens are still laying (less, but still laying) and my garden is still producing. Those two are more financially solid than the grapes. What’s up with that? Lesson learned, specialty crops have their ups and downs, but the basics carry you through. I’m adding more hens next year!

As I work picking the different vineyards’ harvests with which I’m associated, our family dinners are simpler. I can’t wait for September and grape-harvest season in Texas to be over. We may make some wine, but wine-grape jam is sounding pretty good too. In the meantime, refried-bean quesadillas with pico de gallo makes a great quick dinner.

Quesadillas with Refried Beans and Pico de Gallo.
8 tortillas (flour or wheat)
1⁄2 can fat-free refried beans
1 small onion, chopped
2 mild chili peppers, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
6 oz. cheese, grated
Butter or cooking spray

Melt a small amount of butter in a frying pan or coat with cooking spray. Turn heat to low and let the pan heat up while you prepare the quesadilla. Spread half of two tortillas with refried beans. Sprinkle chopped onions, peppers, avocado and cheese over the beans. Fold the tortillas over and lay them side by side in the hot pan. Pay close attention and don’t let them burn. Check by lifting up an edge. When the tortillas are golden brown, it is time to flip.

Continue making the quesadillas two at a time. Usually each family member stuffs the tortillas choosing the fillings. I usually slice a jalapeño for mine. There are at least 4 servings and I garnish with sour cream, salsa or pico de gallo.

Pico de Gallo
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 lemon or lime juiced
Salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Turn up the heat by adding another jalapeño – I usually do.

As I get older, I have definitely gotten smarter about some things. I have learned that a 50-pound bag of concrete is four times easier to work with than an 80. I know that a heavy object picked up from waist-high seems lighter than at ground level. I stand on a step ladder at the uphill side of an eight-foot T-post while pounding it into the ground. I take an Aleve before starting work, because I will hurt. Some day, I’ll learn to be less frugal and pay someone else to do the job.

When it comes to making stuffed pasta or lasagna, I’ve learned a better method. Instead of trying to stuff a limp noodle or handling and tearing lasagna, I assemble the ingredients without pre-cooking the pasta. Just add extra water to the sauce – about half a cup – and the noodles cook while the entire dish bakes in the oven. It’s genius!

Spinach Manicotti with Tomato Sauce
1 box manicotti shells
1 quart tomato pasta sauce
1⁄2 cup water
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Stuffing:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1⁄2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 cup ricotta or small-curd cottage cheese
4 oz. mozzarella cheese
3 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. dried basil
1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. Place in a bowl and reserve. In that same pan, mix water with pasta sauce and bring it up to heat. I used my last canned jar, but store-bought works as well. Spoon 1/4 of the sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish.

Squeeze excess liquid from spinach. Mix the rest of the stuffing ingredients with the sautéed onions and garlic and place in a baggy. Turn that into a loaded pastry bag by snipping off one corner. Fill each uncooked manicotti shell and lay side by side in the baking dish.

A small amount of stuffing mixture was left over, so I stirred it into the remaining warmed sauce. It turned rich and creamy. Spread the sauce mixture to completely cover the stuffed shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and sprinkle 4 oz. mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top. Return uncovered to the oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

I served with sautéed cauliflower and a garden salad.

This is pruning season in the vineyard. I have 300 vines pruned and 230 still to go. Pruning efforts continue despite 30-40 mph winds and a wind chill of 37. As long as it is not raining, I prune.

Luckily my son Ben stepped up last weekend and prepared a hearty and tasty dinner. It is called Yakamein and is also known as “old sober.” Apparently it’s also good for those dealing with a morning-after hangover. I choose to consider it a wonderful dinner that I didn’t have to cook and will overlook any reasons Ben may have for a hangover recipe.

Yakamein
2-3 lb. stewing beef roast
4 quarts water
2 Tbsp. beef bouillon base
1 tsp. seasoning salt
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. onion powder
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 lb. spaghetti noodles, cooked
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
3 green onions, sliced

Soy sauce, hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Brown the stewing beef on all sides in a large pot. Add water, beef bouillon base, seasoning salt, Cajun seasoning, onion powder, oil and salt and pepper. The solution should cover the meat plus one inch. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 2-3 hours.

When the beef is fork-tender, remove from the pot and shred. Then return to the pot and add salt as necessary. I came into the kitchen about that time and felt the liquid in the pot could be thicker, so I mixed about 3 Tbsp. of corn starch to a quarter cup of water and added it to the mixture. It thickened nicely. I also added Worcestershire sauce.

Serve the noodles with the meat sauce over the top. Garnish with the chopped boiled eggs and green onions. It was wonderful. Of course, I was tired and hungry, but most meals taste wonderful when they are prepared for you and all you need to do is relax and enjoy.

Last weekend’s unseasonably cool weather was truly a blessing. Especially since my husband and I had two grape harvests to attend. Saturday we harvested south of Tyler and stayed to help process the grapes. Sunday we picked Lenoir grapes at our own vineyard on Della Terra Farm. When volunteers help with the harvest, it is always best to feed them and keep them happy – so they’ll want to help again next year.

The day of harvest begins before daylight and isn’t finished until all the grapes are in. Feeding the crew requires planning ahead. Saturday night I prepared a brisket for the crock-pot and made potato salad. I also pre-chopped vegetables for an okra Creole.

The brisket preparation was simple. I trimmed away excess fat and cut the brisket in half to make it fit into my extra-large crock-pot. I made a rub of garlic salt, onion powder, chili powder, cracked black pepper, oregano and celery seeds. I made sure both brisket halves were well coated with the rub. Then I squeezed a small amount of barbecue sauce on the top of each brisket and stacked them in the crock-pot. Placing the lid on securely, I set the temperature on low and the cook-time for 8 hours. Off to bed.

The next morning, the house smelled wonderful. I removed the brisket and let it rest on a cutting board while skimming the fat off the juice. I sliced the brisket thinly across the grain. Then laying the pieces in a shallow baking dish, I topped with reserved juices, covered with foil and placed in a warming drawer – or an oven at a low setting. Time to begin the harvest.

A few hours later while the crew cleaned harvesting forks, buckets, loaded the truck, etc., I escaped to the house to get lunch ready. The previous night I had chopped two onions, three green peppers, four garlic cloves, a large batch of okra (whatever I can do to move the okra) and a gallon bag of tomatoes.

At that point I only needed to heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onions, green peppers and garlic. Then I added the chopped okra and tomatoes. Be sure to season with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. I reduced the heat to low and let simmer while setting the table for the crew. I cooked the okra Creole about 20 minutes or until the okra was tender. Before serving, I added a handful of chopped fresh basil.

Quite honestly, everything tastes better after hard work and a job well done.