Late summer day...

 It's not really fall yet, but it's coming. We celebrate this time each year by making vats of tomato sauce so we can enjoy the taste of summer during the long winter. Bushel boxes of tomatoes are purchased from the farm stand, and we add in the bounty from our own garden, too. The counter top cooker is pressed into service. We add onions, garlic, hot and sweet peppers. 

 Then the whole thing simmers for hours until it become mush. Next we ladle the contents of the pan into a blender, pureeing all of it. It is returned to the cooker. We add olive oil, tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme and a little sugar. Then the whole thing simmers all day long, perfuming the house with the most amazing scent. When it was done Chris tasted it, and looked thoughtful. He asked for a second sample. A slow smile crossed his face, "It's PERFECT," he pronounced. 

This year it was Rachel in the lead of making the sauce, with help from Hannah. I was back up, but mostly I was preparing supper. 

Niece Elyse has been promising to bring her new beau Kevin to visit for ages. The puppies were an excellent lure, and things were arranged. 

I roasted a home raised chicken, made a pile of mashed potatoes, baked some fresh bread,cooked some peas and planned an appetizer and dessert of fresh peaches and berries over ice cream. Meanwhile Hannah and Rachel made multiple batches of pesto with basil grown in our garden and garlic from the farm up the street. It is destined for family dining and gifts, too. 

Three minutes after Kevin and Elyse arrived, all the dogs were in Kevin's lap. They know good people when they meet them. 

Five minutes after they entered, Elyse was holding a puppy and her eyes were leaking a little. The cuteness does that to some people. 

A jolly visit was had, the meal was enjoyed. Donkeys and goats were patted by guests, and the tomato sauce and pesto were put to bed. Much was accomplished on one late summer day.