Redcurrant Berries

My Redcurrant bush exploding with berries in my front landscape.

Redcurrants are members of the gooseberry family. They are native to western Europe( France, Germany and Northern Italy). It is a shrub and in the springtime it starts out with small yellowish, green blossoms, that later turn into bright red translucent edible berries.
Redcurrants are slightly more sour than it's relatives and is harvested mainly for making jams and main dishes, rather than eating raw. German language herbalist sources say that redcurrant berries can reduce fevers, and induce sweating. They also have blood cleansing, diuretic and digestive properties.These small red berries are very high in vitamin C, fruit acids, and fiber. Teas made from dried redcurrant leaves is said to reduce the symptoms of rheumatism, be useful in compresses for poorly healing wounds and as a gargling solution for mouth infections.

Raw Summer Squash Salad

Over the weekend while flicking through the t.v. channels, I came across the food channel. I forgot the name of the guy on the show, but he had some excellent recipes for summer squash. Since I'm getting bombarded with them in my garden right now, I decided to watch it. I tried the raw summer squash salad he tlaked about twice already and both times it was absolutely delicious. Here's the recipe if anyone is interested.
Ingredients;
2 small to medium sized yellow squash
2 small to medium sized zucchini
1 medium chili, seeded and chopped into flexes
1/2 cup of fresh chopped basil
5 summer squash flowers (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Olive oil (extra virgin)

Using a vegetable peeler, shave both the green and yellow squash into a medium bowl. Once all the summer squash is shaved nicely into the bowl, add the chopped chili, torn squash flower (with middle removed), chopped basil and salt & pepper. toss well. Add equal parts of both fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil, then toss again. If the dressing tastes too lemony for you, just add more olive oil to the salad.
Once the salad is tossed together well, you can serve this tasty fresh summer side dish with any vegetarian meal, grilled meal, or any fish dish.

Tessa Enjoying The Front Landscape At Dusk

Tessa has been enjoying the summer in my landscape. Her favorite places to catnap are, on my front porch, hidden among all the flowers in my garden, or basking in the sun on my sidewalk. She's almost become one of my garden ornaments.