Saturday 28 July 2018

Key Lime Pie and Late July Gardening

As previously mentioned, I intended to make a key lime pie (with just regular limes). I looked around on the world wide web and found good ol' Ree Drummond's version of key lime pie. I liked it because she doesn't use key limes either and she had great pictures. I printed out the printable version of the recipe and got started.

The only issue I had was the graham cracker crust. What I thought was going to produce enough crumbs for one pie ended up making enough for about two and a half! (with additional melted butter required). Maybe the packaging of graham crackers is different in Canada than in the States, but maybe the recipe was wrong.


Regardless of the crust issue (I just made another crust and froze it for future use), the rest of the pie was fantastic. There was a lot of zesting and squeezing to be done, but ohhhhh the fragrance of lime while I was doing all of this was wonderful. Man, I love lime! So kudos to The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, who I remember when she was just a regular blogger like the rest of us (well, maybe she was never just a regular blogger, but she did start out small and now she takes up part of an aisle in Walmart with her kitchen items).

Here is the pie after it was baked, but before I whipped up some cream and adorned the top.


The little flecks that you see are bits of lime zest.  We had friends over for dinner last night and all proclaimed the pie to be very good. I forgot to take a picture of the completed pie with whipped cream on top, so this is all I can offer:


This is the final piece (broken in half) which had been stuck in the fridge after everyone went home last night. No, I did not eat it for breakfast. I was tempted, however.

Would I make it again? Most definitely. I don't think the kind of lime I used mattered. I don't think I even pay attention to the "species" of lime when I am at the grocery store. Here in Ontario, we get what we get.

Now, onward to gardens. July began hot, hot, hot and dry, dry, dry. This past week, we have had some good rains and this morning it was positively chilly!! (fifteen degrees Celsius - I have no idea what that is in Fahrenheit). The rain and the heat got everything growing even more. Here is what is blooming on July 28.

Crocosmia, which has been popping up in a few other blogs (Lynn, Birdie...). I love this stuff. So tropical and exotic.

Daylilies showing off their gorgeous colour combo.

Exquisite veining in this pink hollyhock (with crocosmia being all cheeky and peeking in from behind).

Purple cone flower sporting another fabulous colour combination. Well done, nature, well done.

Window boxes and urns in front of the shed are full and luscious filled predominantly with sweet potato vine, geraniums and impatiens (and some lacy looking white filler that I forget the name of). You just can't go wrong with that sweet potato vine.

Now let's mosey over to the little vegetable garden which has responded so well to recent rains. I've harvested one zucchini, a few cucumbers and keep going out to see if another "baby tomato" has ripened.

Green beans in flower and with very small beans. Tender Green is the specific kind. Shouldn't be too long now. I've also planted another couple of small rows to keep us going through until early fall.

Another potential zucchini. I planted three plants in total. I may regret that, but stuffed zucchini is a good thing.

Some lovely leaf lettuce. I love the purple colour! It is called Prize head.

Peas are just starting to develop. I never grow enough to freeze (and had a horrible harvest last year), most peas get eaten while standing out in the garden! I planted Laxton Progress this year.

There will not be a shortage of cucumbers. Ever. And all I planted was two plants. This kind is Salad Crop. (Note the purslane growing rampantly through my garden - they say you can eat purslane- I think I'll stick with the cucumbers).

I've not planted this kind of pepper before. It's a Hungarian Sweet yellow pepper and coming along so much better than my other New Ace red peppers.

Holy basil, Batman! This has been a fantastic year for basil. I wish my tomatoes were ripe so I could be enjoying caprese salad (tomato, basil, soft mozzarella cheese, olive oil, balsamic vinegar).

My "baby tomatoes". These are called Candyland and they are much smaller than a cherry tomato. They are about the size of marbles and are, quite frankly, adorable. I've only had a few ripe ones so far, but the plant is laden, so there will be plenty.

There are some "normal" sized tomatoes developing as well. This one is Bonny Best. I also planted Beefsteak. It makes me so happy because for the past two years I have had a horrible time with blight and barely had any tomatoes, while in years gone by I've canned and frozen and given away tomatoes. I'm very much looking forward to canning my own tomatoes again this year.

I'm going to go eat something healthy now so I can justify eating that last piece of key lime pie later!

26 comments:

  1. that key lime looks like it was delicious! And your garden is certainly robust! Lucky you!!

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  2. Wonderful garden and cooking post! I feel rather inspired.

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  3. No key limes here, or any other sort of limes. Lemons I'm sure will give a great result though not authentic. Ree whats-her-name's accents gets on my nerves but I do like to watch her show. I goggle at the amount of butter, full cream and sugar she uses but she is feeding a large family, usually.
    FTOO FTOO FTOO on your garden!

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    1. ps we have loads of purslane creeping through our winter garden and certain people tell me I should using it in salads. I never have tried it either but may give it a go, one day. I'll let you know. I love that big leaf basil.

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    2. Ha ha, thanks for "blessing" my garden and keeping it free of evil spirits!

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  4. The pie looks luscious. My son and his wife make one from a similar recipe, and it's to die for. I will have to give it a go. The garden looks lush and healthy for this time of year, but I forget you're a bit further north so it hasn't gotten heat-worn like ours. Ours is still producing wonderfully, and I am so grateful. As for Pioneer Woman, I never could abide her, because of all the romantic phoo-phoo and not because of her cooking :)

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  5. Your vegetable garden looks very similar to ours right now, except we don't grow peas.

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  6. Your vegetable garden is fantastic. Ours is full of weeds, too hot to care. I made a key lime pie for our daughter one year. She and I liked it, my husband didn't, so I've not made one since.

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  7. Jenn, The pie looks so yummy and the perfect flavor for summer. Your flowers are amazing. So pretty and lots of veggies growing for meals. I truly admire real gardeners...I am not one..I have a pepper plant and a tomato plant in the same container. LOL. Blessings to you and yours, hope summer is being good to you. xoxo, Susie

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  8. Wow! Your vegetable garden looks good! Thanks for the key lime pie recipe. Limes are a bit of a pain to juice but worth the effort.

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  9. I'm with you on limes, they smell wonderful. Your pie looked very yummy & your garden is looking very lush. I am finally seeing little tomatoes on all my plants (yeah) ... Mary-Lou =^..^=

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  10. Your veggie patch looks amazing, and I love your red shed door! 20 years ago we ate a fabulous purslane salad in Bodrum in Turkey which was so yummy that I am still constantly on the lookout for it in greengrocers', always in vain. Turks dress it either with yoghurt or lemony flavours. It's also meant to be good for you, if you need any more encouragement to try it!

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  11. You have quite a garden and I'm envious!!! I just wish I had the time, but who does? You are going to make a lot of great recipes!

    Key Lime pie is one of my top dessert choices. Yeah, if we could only get them shipped up form the Florida Keys!

    I don't know if you have this in Canada, but you can buy graham cracker crumbs here and its a time saver. Not sure if it could change your problem, but you may want to look for it.

    Jane

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    1. Oh, we do, but I like to do things the hard way (ha ha).

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  12. Oh my goodness, you really need to come link up at the garden party with this pretty post. In fact, in my post I mentioned peach pie. :) You and I are thinking alike. I'm just really loving your gorgeous urns filled to overflowing with annuals. Your vegetable garden looks wonderful too. I'd love to do that next year.

    I'd love for you to link up with us. :)

    https://www.poofingthepillows.com/2018/07/garden-party-with-friends.html

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    1. Thank you for the invite, Stacey. I've never "linked up" before, so I'll have to come over to your blog and figure out what to do.

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  13. Such simple recipe! Those are the best. I haven't made key lime pie in years, so I'm way overdue.

    Your garden looks amazing!

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  14. Your pie looks so wonderful, I think I may pull out the mixer in the next day or two. And if you don't know what to do with all the zucchini, check out this recipe for zucchini chocolate cake:https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2017/07/10/chocolate-zucchini-cake/
    I would refrigerate the chocolate sauce icing before adding it. I am always happy to take my friends extras for this moist cake. Happy baking!

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  15. Your pie looks great! I've never made a key lime pie before. I would to give this recipe a try! Beautiful garden!

    plovesfashion.blogspot.com

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  16. That pie looks delicious. You garden's vegetables are way ahead of mine, but things are starting to come in just now. - Margy

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  17. LOVED the garden tour! More, any time, please. How do you get full-sized tomatoes to grow and ripen? I sure can't.

    P.S. Too bad nobody like the key lime pie . . .

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  18. Lovely seeing photographs of your garden. I've always liked Crocosmia.

    All the best Jan

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  19. Great looking pie Jenn!
    And your gardens look marvellous...my Hollyhocks are pitiful... that black shiny bug is feasting on them! 😞
    Enjoy your week...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  20. Your gardens certainly look lush and healthy. Very pretty and you can tell that you have taken care of them.

    Key Lime is probably my favorite pie. I have a recipe from Key West that is very similar but uses 2 more egg yolks...and, in my laziness, I have taken to buying the premade graham cracker crusts....I know...sad, isn't it?

    I hope you have a wonderful upcoming week. xo Diana

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  21. Well, Jenn, I am wildly envious of your garden. It looks both beautiful and bountiful and I'll bet you are enjoying every minute. I love how well it thrived after the heat wave -- and the rains.

    The pie looks fabulous. Thanks for posting up the recipe!

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