Confused!

In a normal year there would be about two weeks mid July when the temperature soars and the nights stay uncomfortably warm. Not this year. This morning, as I always do, I pulled back the drapes and looked at the garden. The ground was wet! Thinking I had committed the cardinal sin in this water stressed land, left the water on. I grabbed my robe and was out the back door, half way around the house when I remembered, I had not watered yesterday. A pipe break? As I moved from under the tree canopy I discovered the source... there were drops falling from the sky! I have lived many places where rain in summer is not in the least unusual. Not here. Here it does not rain in July. The rain is probably going to be called heavy mist, but whatever it may be termed, drops fell from the sky and the ground was wet.

Several times in the last few weeks my poor tomatoes and eggplants have awakened to a temperature of 48 degrees. Some days the sun didn't shine until noon, and one day it didn't make it until 5 pm. What kind of sun starts shining at dinner time? My friends on the east coast are sweltering and we are having what... Winter?

This spring I had a lapse into insanity and bought an acorn squash plant. It was warm and I was ... OK, I was either completely insane or like a lot of gardeners, more than optimistic. It is hard to get melons or winter squash to maturity. Some years we are lucky ... some not. I was feeling hopeful. Now, with this weather, not so much. There is a positive aspect to all this cool moisture; we won't be worried  about fires as much this year.

The plants all look good. There are many baby acorn squashes like this. The tomato vines are heavy with tomatoes; the peppers are coming on like gangbusters ... especially the Gypsies. They are still yellow; when ripe they will be a rainbow of red and orange. The beans are all producing. I have a luncheon Thursday and I hope to have enough in this first picking. Today I pulled about twenty rainbow carrots to do a salad for that day. Even the volunteer sunflower, above, is doing nicely. This one is about eight feet tall.

These slow days are good for visitors and cooking, so that is what I have been doing. Let me share a recipe which is great if you are having weekend visitors.

Recipe

This recipe is adapted from one from Clementine Paddleford's How America Eats, circa 1960. When you bite into one of these little rolls you find the jam has been secured inside. The recipe looks long but it is simple. Make the dough, put the jam in, bake and frost. The dough for this recipe can be made in advance and allowed to rise in the refrigerator over night.

Apricot Jam Rolls

1/2 cup milk warmed
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
1 package instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon
2 eggs
1 1/4 commercial sour cream
1/2 cup apricot jam
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup nuts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup half and half (light cream)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Warm the milk and set aside.
Place 3 1/2 cups of the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, lemon rind in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add vanilla, cardamom, eggs and sour cream. Beat until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, adding more flour if needed. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead into a smooth ball. Place in a greased bowl and cover. Set in warm place and let rise to double; about 2 hours.

When dough has risen divide it into two parts. At this point you can put half in the refrigerator and a day or two later make lovely sticky buns.

Mix the nuts with the sugar.
Turn half the dough onto a well floured board and roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch squares. Place 2 teaspoons jam in each. Don't over fill. Pull the four corners up to meet in the center. Seal. Then bring up the four corners you have just created and seal all the open spaces. Gently create a ball with your hands. Dip the top of the ball into the butter and then into the sugared nuts. Place each ball, cut side down in a 10 by 2 inch, buttered, pie plate.

Cover and let rise in a warm spot. Let rise about 1 hour, or until double in bulk. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 for another 20 t0 30 minutes. While they are baking prepare the frosting. Mix together the confectioners sugar, half and half and the last 12 teaspoon vanilla extract. When the buns have cooled slightly, drizzle with the frosting mix.