Chicken and Datils On Sunday

This recipe arrived in my email a week or so ago, and it sounded too simple and too delicious to delete.

Even though I lost a some breast skin (on the chicken) by multitasking and not turning it as often as I should have during the browning stage, the meat was extremely flavorful and moist.

The recipe includes a quick pan gravy section too. I served it with brown rice and a salad for a simple, healthy, and very tasty meal.

The only change I made was using a bigger chicken (5 lb) vs the 3 pounder called for in the recipe ... and I fudged in a a little more of each seasoning for that reason.

I love rustic food and I really love cast iron's ability to go from the stove top to the oven and back again.

This has been a banner year for spreading the datil pepper around the planet.
I have shared seeds of the best tasting pepper on the planet with a ton of people, some of whom, simply order the seed/recipes deal, but others write the neatest snail mail notes or emails.

I love reading them and getting feedback on how their plants made out.

My own datils are out of this starting tray now and in their own large pots and out in the garden. They have really kicked in the growing thang with this spring's hot, summery temps.

I have only two tomato plants so far, but both are full of blossoms. One is Bush Goliath and the other is Heatmaster.
Both are new to me, so we'll see how they do in TOMATO PURGATORY.

It's not easy being a tomato plant in hot, humid, fungusy, Florida.
Well, not easy for those who don't get a dose of fungicides and  pesticides.

And mine don't.

The blueberry crop is large, but not as CRAZY large as last year. That seems to be a normal cycle with them.

We will pick our first real harvest today, as opposed to drive by munching that occurs when one is in close proximity to the patch.

That has been occurring for weeks.

The big challenge for the plants this year is the ongoing spring drought.

It is so dry here.
All my swampy places are dry and barren, but it is good weather for building stuff outside and that is where I need to be right now.

I worked all day yesterday on a fencey-guard rail sorta structure to delineate the parking area here at PFHQ and I'm feeling it today.

Even though my post-post hole digging muscles say, "No, please, not that torture device again" ... I must go.