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Voracious.

from skotomorph | HI-DEF

Wolf spider

from skotomorph | HI-DEF

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Slinky drop

Last Garden Update for 2012:

It has been a productive year for tomatoes! The plants have all died and been removed, leaving only a few green and half rotten tomatoes to fertilize the bed for next year. I think next year I will only grow tomatoes and basil, as they did the best and were used the most this summer. I also decided to move my other above ground boxes closer the garden and expanded the irrigation system to support them, which should make things easier and more productive next year. 

My favorite use for a surplus of tomatoes thus far has been pasta sauce. I have experimented with various versions, here is the basic idea:

Submerge several rinsed tomatoes in boiling water for 30 sec

Remove and place in ice water for 30 sec -1min

Remove skin, cut into fourths and remove seeds

Place one half of these cut, seeded tomatoes into large pot, puree the other half in blender before adding. (You can increase the portion pureed to raise the smoothness of the sauce)

Add crushed/chopped basil leaves, minced garlic, and chopped onions.

Simmer on low for several hours, stirring often until sauce has reduced to desired thickness.

Notes:

You can leave seeds in, they are just annoying to get in your teeth, and can be slightly bitter.

I like to brown the garlic and onions in a skillet with olive oil, then cook meat in the same pan, then deglaze it with cold water or wine and add this to the sauce.

Start early in the day, the sauce can take hours to reduce, and if you try to rush it may burn.

Genus Cotinis, commonly called a "June Bug" (Not to be confused with Genus Phyllophaga with the same common name) suspended in hand sanitizer gel.

Protocol here

Brown goo oozed out of the insect and into the gel as it cooled, fortunately it has mostly dissipated.