Sometimes I need a real kick in the pants, or skirt as it may be. Putzing away my time creating berry patches or wandering stone walls, I all too often sidetrack into non-priority pleasures. Garden season requires a particular ability to focus on the now whilst acting on the future; my one set of hands must deliver rainbowed abundance into consumption (fresh, frozen or otherwise) as well as plant for next month (weed, prep the land, etc.).
Head swirling with daily produce to be picked and prodded, a breath of fresh airinspiration was much 
needed. This part was easy: off to the Fair Hill Inn! And a special wine dinner at that, featuring Donnafugata (translation: fleeing woman – romantic notion to be sure, but the last thing I’d do from a vineyard). Chefs Brian and Phil began with a tomato plate: pickled green tomato, some sort of sweet tomato jam, and several other tastes. Further in, the antipasto plate with house-made salumis accompanied by various relishes, jams and chutneys.
Et Voila! Inspiration anointed. Granted, this is one of the few North American restaurants operating under the ‘if you eat it here, we should make it here’ mottos; levitation is guaranteed upon such dining experiences. Which is precisely why I chose such a particular kick in the pants. Returning home, a nice sway to my step, off the shelf came “Art of Preserving” by Jan Berry and Rodney Weidland, as well as the house bible, “Putting Food By.” Eyelids sliding blissfully shut shortly thereafter, dreams saw my knife skills flash through a vegetable rainbow, chopped pieces flying neatly into sterilized jars, lids popping shut 
to my dance steps around the kitchen.
And then came morning and hard work. Now a week in, a crew of chutneys, relishes, pickles and juices lays waiting in the cool basement; a couple months down the road, flavor will have developed nicely in the first and I’ll finally relent from my hording instinct towards the juice. Several things came into play to make this much preserving feasible: a free-from-many-duties day or two, and a couple evenings; 
cheaper than normal bushels of fruit due to late-season blight at an orchard and random hand-picking from nearby abandoned fruit trees; and finally, a supply of glass jars and lids, and large amounts of cider vinegar (I found my jars at a Giant; attempting to order unique-looking glass from online has so far proved too expensive for shipping).
I would love to provide some recipes here, but will await tastings to ascertain how well my creations fared. In the meantime, I am most excited about the pickled shallots, the green tomato and onion relish, and the brinjal chutney (eggplant, ginger, peppers and more, a great side to curries).
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