Victory salsa!

I got to do something kinda neat this morning.

I went back to my little peach grove and collected a couple dozen ripe, sweet, juicy specimens then swung by the garden to pick a few tomatoes, some banana peppers and a green pepper. Lastly, a trip out to my herb pots netted a handful of fragrant basil and a few sprigs of fresh parsley.

After halving and pitting the peaches, I placed them flesh side down on the griddle. Seeded and chopped banana peppers soon joined the peaches with a happy sizzle.

While the peaches and peppers seared, I chopped tomatoes and green pepper and mixed in minced basil and parsley.

Just after the peaches began caramelizing, I pulled them and the lightly charred peppers off the griddle. All were chopped and added to the tomatoes, green pepper, basil, and parsley. The mixture was tossed, lightly kissed with salt and pepper and is ready as my “dish to pass” at a friend’s gathering this afternoon.

The heat from the banana peppers contrasts nicely with the caramelized sweetness of the peaches – with a backdrop of the savory from the herbs.

What especially adds to the taste is that everything except the salt and pepper was sourced less than 50 yards from my kitchen. This is the second year I’ve had a garden and am finding it fun.

I remember years ago – in high school – doing a research project on the effort “back home” during WWII. People depended heavily on their gardens, on canning vegetables for use over the winter, and finding substitutes in the face of shortages. I interviewed a number of our then neighbors who were adults during that era and they told of collecting tin, buying war bonds, swapping gas rationing cards – never calling it a hardship, but rather, celebrating a chance to support the boys “over there.”

A friend’s mother worked alongside "Rosie the Riveter" at the Willow Run plant between Ypsilanti and Detroit, Michigan. From the Willow Run Airport website:

"Willow Run Airport has a rich history, dating back to 1941 when Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh built the world's largest bomber facility at the airport.

During World War II, almost 8,700 B-24 "Liberator" bombers were built at Willow Run. During its peak production, the plant employed 42,000 people including 'Rosie the Riveter.'

I-94 freeway was extended to Willow Run by Henry Ford to ease transportation to the bomber plant.

After the war, the bomber plant was converted into a luxury passenger terminal. Commercial airline traffic was transferred from Detroit City Airport, and Willow Run became Detroit's principal airport.

In 1947, the federal government sold Willow Run to the University of Michigan for $1.00.

In the 1950's, some commercial air traffic began moving from Willow Run to Detroit Metro Airport. By 1966, all commercial airline traffic moved to Metro. Willow Run has been a cargo, general aviation, and executive aviation airport since.

In 1977, the University of Michigan sold Willow Run to Wayne County for $1.00.

Today, Willow Run is one of the largest cargo airports in the United States."
(www.willowrunairport.com/information/history.asp)

Now that I have a nephew taking his residence at Ft. Lewis in Washington State as a newly minted commissioned officer in the United States Army, thoughts about the boys (and girls!) "over there" take on a little more immediacy.  I'm proud of Mike and salute his wife Kelsey for their commitment to our nation.

Today, I made peach salsa from my own little “Victory Garden” and thought about the men and women protecting our freedoms.  It was kinda neat.