Chapter 42 Harvesting Vegetables and Enjoying the Fresh Produce
Not long after the dog learned to pee in a designated spot, another piece of great news came to the family.
The vegetables I planted are ready to be harvested. The chives have grown quite tall, the cilantro has sprouted mature leaves, and the bok choy is ready to eat.
Those that weren't mature have now grown quite large.
Watermelon and grapevines were climbing everywhere. I even went to the west wing to find two wooden sticks specifically to encourage the watermelon and grapevines to climb up.
After it was secured, the vines reached chest height.
The house seems to have suddenly become much greener, visually lush, and the air feels fresher.
After setting up the trellis, I'm planning a vegetable tasting event today.
I cut half a basin of chives. Since we've finished the eggs, I'm going to make a dumpling with a meat and seafood filling.
Make the dough first.
Scoop two bowls of flour, add a little salt, then gradually add warm water while stirring. Finally, knead the mixture into a dough and set it aside to rest.
While the dough is resting, prepare the dumpling filling.
After cleaning and washing the chives, finely chop them into small pieces.
Then select a piece of pork with even fat and lean meat, and grind it into minced meat using a manual meat grinder.
First, pick out the fattier parts of the minced pork and put them into a large bowl, then add a large spoonful of soybean paste and a spoonful of soybean oil.
Add thirteen-spice powder, chicken bouillon, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, then add a large spoonful of boiling water and start stirring.
Hot water can melt the fatty parts of the meat into lard, which makes the dumplings very fragrant and juicy.
After the fatty minced meat is combined with various spices and soybean paste, add chopped chives and other minced meat.
Then stir vigorously in one direction until it becomes elastic.
Once the minced meat, chives, and various seasonings are fully combined, the filling is ready.
This is what Mom does.
I used to always make dumplings that didn't taste like my mom's. Finally, when my mom made them, I checked each step and realized that I was doing the wrong steps in making the dumpling filling.
First, soak the lard and soybean paste in hot water, then add the other main filling ingredients. This will make the dumpling filling taste delicious.
Once the filling is prepared, you can boil water. After the water boils, you can start making dumplings.
Take out the risen dough, shape it into a long, snake-like strip, and then cut it into small pieces.
Roll out the small dough balls into round wrappers.
Then wrap the tempting, sticky dumpling filling inside, pinch it into a nice dumpling shape, and a plump, white dumpling is ready.
I kept wrapping dumplings, and by the time the water boiled, I had just finished wrapping 25 dumplings.
There's some dumpling filling and dough left, but I'm not going to make any more. I'll just put it in a plastic bag and leave it on the cupboard.
In the evening, you can make some small wontons or pancakes.
Pour out a small portion of the boiling water, then put 25 plump white dumplings into the boiling water to cook.
After putting them in the pot for 10 seconds, gently stir with a spoon to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the bottom.
Then cover it and cook for a while.
Pour the boiled water into a clay pot and place it on the stove in the east room.
Go to the back room and get a few hot pot meatballs. Throw them into the casserole dish, add a small amount of chicken bouillon and salt.
Then pick some bok choy leaves, wash them with clean water, and throw them directly into the clay pot.
At this point, the dumplings should be cooked uncovered. After uncovering the dumplings, add some cold water and cook for another 5 minutes.
Five minutes later, 25 plump, white dumplings were scooped into a plate and placed on the dining table in the east room.
Then take the casserole off the stove and place it on the heat-resistant mat on the dining table.
Make yourself a delicious dumpling dipping sauce by adding soy sauce, vinegar, and dried chili flakes. This is my favorite dumpling dipping sauce recipe.
As the saying goes, "Marry a plump wife and eat dumplings while they're piping hot."
I couldn't wait to pick up a round, plump white dumpling, dip it in the sauce in the bowl, and then take a bite out of half of it.
Fresh, fragrant, both fresh and fragrant.
The rich, oily pork paired with fresh, spicy chives not only cuts through the greasiness of the pork but also the spiciness of the chives, resulting in a flavorful yet not greasy dish.
The dumpling wrappers were dipped in vinegar and chili powder. The already slightly hot taste was further stimulated by the chili powder, making it a little painful to eat.
However, when paired with the wonderful aroma of the minced meat, this pain becomes a stimulus, enticing one to want to eat more.
I ate seven or eight meatballs one after another, and then served myself a bowl of meatball and bok choy soup.
The bok choy soup was also slightly hot; I blew on it while slurping it down.
The bok choy has just sprouted and is crisp and tender when you bite into it.
Because no strong-flavored seasonings were added, the aroma of the cabbage and the hot pot meatballs blended together, creating a very strong aroma.
It tastes light and fragrant.
After finishing a small bowl of cabbage soup, a light sweat appeared on my forehead.
While the food was still warm, we continued eating dumplings.
She ate 18 in a row, but finally couldn't eat anymore, and collapsed into a chair with her big belly.
It's so delicious! If my stomach allowed it, I would definitely finish the remaining 7.
After lying on the chair in a daze for a while, I sat up and started clearing away the dishes.
Break the 7 dumplings into 14 half-sized dumplings and put them into the dog's food bowl.
The two dogs smelled the meat and stopped warming themselves by the fire, rushing over to eat the dumplings in the bowl.
The two dogs devoured all the dumplings in no time.
They were even licking the remaining small pieces of minced meat off the bowl, seemingly still wanting more.
I shook my head. They really are two little foodies.
After cleaning up the dishes, it's another relaxing day.
I made myself a big cup of milk tea.
I sat on the sofa, reading a book while drinking.
When Xiaodi and Xiaogua stand on their two front paws, they can already reach up to my knees.
Seeing me sitting on the sofa reading and drinking milk tea, the two of them stopped playing by themselves.
It rubbed against my calf and wagged its tail while whimpering.
I understood their hint; they just wanted me to touch their little heads.
I then freed up one hand, holding the book in one hand and stroking Xiaogua's head with the other.
Seeing this, Xiao Di immediately became unhappy, whining even louder and more enthusiastically.
It was so cute to see them fighting over each other, so I put it on my lap.
Let the little one lie on its back with its belly facing me.
I stroked its soft belly and talked to it.
"What's wrong, Xiaodi? Do you like touching me that much?"
When I spoke to it in a high-pitched voice, the little brother's eyes narrowed into slits with joy, and its ears turned into airplane ears.
But then the guy at my feet started making a ruckus again.
Yes, Little Melon needs a hug too.
Little Gua rubbed against my thigh forcefully, and when I didn't react, he turned his head towards the ground.
It made low whimpering noises at its little brother, as if warning it to hold on tight.
Seeing how much my two little ones love me and are even jealous of each other over me, I almost died laughing.
I had no choice but to put them both on the sofa, one dog on each side, and they behaved themselves then.
As dusk settled, I held a book, warmed myself by the fire, and drank hot milk tea.
Two puppies were fast asleep on either side of the sofa.
I feel incredibly safe and comfortable right now.
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