Yesterday I made my own Oriental Plum Sauce using the basics of this recipe, plus a few additions of my own. This type of sauce is a specialty at the market, and so costly that I've hesitated buying it. I mixed the cooked, chopped plums with cider, brown sugar, sesame oil, onion and garlic. Then I added shredded fresh ginger, ground mustard, salt, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, chile sauce, and lemon juice. A portion of the sauce was put in the blender to create a thick sauce perfect for basting as well as marinading. I figure I've got at least a year's worth here...ready for barbecued ribs and chicken.
I had to laugh when our friends arrived for dinner last night. When they entered the house they smelled this marinade and thought they were getting barbecue. Walter gasped with anticipation, saying the house smelled so good. But, I had to apologize, saying I'd just finished capping the last of my plum sauce. Then I pulled out my kettle of mixed-bean soup and some warm Como bread. What a let-down, I'm sure!
Walter gave me this painting, saying that a conversation he and I had out in the backyard inspired him to paint it. He said we talked about my home and garden, my grand-daughter Daisy, and the beauty of central Washington. He captured all of that in the painting. But, I saw all the careful stones and flowers along the walkway leading out to the prairie, and I thought, 'yup. That lady likes all her ducks in a row'.
