I put in six hours at the kitchen today. My work was measured in quarts and pints; four and twenty one, respectively. It started with these fifty pounds of organic tomatoes from Green Edge Gardens. (Daughter pictured above is only thirty eight pounds.)

Then my friend Sarah and I chopped and sauced. Thank you Sarah not only for your help but for bringing your sons to entertain Lillian.

knife was indeed sharp as the devil himself

2 large onions, 2 heads of garlic, handfuls of basil, 25 lbs tomatos, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper

Next was the canning.

And finally, pints and quarts of chopped tomatos and tomato sauce to put up for the winter.

I will not lie: canning tomatos is hella more work than jam. Like jam, the results are outrageously more delicious than what you can buy from the store. In mid-winter all the work seems to be worth it. At least that's what I remember from last year.