Fruits of the season and neighbourly Freundschaft

With summer coming to a close, looking back to the many delicious fruits of the season.
Our heat has been turned on for a week now, I reluctantly put socks, long sleeved tops and pants back on. Skirts, shorts and bare legs and arms, just too cold for these days. We are having autumn weather. Many thunderstorm warnings this summer, many areas around us have had their basement and streets flooded, but we have been spared from any severe weather.  Just unpleasant, wind, wet and cool with few breaks of sunshine.

Johannisbeeren, Red currants with yogurt from our garden

In the heat of summer, we cooled off with, rhubarb, Watermelon ( Mennonite) coolers, Watermelon sorbet and blueberry yogurt ice cream.

The blueberry yogurt ice cream is a recipe from the neighbour lady.

The one that I help with the computer and she in turn gives me recipes and deutsche Hausfrau tips, which I so appreciate.  Though often I have to run out of the house and hop on my bike before she downloads me with all kinds of gifts.  But then she just drops them off at my door, baking, fruits and vegetables, flowers, orchids, eggs, chocolate und und und.  She really goes overboard, is annoying already.

After one computer lesson I happily came home with blueberries, raspberries from her garden and freshly pressed raspberry juice and Gelierzucker. So when I got home, I quickly cooked up five jars of raspberry jelly. 

Again bought lots of fresh daily picked up  Heidelbeeren from the neighbours.

I always buy the blueberries from the neighbour, they are so delicious and in the 1 kg basket there are few if any bad berries.

This is the first year I am really enjoying the Zwetschgen, (which I just learned has a "g" in that word, another one I have been saying wrong all these years) tree in our yard. Beautiful prune colour, delicious fresh fruit.  I picked the last that I could reach, today, was surrounded by monarch butterflies and one pesky hornet, that kept chasing the butterflies. I gave half to the neighbour lady, along with a cucumber and tomatoes from our garden, the Zwetschgen fall on her yard but are not good, the ones that fall, she complained. As soon as she noticed and she notices everything, that I was outside picking some she came outside. This is the neighbour that my mother in law would talk to for hours over the fence. They never would think of sitting down and enjoying a cup of coffee, unless it was Sunday. Nein, they would stand there each on their side of the fence and chat. I never understood this, they probably have done so since their children were small and would not dare to be seen, taking a break and sit down.  As seniors and widows they certainly could, but still didn't, old habits die hard, and I chuckle to myself  when she comes, thinking back to the days of long over the fence visits.

Yogurt Eis Recipe from Ilse

200 g fresh fruit (I made one batch with strawberries and one with blueberries, you can use whatever fruit you choose, she made it with rhubarb)

3 T. sugar

Cook until thickened and then puree and cool.

Add fruit to 250g plain yogurt, I used 6.5 % fat yogurt 

and 3T. sugar, depends on sweetness of fruit and preference.

Stir until blended and put into forms to freeze.

I use silicon muffin forms, works the best to remove frozen ice cream from form.

Cover well with plastic or in a closed container so that does not get freezer burn.

It holds well probably for weeks, but usually disappears before then.