It Rained

It finally rained.  Last evening, after about 90 days of no rain, it rained for about 15 minutes.  It was a heavy downpour -- enough to  overflow the gutters.  This morning I got out the ladder and climbed up onto the roof to clean out the gutters.  I also trimmed the trees that were growing over the edge of the roof and dropping leaves into the gutters.  There are piles of tree trimmings around the house.

Then, late this afternoon, the wind swept in and blew over anything light such as plastic watering cans and buckets, folding patio chairs, a wooden bird house, and pieces of wood propped up against the wall.  Heavy rain followed the wind.  The rain did not fall vertically as it did yesterday.  It blew in horizontally.  It was the sort of rain that is so heavy you hear it if you are in the house.  It sounds almost like hail even though it is only rain.

The wind blew and the rain fell hard.  There was some thunder.  The TV weatherman reported over 25 lightening strikes in the area within a 15 minute period.  Then, after about a half hour, the storm moved on.  A while later the sun came out and dried most of the puddles.  As the song says, "the skies are not cloudy all day."

The smell of moist earth and humidity in the air linger into the night.  The temperature has dropped to  75 degrees.  The sky is mostly cloudy for the night of July 4th.  Monsoon is officially here yet the Independence Day festivities will continue, as scheduled, after dark.  I can hear the sound of fireworks in the distance.  As I look toward town I can see a fireworks display.  The lollypop ruby red fireworks are the most vibrant color against the black sky.  There is a slight drizzle and a light breeze.  The rain is so light I can stand outside and the breeze nearly dries all the rain as it falls.  The fireworks show is about 50 minutes long.  By the end of the show, the rain has stopped.  Sweet dreams.  Sleep well.

God Bless America and God Bless you all,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C.  (c)2011

Pizza

I felt like making a pizza.  I had purchased sliced provolone cheese.  It was on sale.  Usually I make pizza crust with one packet of quick rise yeast, a spoon of honey, warm (not hot) water and flour.  Add the yeast to the warm water in a large bowl.  Mix in the honey and sprinkle a bit of flour on the surface.  Soon you see the yeast grow.  The honey and flour feed the yeast.  I mix in more flour until the dough is a thick, doughy, kneadable consistency, and knead for a few minutes.  If the dough is too wet, I add flour until the dough is a nice, kneadable, play-dough, consistency.  I knead the dough in the large mixing bowl I used to mix the ingredients.  When the dough is a slightly elastic, smooth consistency, I lightly dust the dough ball with flour, place it in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel to keep it dark, and let it rise for about a half hour.  A half hour later, you have a nice, risen dough, which can be lightly floured again, tossed or rolled out to form pizza dough in your pan.

The problem was, I had no yeast in the house and did not want to venture out in the 110 degree heat, so I made a dough with flour, baking soda, and water.  This worked well, except that the dough was a little too wet and I ran out of flour.  The only way I could get the gooey dough spread thin was to spray the dough with cooking oil and spread it by hand, in the pan.  This required some effort, but worked.  No rising time required.

the basil plant with small white flowers in the Southwest Desert

I usually do not cook much in the heat of summer.  This was to be my holiday weekend pizza.  I find that pizza is best with a thin coating of red sauce.  I did not want to open a quart jar of sauce just for the pizza, so I used ketchup.  It added a nice, subtle sweetness and worked perfectly as that thin layer of red topped with thin slices of provolone.  On top of the provolone was a generous scattering of chopped, fresh cut basil that I elected to harvest before the insects get it, and one, rough chopped, fresh, garlic clove.  That's all.

I baked it in a 400 degree (F) oven, a very decadent summertime indulgence.  Usually I bake a yeast crust at 425 to 450 degrees, but I was not sure how this experimental crust would cook.  The 400 degree oven worked fine, baking for the usual 15 minutes.  The crust did not rise as much as a yeast crust, but it was surprisingly delicious, and there is enough left for a meal tomorrow.  I serve it with a salad.  I used organic romaine lettuce cut across the bunch every inch, and red bell pepper cut in rough half inch cubes. I added a tiny bit of dressing so as to allow the flavors of the raw salad ingredients to be present.  The texture of the salad and the taste of the fresh red bell pepper complimented the pizza perfectly.  I am so pleased with the result that I may substitute ketchup for red sauce in my future pizzas.  The flavor, consistency, and  convenience pleasantly surprised me.

As we look forward to the 4th of July, Independence Day, the weather here is sure to stay well over 100 degrees (F) every day.  We can feel the monsoon heavy in the air, but no substantial rains yet.  I wish you all a safe and enjoyable 4th of July.  Hope you get to see a fireworks show, although many areas have banned them this year because of the fire hazard.  I will look up in the sky after dark, hopeful...
As ever,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011