Yes, rain is essential for streams & lakes, fish & animals, beautiful autumn leaves and the tourists all those things bring. But this much rain? I don't think so. Almost 9" to date this month. Enough already. Our container plants like it, but everything in the ground is swimming. On the up side, here's what can be found in our garden markets this week:
Early garlic
Spinach
Snap peas
Baby turnips & greens
Tender early greens
Yellow squash and baby zucchini
Beans
Baby carrots
Green onions
Strawberries are almost gone
Mulberries
More later on mulberries - we have them in our yard and they're so yummy sweet this year. Right now I'm off to enjoy the ten minutes of sunshine we're allotted this weekend. Happy Summer!
Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The Garden IS IN!
The tiny little baby garden we absolutely positively were NOT going to plant this year is now planted. I'd talk more about it, but I'm tired! Short version: Mountain Fresh tomatoes, banana peppers, mystery beans and mystery onions.
Naptime :)
Naptime :)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
SALSARIFIC!
This weekend we finally found enough ingredients ripe and ready at the same time for salsa. So I made it, and ya know what? It was beautiful. I mean it was really, truly a thing of beauty. Here's the recipe:
A bunch of tomatoes, any kind, really ripe
Banana peppers
Walla-Walla Onion
Garlic
Sea Salt
Chop it all as fine as you can, mix it all together and refrigerate overnight. Next day, grab some chips or a spoon or a snow shovel and gorge until you can't take anymore. Finis.
I know, there are no quantities listed. Because that's how we learn to be flexible and cook creatively. But if pressed, I would tell you that I used 1/3 as much banana pepper and 1/2 as much onion as I did tomato. And I don't remember how many cloves of garlic, but I think there were four. And a few dashes of salt. It made a medium Gladware bowlful, minus what The Tall Guy stole from me during the process. It was delicious.
What else have we been doing? Well, zucchini, of course. Lots and lots of zucchini - in stir fry and pickles and salads and bread and cookies and gifts for anyone who will take them. It's not been too overwhelming because we eat them almost every day so as not to be overrun in our sleep. Also yellow summer squash, early spaghetti squash, tomatoes, cukes, tomatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, asparagus beans, tomatoes and those amazing onions. Peaches, plums, dill, basil, oregano and bee balm (for tea). Soon the tomatoes will start arriving in bushels instead of pecks and The Mama and I will have a day of canning sauces, salsas and chutneys.
I love summer!
A bunch of tomatoes, any kind, really ripe
Banana peppers
Walla-Walla Onion
Garlic
Sea Salt
Chop it all as fine as you can, mix it all together and refrigerate overnight. Next day, grab some chips or a spoon or a snow shovel and gorge until you can't take anymore. Finis.
I know, there are no quantities listed. Because that's how we learn to be flexible and cook creatively. But if pressed, I would tell you that I used 1/3 as much banana pepper and 1/2 as much onion as I did tomato. And I don't remember how many cloves of garlic, but I think there were four. And a few dashes of salt. It made a medium Gladware bowlful, minus what The Tall Guy stole from me during the process. It was delicious.
What else have we been doing? Well, zucchini, of course. Lots and lots of zucchini - in stir fry and pickles and salads and bread and cookies and gifts for anyone who will take them. It's not been too overwhelming because we eat them almost every day so as not to be overrun in our sleep. Also yellow summer squash, early spaghetti squash, tomatoes, cukes, tomatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, asparagus beans, tomatoes and those amazing onions. Peaches, plums, dill, basil, oregano and bee balm (for tea). Soon the tomatoes will start arriving in bushels instead of pecks and The Mama and I will have a day of canning sauces, salsas and chutneys.
I love summer!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Coming soon: Zucchini pickles & smoked corn
No, not at the same time, 'cause that would be crazy. The Mama and I spent all day Sunday in a 4,000 degree kitchen canning pickles for the winter. It was a steamy, drippy and wonderful day. Until I forgot the salt and over half of the 30 quarts instantly became refrigerator pickles. So there are many many (MANY) friends and relatives with a quart of "Berto's Garden Dilly Sours" sitting in their fridge, anxiously awaiting the magic opening date of August 3rd.
And on the other front, the Papa in Law came up with the brilliant idea of putting corn on the cob in the smoker. It was fabulous, gorgeous, delicious and a host of other "ous"es. Except now that I've written that, it occurred to me that "hideous" and "anxious" both end in ous, and it wasn't either of those things. So, onward and upward, and waiting with bated breath for my return and the full details of our weekend escapades.
The Tall Guy is feeling much better, and thank you for your healing thoughts and warm wishes. It truly is wonderful to be remembered by friends.
We'll talk more soon!
And on the other front, the Papa in Law came up with the brilliant idea of putting corn on the cob in the smoker. It was fabulous, gorgeous, delicious and a host of other "ous"es. Except now that I've written that, it occurred to me that "hideous" and "anxious" both end in ous, and it wasn't either of those things. So, onward and upward, and waiting with bated breath for my return and the full details of our weekend escapades.
The Tall Guy is feeling much better, and thank you for your healing thoughts and warm wishes. It truly is wonderful to be remembered by friends.
We'll talk more soon!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Let the Berry-ing Begin!
Well, woohoo. Strawberry season has arrived in the Northeastern USA and I am ready to meet it head-on. Unlike other years, when I'm only dimly aware of these jewels when they're almost gone, I was one of the first in the fields this year. Friday saw me wading thru the slop (after a torrential downpour that morning) in my slinky black pants and sleeveless white sweater - I was on my way home from work when a Pick-Ur-Own sign caught my eye. Came home with four quarts, all I could handle for an unplanned stop. These are for eating fresh - about half of them are juicing in the fridge with raw cane sugar for shortcake tonight. Next week will be a minimum of 16 more quarts for freezing. We'll see how freezer space looks after that. We still have cherries, raspberries, wild black caps and blueberries to come. But strawberries are my favorite so they may get a little more than their share of room.
In other garden news...look at our lettuce!
We also have broccoli, tomatoes (Dr. Wyches Yellow, Reinhard's Goldkirsche and something The Father-in-law selected), cukes (English seedless, Lemon and Boston Pickling), beans (green string, McCaslin and Purple Poles), peppers (yellow banana, habanero, Corno di Toro Giallo and Sweet Chocolate), Walla Walla sweet onions and a ton of other stuff. The FIL has the greenest thumb of anyone I've ever known except for my mom. So it looks like a bountiful season ahead!
Here are some dumb clucks who share our yard space.
And the hummingbird feeder in our back cedar trees. It gets a lot of action, but I'm way too slow to get a shot of an actual hummingbird. Picture one here:
These were all taken last week, as you can see by the dates. Other than the lettuce, which has taken off like a house afire, it all pretty much looks the same :)
Wilting in the heat and wishing you all a Happy Saturday!
In other garden news...look at our lettuce!
We also have broccoli, tomatoes (Dr. Wyches Yellow, Reinhard's Goldkirsche and something The Father-in-law selected), cukes (English seedless, Lemon and Boston Pickling), beans (green string, McCaslin and Purple Poles), peppers (yellow banana, habanero, Corno di Toro Giallo and Sweet Chocolate), Walla Walla sweet onions and a ton of other stuff. The FIL has the greenest thumb of anyone I've ever known except for my mom. So it looks like a bountiful season ahead!
Here are some dumb clucks who share our yard space.
And the hummingbird feeder in our back cedar trees. It gets a lot of action, but I'm way too slow to get a shot of an actual hummingbird. Picture one here:
These were all taken last week, as you can see by the dates. Other than the lettuce, which has taken off like a house afire, it all pretty much looks the same :)
Wilting in the heat and wishing you all a Happy Saturday!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Global warming, it's not just for summer!
So it's the second half of May, full of plantings and sunshine and walking in the dew barefoot and scraping the frost off my windshield in the morning and...wait a minute. Back up to that last thing? Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, I had to perform the dreaded Scrape While the Car Warms Up ritual twice in the past week and it's only Wednesday. The third Wednesday in MAY, might I remind you. I fear for my fragile newborn veggies and herbs lest the frigid weather carry them to their deaths. If they have met their Maker, I am fortunate enough to live in an agricultural area with Farmers' Markets aplenty. But we were so looking forward to finally providing for ourselves this year. Oh well, it's still early so we'll see what happens.
Here's a pic of The Tall Guy around age 16 that The Mama dug up. What a cutie, and so tall already:
Here's a pic of The Tall Guy around age 16 that The Mama dug up. What a cutie, and so tall already:
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