Peas!

I picked a bowl of peas last night. Small, but still, enough to make me feel like I succeeded with them.

And some garlic is starting to come up. It's a relief since, once again, it looked like something had been digging up the bulbs. But obviously nothing bothered them.

Peas and no Kale

Peas! Despite the recent heat, I discovered pea pods. There will be some ready to pick in a few days. The only problem is that there probably won't be enough for a meal at any one time. Next year I guess I'll have to plant more (and also support them better---plastic posts just don't do the job).

The kale, however, are still being eaten. Presumably by rabbits, or by whatever seems to be making holes. I fill them in, but can't quite figure out where they are coming in from. Unless they got under the dug-in hardware cloth. Grr...

Still producing and raspberries, too

Well, it has gotten cooler, but the tomato production was slowing even before it cooled off. And it's still in the 80s during the day, anyway. But something is eating the tomatoes once they get reasonably ripe (not rabbits, as the high ones are being eaten as well). I'm now picking them as soon as they show a little bit of red, and that seems to provide enough that we still get them for the garden, plus we had extras with the CSA.

We are also still getting a few small bell peppers, and a fair number of hot peppers. Whatever is eating the tomatoes is eating the hot peppers as well, by the way.

Also signs of rabbits or something digging into the garden. They've eaten the tiny kale and kholrabi plants that I planted a month ago and had started to (slowly) grow. I've put in more, and hope that the rabbits (or whatever) either get blocked out or slow down as it gets cooler.

One good thing--the raspberries have hit another peak production. Looks like enough for raspberries very morning with my cereal, with any luck until we get frost. Mmm...

Animal Update---now they are attacking the fertilizer

So I went out last night to check on the garden. There is a small plastic cabinet on the deck that I use to keep tools, seeds, and bags of fertilizer and soil amendments in. The door was open, which is not unusual---I don't always close it completely. But the weird part was that some animal had gotten into the cabinet and dragged out a bag of fertilizer. Tore it open, too, and spilled most of the contents onto the deck.

What could possibly attract an animal to fertilizer (organic, yet)? And why don't I get a shotgun?

Too many tomatoes

We've gotten to that point of the summer. This means success, of course, but also leaves me wondering how to use up what I've grown. Last summer I tried canning them, but I wasn't satisfied with the result. I thought the home-canned tomatoes were actually kind of bland, so I don't want to do that again.

That leaves us on a search for tomato recipes.

I pulling up the dead/dying zucchini plants today. This was not a very successful season for them---once again, only a few fruit grew. Why don't I get more zucchini? The cucumbers may also be on their last legs.

Of course, the continuing seasons mean that new things are happening. I've planted some more kale and kholrabi. The first plants have come up, very spotty germination, however, maybe because of the heat? Peas are also coming up, but also somewhat disappointing germination. Still, with any luck we should get some peas this fall.

I also picked some hot chili peppers. They are drying under low heat in the oven. Should be plenty for chili this winter.

Big Harvest

Well, I went out today just to make sure nothing needed to be picked. And here's what I got:


Not bad. Four cucumbers (they keep hiding until they get too big), lots of cherry tomatoes, and plenty of regular tomatoes as well.

As I already had a load of tomatoes, it was time to make fresh tomato sauce. Recipe follows:

1. Lots of tomatoes.
2. Some basil

(If you want exact measures, try a cookbook. Besides, the purpose of this recipe is to use up whatever tomatoes are around. Don't try it unless you have at least 15 or so ripe tomatoes, however, as it cooks down a lot.)

Peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Chop them up and then drain them in a sieve (I just discovered this step, it reduces the cooking time a lot).

Mince the basil. Note: you could also add sauteed onions, garlic, oregano...whatever you like. Or you can even omit the basil for purity.

Simmer tomatoes and basil in a large saucepan until most of the liquid is gone. You want lumps of tomato. This might take an hour depending on how many tomatoes you have and how large the saucepan is.

Serve over pasta. Parmesan is good on this, but not completely necessary.

The harvest continues

The dribble of one or two cucumbers each day means that the vegetable drawer in the fridge is filling up again. If this keeps up, I will eventually make dill pickles. For now, however, we are planning a cucumber-mango salad for a potluck that should put a dent in them.

The tomatoes are producing, although kind of slowly. Part of the problem is that I still lose more than I like to insects and other things of that sort. It is disappointing to see a tomato that was ripening go bad before it can be picked! Still, we are getting more than enough, and plenty of cherry tomatoes.

Getting a few raspberries, as well. There should be lots soon.

Still only a zucchini every week or so. They are very discouraging. Maybe I should give them up.

The pea plants have shown up and are starting to reach the trellis. And there are tiny kholrai and kale plants. I suppose next week I should try to plant some more, since I'm sure this heat isn't the best for them.

I am spraying Seranade like crazy (twice in the past week). I think I am losing to the powdery mildew, but at a slower rate than in the past. Next year, I'll have to try spraying earlier.