Not too much happening in my garden these days. We've got Red Russian kale and collards (a second planting) that are going strong. Those prolific Matt's Wild Cherry Tomatoes and Mexican Sour Gherkins, still as prolific as ever. Our husk cherries are in a race with the frost. We were spared recently but for how long?
I like the end of the season. Not too much to worry about other than the harvest. There's the surprise of a final dahlia bloom, going outside to pick greens for dinner, the pure joy of cooking with your own produce in late September and possibly even into October. And if the frost comes, the knowledge that I'm just fine with fried green tomatoes or green tomato pickles.
Our harvest hasn't been a good one for preserving. We just didn't have the quantity this year. Lucky for us, we have friends who are also gardeners, and we've been gifted a store of carrots and tomatillos (for salsa verde, which I hope to can this weekend). Nothing beats walking down to the basement and pulling out a jar of homemade salsa verde to serve with chips in the winter. If you're wondering I like the recipe from Canning For a New Generation by Liana Krissoff.
A few standout recipes we've made lately:
creamed kale
ginger roasted carrots with miso dressing
How about your own gardens? What's still going strong? Do you enjoy the end of the gardening season?
The tomatoes, peppers, and okra just keep coming. They make me kind of impatient though--they are the reason I never get fall crops planted because I can't bear to leave a space. I'll be happy when I am pulling some tomatoes or okra from the freezer, or cooking my own black eyed peas for New Year's, or using my own hot peppers. This is the best time of year.
ReplyDeletewe still have some tomatoes and cayenne peppers coming. would have more tomatoes if the drought followed by deluge didn't cause so many of them to split. our herbs are also going strong - we have basil plants like trees.
ReplyDeletewe pulled the first sweet potato up last week, and it was great. our first time growing them. we will harvest the others soon.
something ate all of my kale :( but the romaine lettuce is doing well.
jenna: i'd love to grow sweet potatoes. i don't think it's warm enough here. none to be found at any of the farmers' markets.
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