The Garden

So we're in the red finally. We've got ripe tomatoes. We've had to pull most of the zucchini (except a few "8 Ball" variety which I think are not really zucchinis but look like little round ones--and I did actually find a few squash bugs on those so I'm sure their days are numbered) and all of the cucumbers (how sad is that?!).

The star of the season has definitely been the swiss chard and kale bed this year. Beautiful. So beautiful. I pick a bunch once or twice a week to steam and blend for Abigail (the poor girl--I mean the lucky girl, obviously--gets it added to everything from her morning oatmeal to her PBJ sandwiches). And then sometimes I saute some for supper. Tonight we had sauteed chard with our split peas and sausage and rice, and it just made the meal. Even Abigail wolfed it down, and she is way pickier than the boys ever were.

Red beets are some of my new favorite vegetables (up from the bottom of my list) because I found an awesome way to prepare them. I don't know if I mentioned this on my blog before, but Mollie Katzen's book was a gift from my aunt and I cannot tell you how amazing her recipe for "Complete Beets" is. She has you boil the bottoms and then toss them (cut up in segments) in with the sauteed greens. They are amazing. I had grown a few in early summer, but I was sad I didn't have more planted once I tasted it. In honor of that recipe, I planted a whole slew of red beets for my fall garden. Complete beets, here we come!

The next exciting feature of my garden will be the red raspberries. I know I mentioned my black raspberries, I was totally enamored with those in July. But I have to say, I may be just as excited in a few months to be eating the red ones. I almost pulled out the red raspberry plant I had when I got my black ones. I was afraid that I'd end up having them cross-pollinate, and my black ones were my priority. But I didn't get any blooms last year on the red when the black were in bloom, so I let the plant stay. The trick this year (since the canes were bigger and healthier) was to make sure I pinched off the few flowers it got earlier in the summer. That way I could avoid the cross-pollinating and also guarantee a better fall crop of raspberries. I got a few the last couple of days, but it looks like late September we should really get some. I will be sure to include pictures. Micah said today that the red ones are even better than the black ones. But I think the fruit just coming into season always seems like the sweetest fruit. That's my favorite part about seasonal eating.

FRUIT!

Raspberries are forming . . . WAY more than last year.

I can't believe we have grapes, I feel so Mediterranean!

I actually found a few pink strawberries outside while gardening today; we'll be eating strawberries in May!

I know that this is fairly obvious to all of you seasonal eaters out there, but to those who've never taken a crack at it, one of the bleakest things about winter is the fresh fruit deprivation.  I mean, apples are amazing.  How long they last, for months on end, is amazing.  But one longs for a little variety after a while.

And this family is not too strict.  We buy frozen and shipped fruit over the winter.  We were especially not too strict this past winter, since I had a baby in July (thereby missing the berry and peach storage--except for some strawberries a very pregnant woman managed to freeze).  This winter I hope to be better equipped.  My mother-in-law is hoping to teach me her fig preserve recipes (if they're ripe in time for my July visit to South Carolina) and thinks there might be some pears I could harvest off of a tree on my visit (I can see the battle with my husband as he loads the car for our return trip now).  But I digress . . .

When the rhubarb is full and elephant-leafed in the garden right near a new fig tree, a grape vine actually sporting grapes, strawberries, and black raspberry canes completely covered in raspberries . . . I feel blessed.  When I'm actually eating this fruit, I may be giddy.

Next year I think I'm planting a few gooseberry plants . . .

Peas, strawberries, and RASPBERRIES!

Sugar peas and pod peas are actually on their way out, after that hot, hot sunny weather we had in Philly the last few weeks (it's finally cooling off tonight, but it's too late for my peas, I'd guess).  But I was really pleased this year with my pea success.  The kids would pick sugar peas on the way to or from the car (since they're growing along the fence in the front) and we'd eat them raw in the car or for a lunch addition.  But the last two weeks my kids have really been excited by the pod peas.  Those we grew on the back fence behind the house, and if my mom hadn't stood up for them I was actually in favor of ripping them out for more tomato space.  I'm so glad I gave them a chance, my kids were ecstatic to pop them open and pull the peas out (partly because they were so sweet, I'm sure). 

Strawberries have been averaging about a quart a week from our plants (which translates to about $7 worth in Philly).  And now the really exciting development is the raspberries ripening.  I thought they'd be a July crop for some reason, but here we go!  I put 2 or 3 in everyone's granola yesterday, but today I decided to save them.  When we get a pint (or at least half of one) I promised the kids what I consider to be the ultimate dessert: black raspberries on vanilla ice cream.  It's the only way to eat them, as far as I'm concerned (though I've never complained about eating the jelly or pie made from them either). 

I don't know if I can properly express my excitement and thankfulness to be able to produce real crops that actually affect our family's diet a little (especially some of these more expensive items: pod peas and strawberries were selling for $7 a quart at the farmer's market this weekend, black raspberries will likely sell for $5 a pint if they have them at all, and after our major construction needed in our basement due to water and termite damage, we need to cut corners where we can).  I think our strawberry crop would have been substantially higher had I not inadvertantly planted their enemy crop, arugula, around about a third of my plants.  I searched online after both plants were so stunted and yellow that I suspected I had found enemy crops.  Next year I will not make that mistake. 

Tomatoes are forming on my plants, so they should start coming a little bit before Baby Davis #3 arrives.  That will save us a fortune.  Ever since I read about BPA in cans of tomatoes I've felt like I should buy fresh, and anyone who reads my blog will know I feel like I have to get local ones, so I've been buying these early expensive ones to tide us over until mine are ready.  Why do I feel like tomatoes are essential for about half of what I make?  And how much better are sandwiches with a good old slice of ripe red tomato?  Oh boy, am I ever ready for ours to ripen!