The "New" Way to Fry Okra

The soil in our raised beds must be very rich in nitrogen.  The tomatoes and the okra tower high above my head.  The okra plants look like small trees!  The pods are growing so far up the stalk I have to bend the tops over in order to cut the fruit off the plant.  And okra must be cut daily because the pods fill out and grow into giants so quickly.  Giant pods are lovely to dry and use decoratively, and you can throw a whole one in a pot of soup or beans for flavor and thickening power (to be discarded later) - but they're not any good to eat.  Too fibrous and tough.

Okra has been appearing on our dinner table regularly.  Our current favorite way to eat okra is to lightly fry it - with no breading, mind you!  Choose tender, young pods ... I like to use pods that are about 3" long.  Cut the tough stem off, leaving the cap intact, then cut the pod in half lengthwise.  Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with a scant layer of olive oil.  Heat over medium heat.  Add okra pods, cut side down.  Allow to cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is fork tender.  No need to stir or turn.  You may want to cover the skillet for a few minutes to steam it along a bit.  Add salt and enjoy.  People have changed their minds about okra after eating it prepared this way!

Assassin Bugs - Scary Looking but Beneficial

Assassin Bugs are one of the "good guys" in the garden. They are voracious predators of many garden pests including flies, mosquitoes, beetles, large caterpillars, and aphids.  But beware ... they do cause a painful bite to humans.

These nymphs hatched out amid the squash plants.  Look out squash bugs.  You look like dinner to these guys.  A little help in the garden is always appreciated!

The Rooster has Found his Voice

The hormones are kicking in!  Our young Dominique rooster crowed repeatedly from inside the hen house for the first time this morning.

Rouse was working outside.  I was working in the kitchen.  Suddenly, he was at the open window, beckoning excitedly, and saying, "Come listen to this!"  I figured he had heard some unusual confusing fall warbler - but no!  It was our own local bird, announcing his coming of age.

Big changes are coming to the chicken yard.  Better get ready, Ladies!

Good and Plenty

The tomatoes - including the sungold cherry tomatoes - have slowed down quite a bit.  But I still have enough to eat daily.  I love them sliced and paired with fresh mozzarella cheese, splashed with balsamic vinegar and a fine olive oil, then sprinkled with fresh basil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Okra and green beans have been appearing regularly on our dinner table.  The butternut squash has been delicious fried, mashed, and incorporated into a potato-based soup.

Our garden is big enough to feed our family during the season.  What a bonus when there's more than enough for supper!  That's the time to put some away for tomorrow.  Some things I like to freeze, but I have limited freezer space.  This year, I decided to do more canning.

I've been making fruit jams and preserves for many years, and I made a few jars of okra pickles last year.  They were so delicious, I decided to attempt more pickles this year.  Both fruit preserves and pickles may be processed in a hot water bath, so no need to play with a pressure cooker.  Tomatoes may also be processed in a hot water bath.  I didn't have enough tomatoes to can, but Andrew bought two boxes of tomatoes from his favorite local farmer in Asheville.  Andrew processed the contents of one box for the freezer.  I canned the contents of the other box.  Tomato juice was the unexpected bonus out of that project!  Here's what's on the shelf to date:

Pickles

• Sweet Pickle Relish     11.5     pints
• Fiesta Salsa                   9        pints
• Okra Pickles                 3        pints
• Beet Pickles                  4        pints
• Dilled Green Bean         4        pints

Jams and Preserves

• Fig Jam                                16       half-pint jars
• Fig Chutney                          15      half-pint jars
• F.R.O.G. Jam                      10       half-pint jars
• Blackberry Jam                    13       half-pint jars
• Wineberry Jam                     18       half-pint jars
• Strawberry Jam                    14       half-pint jars
• Jalapeño Jelly                          6      half-pint jars
• Hot Pepper Jelly                     6       half-pint jars

Other Veggies

• Tomatoes                                7     quarts
• Tomato Juice                          2.5   quarts

Those jars look so pretty on the shelf!

Second Crop of Figs is Abundant

I'm overwhelmed with figs!  I made a big batch of fig chutney last week and have been freezing figs as soon as I pick them all this week.  I'm saving up for a day in the kitchen, preserving these delicious, but highly perishable, fruits.

Almost Instant Gratification

Little green rows of kale, radishes, and lettuces are already showing.  I greet the fall/winter growing season and its promise of great greens with gratitude!

Fall Garden Plantings

Sowed Seeds
Cooking Greens:
Red Russian Kale (25 - 50 days)
Smooth Kale (55 - 70 days)
Curled Siberian Kale (60 days)
Southern Giant Curled Mustard (40 days)
Tendergreen Mustard (55 days)
Seven Top Turnip ( 40 - 60 days)
Purple Top White Globe Turnip - Greens and
     radish-sized turnips in 30 days, full-size 40 - 50

Salad Greens:
Asian Greens, Yukina Savoy (21 - 45 days)
Mesclin Mix Lettuce
Black Seeded Green Lettuce
Green Romaine, Green Forested Pelleted (28 - 56 days)
Spinach, Bloomsdale (45 - 70 days)
Spinach (?) (55 days)
Red Globe Radish (20 - 50 days)
Pink Beauty Radish (26 days)


Transplanted
9 Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage plants
9 Major Broccoli plants
4 Georgia Collard plants

dad gum squash bugs!

While picking and inspecting the garden today I found this lovely sight (what was I saying about the squash just a few days ago?!) ...

This many bugs on one plant can't be good, but I had to go online to be sure.  Horror of horrors, they are the dread squash bug!  Upon closer inspection, I found that they had launched a full-scale invasion.  I found squash bug egg masses, vacated eggs, newly hatched nymphs, nymphs of many sizes (seen here), and adults all over the young crook-neck and patty-pan squash plants, as well as on some of the butternut squash plants.

I put on gloves and went to work, scraping eggs off leaves and smooshing bugs.  The underside of some leaves were covered with nymphs.  I threw those in the chicken yard.  The hens gobbled them up!  I sprayed the base of the squash plant stalks with insecticidal soap.  I suspect this is a lost cause, but I can't let those dad gum bugs take over without a fight!

Here's my gallery of photos taken on the battlefield:

Egg Mass

Newly Hatched Nymphs

Caught in the Act!

Here's a great link for identifying all things buggy:  http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

And the link for family photos of anasa tristis, a.k.a. squash bug:  http://bugguide.net/node/view/35655/bgimage

Red Delicious

Another sign that summer is ending and autumn is on the way ... the apples are getting ripe!

The Red Delicious apple tree is loaded with fruit this year, and thanks to Grayson's big bark - or prolific marking of territory - the deer are staying away.

Mild-flavored, sweet, and juicy, Red Delicious was bred to be an eating apple. While not recommended for baking, they are perfect for eating out-of-hand or in a fresh fruit salad.  My Grandma Schleif used them to make Waldorf Salad.

Picked a handful of pole beans today!

Is there hope for the pole beans?

Today - finally - I see some Blue Lake green beans!  I had just about given up on my pole beans, and I'm not the only one.  There's been discussion on the Chatham Chatlist ...


August 10
We have a beautiful long row of pole bean vines, lots of healthy foliage. Not even many bugs or morning glory vines. Why no bugs or morning glory vines? Because squashing bugs and cutting morning glory is about all there is do do out there at the bean row. No beans. And a friend told me she's not getting beans either at her place. Anyone  know what's going on? -- Doug B.


August 11
I have been growing beans from seeds that have been handed down in my family for 65 or more years.  I have grown them here in Chatham for the past 35 years. This is the first year that I have ever experienced so few beans. I have two rows, beautiful foliage but less than 5 or 6 beans. No bug problems this year.  I am usually bothered by Japanese Beetles, but have only found one this season. Lack of beans this season on my "hand-me-down" seeds could very well signal the end of a long tradition-  Very sad . .  -- Thurman M.

I have pole beans with no flowers and peppers that have not flowered- so of course I have no peppers or pole beans.  I'm interested in the answer. -- Laura Y.


August 13
Here's a possible explanation from Debbie Roos, Agricultural Extension Agent, Chatham County Center:
"A few folks have asked why their bean plants and pepper plants are not producing this year. There are two likely possibilities. One is related to nutrition. If a crop is over-fertilized, all the plant's energy will go towards vegetative growth, at the expense of setting blooms. The other possibility is related to heat stress. Very high temperatures will cause flowers to abort. We have certainly had record-breaking heat this summer, and night-time temperatures have also remained high. Growers around the state are experiencing yield loss in several crops due to the excessively high temperatures."


I've been lucky that my Lek's Long Beans have been prolific producers.  Interestingly enough, Lek - provider of those seeds - has had no luck whatsoever with her plants this year.  Healthy vines.  No beans!  My Jade Bush Beans have also produced well.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the pole beans might produce a decent crop after all.  Better late than never ...


Debbie Roos's contact info:
919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu
www.growingsmallfarms.org
twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms

It's been a good season for squash ...

I pulled up most of the old yellow squash and zucchini plants.  They were looking pretty haggard, and not producing anything.  The fruit they've tried to produce recently has withered on the vine.  There are still a couple of yellow squash plants that look like the might produce some fruit. I'm going to leave them until the bitter end!

The squash bugs did not do us in this year, and for that I am thankful!

Free Decorative Gourds

We have taken down trees in the recent past to increase sunshine on the garden.  Rouse has further cleared the area to make room for a future workshop.  It just so happens that our old compost pile was located in this area.

One happy consequence of all the added sun and open space is the proliferation of decorative gourd plants that popped up from parent fruits / seeds that were dumped in the compost last fall.  Now these volunteers are running all over the place!  Andrew noticed them and selected for them as he cleared and mowed the area.  Today, I harvested a big pile of gorgeous gourds.  They make a lovely centerpiece!

Summer is Winding Down

Just got back from the Swannanoa Gathering where I've been feeding my music addiction.  Time to get back to the business of feeding my hunger for good food!

While there's still plenty of good things to enjoy out of the garden, it's undeniable that summer is waning.  The tomatoes are showing more and more brown leaves and not much promise of future fruit.  The old squash plants are looking sad, and have all but stopped producing.  The cucumber plants are turning yellow, and the cukes are definitely stressed from dry conditions - constricted at one end and ballooned out at the other.  The bush beans have plenty of blossoms and baby beans, but they're not maturing well - probably a moisture issue. The pole beans look healthy, with blossoms, but no sign of beans. Thank goodness the long beans continue to produce well.  The okra is finally coming in strong.  Looks like we'll have a bumper crop of butternut squash!

The yellow squash plants that Andrew planted late in the season are starting to produce, and I see evidence of baby patty-pans to come.  The late-planted edamame  has succumbed to abuse ... looks like it's been eaten up by some critter that we were never able to observe.  The black bean plants are doing well.  It's yet to be seen if they have time to set fruit this growing season.