The End is Near

The garden does not lie!

Tomato plants are withering. A few fruits hang on and I want to believe that they will ripen in place! But I realize that if left on the vine these promising green orbs will likely succumb to worms or rot or both. So I pick them at the first sign of color and let them ripen on the kitchen counter. The cherry tomatoes have slowed down, but still produce more than we can eat fresh. One of these days, soon and very soon, I'll declare it over. I'll pick all the tomatoes in sight, cook down the red ones for juice and feast on the green ones … fried to a tangy perfection.

The peppers are still producing, but even they are showing signs of the end. Not many blossoms portending bonus fruit. I'm mainly waiting for that perfect red ripeness or last minute growth spurt before I harvest them all.

I'm picking the last of the Jade bush beans. Many of the plants have totally dried up in the recent drought. They have been a mainstay on the menu this summer. I will miss them.

The Garden of Eden Italian flat beans and the Rattlesnake pole beans are still hanging in there, although I have to admit their days are numbered. I still get enough for a couple good batches per week, with a few extra to share.

The pink-eyed purple hulled southern peas are just about to finish up their second harvest. I have a bag full in the 'fridge right now that needs shelling. Now that's a job! But so worth it. Fresh southern peas are a treat.

The Asian Long beans are producing and blooming well. Not our favorite green bean, they do prove useful when I need to stretch a skillet of sautéed okra or want a few green beans in the soup pot. When the other green beans are gone we might value these more.

The okra continues to be a reliable staple. We have plenty to eat all ways … steamed, sautéed, fried, cooked with southern peas, added to gumbo, served with spicy sausage … I don't tend to like it stewed in its own slime.

The stevia has been successfully extracted. The basil is tucked away in the form of frozen pesto blobs. I continue to harvest parsley, adding it to the stash in the freezer compartment. The dill heads will need attention.

All in all, we're still eating well from the garden, but you can tell … the times they are a'changin'!