White Christmas in Carolina!

A day late ... but who's complaining?

We woke up this morning to a thick blanket of perfectly beautiful snow ... six inches of the frozen stuff!  The entire family went out for a walk in the winter wonderland.  We wandered about the property, then crossed the road to enjoy more woodsy traipsing.  This is the view looking out toward the garden.

Icy transformation.  Even the dried-up bean plants look beautiful!
The snow adds an extra layer of insulation to the covered beds.

The deer and chicken fencing and the cable for the dog run is frosted.
With minimal wind, the snow piled up on every surface and edge.

Happy Holiday Eats from the Garden

The garden is quite sparse.  Even the hardiest greens were burnt by the frigid cold we experienced in early December.  Now is the time to open the pantry and the freezer with appreciation for all that has been put away there.

When the garden was overflowing with berries and figs, tomatoes and peppers, beets and greens, peas and okra, squash and 'taters ... we were eating our fill.  But the garden was generous.  We shared the excess with family and friends.  Still there was more.  Time to take to the hot kitchen - chopping and slicing, spicing and stirring, roasting and blanching - preserving all that goodness for a later date. That later date is now!  The holidays provide ample opportunity to break out the goodies.  As we mark the shortest days in the darkest time of the year, we savor the tastes of summer.

Our holiday meals are enhanced with the many pickles and preserves that had their start in my garden.  Last night, spiced fig pickles and the last of the sweet refrigerator cucumber pickles accompanied our Christmas Eve feast.

Alas ... no Figgy Pudding!

It was the year of the fig in this year's garden.  But what to do with all those figs?  Preserve them, package them up nice and pretty, and deliver them to friends at Christmas time!  The Wilson fig sampler included Fig Chutney, Fig Jam, and loaves of Fig Preserves Cake.  In addition to the joy of sharing the fig bounty, I'll have the satisfaction of serving these treats at my table during the holiday season.  Y'all stop by!

Fig Chutney

• Spoon over a block of cream cheese or goat cheese or brie and serve with crackers for a quick appetizer.
• Serve on the side to accompany assorted curry dishes, or with cold meats – much the same way you’d use pickles or herb jellies.
• Mix into a mild vinaigrette for an enhanced salad dressing or marinade for meat.
• Mix into mayonnaise and serve on a sandwich.

Fig Jam

Delicious on hot biscuits, pancakes and waffles, toast, bread and butter, or any other way you’d enjoy fruit jams.  Or try the recipe below.

Fig Preserves Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup (1 half-pint jar) fig preserves (chop up the figs)

½ cup chopped pecans

·        Combine flour, cornstarch, soda, salt, and spices; set aside.

·        Combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Stir in flour mixture, fig preserves, and pecans.  Pour batter into a well-greased 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking pan.

·        Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Good as is, or topped with sweetened whipped cream, or sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

According to temperatures recorded at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, this is the coldest December on record in North Carolina. The average temperature was 33 degrees through the first half of the month, which is nearly 12 degrees below normal for this time of year. And some days were bitterly cold, with temperatures falling into the single digits / lower teens - struggling to warm to above freezing by mid-afternoon.  The driving force behind all this cold weather?  An unusually strong and persistent low pressure system over Greenland and Nova Scotia which has been locked into place, driving Arctic air south across much of the country.


The second coldest year on record occurred before I was born ... back in 1958!


To put this recent cold snap into perspective, average temps in NC have been more in line with those usually experienced in Maine in early December.  Oh yeah ... this is going to mess with the garden.

Garden Under Cover

I planted my fall crops right on time this year, but the heat and drought of late summer, not to mention the aphids and the rascally rabbits, took their toll.  I managed to get several cuttings of kale before the bugs took over, and I'm still cutting the surviving arugula, mustard, and turnip greens from the uncovered beds seen here.  I replanted everything late in the season and applied lightweight row covers.  Recent windstorms have threatened to blow that cover, but so far, everything remains intact.

Delicious varieties of lettuce, spinach, kale, and other greens are thriving under cover.  I have lettuce that's ready to cut ... so fresh tasting!  What a treat in the middle of winter.  I'm considering extra protection - plastic - for the tender lettuce as winter comes on full force.  On the other hand, a good portion of last fall's lettuce survived the winter with NO row cover at all!  Will the beets, radishes, and carrots currently under cover produce roots early next spring?

Just look at these healthy cruciferous plants!  Last spring I had my best cabbage crop ever from plants that wintered over (with no cover), then successfully headed up.  I was able to harvest big, solid, juicy heads of cabbage before the pesky cabbage worms appeared on the scene.  Is it possible the broccoli might winter over for a similar head-start next spring?  I guess it all depends on what Mother Nature has in mind this season. Check out the tender baby collards ... they're ready to cut ... and the snowflakes in my hair.  It's started snowing about half an hour ago!

Hawk Attack

We lost a hen this afternoon to a hawk ... likely a red-tailed or red-shouldered hawk.  It was a big one.  I was at the office at the time. My sister, Janet, had come by the house to eat some lunch.  She called me with the bad news.  She had heard the chickens squawking and making an extraordinary racket.  She ran out to the chicken yard in time to see the huge bird fly away.  The unlucky hen was mortally wounded.  Several chickens had taken refuge in the hen house.  The others were cowering in the corner of the chicken yard.

Hot Pepper Jelly

The peppers had to be harvested.  Freezing weather was threatening.  What to do with all those hot peppers?    Make jelly, of course!  I made one batch each of Jalapeño and "Cow Horn" hot pepper jelly.

The jalapeños were a gorgeous, shiny, dark green.  They made a lovely naturally green jelly.  The flavor, though, turned out to be disappointingly mild.  Still, tasty enough.

The Cow Horn peppers, on the other hand, made jelly that was perfectly caliente!  I used only the ripe, red peppers to make this second batch of jelly.  It cooked up into a clear, red-orange gel.  Very delicious with a pungent cheese atop your favorite whole-grain cracker.  I even ate it for breakfast a couple of mornings ... peanut butter and hot pepper jelly on a crispy, toasted, whole-wheat English muffin.  Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!

Here's the recipe I used, from the Ball Blue Book of Preserving:

Jalapeño Jelly
3/4 pound hot peppers
2 cups cider vinegar, divided
6 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin

Wash peppers; drain.  Remove stems and seeds.  Puree peppers and 1 cup vinegar in a food processor or blender. Combine puree, 1 cup vinegar and sugar in a large saucepot.  Bring to a boil; boil 10 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in liquid pectin.  Return to a rolling boil.  Boil hard 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Skim foam if necessary.  Ladle hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace.  Adjust two-piece caps.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.  Yield:  Six 1/2 pint jars

Note:  When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned.  Take care not to rub your eyes, nose, mouth or other sensitive body parts with hands that are contaminated with hot pepper juice.  Don't clean the peppers under running water.  The "hotness" will be dispersed into the air, causing sneezing, coughing, runny nose, and much discomfort.  Put pepper waste directly into the compost bucket or trash can.  Wipe down counters and cutting boards with a paper towel that is then placed directly into the trash.

Cold Weather ... Here It Comes!

The predicted low for tonight is 35 degrees.  Tomorrow night?  29 degrees!

Late this afternoon I picked all the peppers, the pole beans, and the best of the remaining zinnias.  The expected freeze will finish everything off tomorrow night.  In the meantime, we have a lovely centerpiece on the kitchen table, a mess of green beans to cook up, and enough jalapeños to make a batch of hot pepper jelly.

I also installed the support system and placed row cover over the lettuce and spinach bed.  Everything's tucked in, nice and tidy, ready for winter to overtake the garden.

A Glorious October Day!

This afternoon I enjoyed being outdoors in the cool autumn air, under a blue cloudless sky, while doing garden and chicken chores.  Rouse was nearby, building his workshop.  Noah was busy replacing the brake pads on his jeep.  I guess you'd call that parallel play!

I planted half of one raised bed in two types of spinach:  "Red Cardinal", a hybrid smooth leaf, and "Spargo", a hybrid savoyed (crinkled) leaf.  The other half of the bed is already filled with lettuce seedlings that have sprouted since I planted them last Monday, as well as volunteers that seeded themselves from last spring's crop.

I placed row cover over the spinach/lettuce bed and redid the row cover on the bed of cooking greens.  Last week I had run short of insect barrier fabric.  I had just enough to cover the bed of greens close to the soil rather than on a structure that gets it up off the ground.  I bought more row cover fabric from the local feed and seed store, reinstalled the pvc pipe support structure, and got the fabric placed correctly.  Now the baby plants have room to grow.

I watered all the beds that contain my fall garden crops, then picked what's still coming in from the summer garden.  The long beans are about to play out.  I picked a handful of them, then picked the pole beans.  They're coming in as strong as ever!  There are still black beans drying on the plants.  I'll leave the hot pepper plants in the garden until frost kills them.  It's nice to go out to the garden to grab a jalapeño or two as needed.

After taking a lunch break, I returned to the outdoors.  Destination - the chicken coop.  I filled up the automatic waterer and the food dispenser, then cleaned and sanitized the crate we use to isolate sick chickens.  The chores were finished.  I went inside and took a nap!

Rainy Day Monday

I tried to beat the rain.  I knew it was coming, and I had lettuce and spinach seeds to plant.  I hurried out to the garden, prepared half of one raised bed, and planted a spicy mesclun mix and two types of green romaine, "Winter Density" and "Parris Island".  I sowed the seeds amid baby volunteer lettuce plants that had seeded themselves from last spring's crop.

I pulled up the shrub-like Thai basil and was preparing the soil for the spinach patch when the wind at the front of the storm hit.  The sky was a menacing dark gray.  I dropped the rake, gathered up the seeds, hollered up the dog, and barely made it to the back door before the downpour came.

Black and Beautiful

The black turtle beans have been successfully left to dry on the plant.  They've provided a nice cover crop in one of the beds throughout the heat and drought of late summer. Now, they give up their fruit.  There are still some in the garden, continuing to mature and dry, but here's a photo of some that Andrew and I have already shelled out.  Can't wait to cook up a pot full of these black beauties!

Cruciferous Plants - Take 2

It may be late in the season, but I've got to try!  Some varmit cleaned out my initial (right on time) plantings of broccoli, cabbage, and collards.  I sure don't want to go into winter without some of those plants in the ground.  I went to the seed and feed store yesterday to see if they had any plants left at this late date.  They did ... bargain priced at $1 per 9-pack.  I bought one pack each of premium brocolli, an early-maturing cabbage, and carolina collards.  It's worth the $3 gamble!  These plants will often over-winter, and last year we didn't have a hard frost until December.  I planted everything in one bed and covered it all with the insect barrier cloth.  Hope to keep those hungry cabbage worms away this time ... and maybe other garden raiders, too!

Cooking Greens - Take 2

While working in the garden the other day, Andrew discovered that the kale was infested with aphids.  He cut a lot of the plants out that day.  Today I went out to have a look.  Good grief!  The bugs were everywhere.  And in addition to the aphids, I found a handful of cabbage worms!  I thought I might be able to salvage some of the leaves, but decided it wasn't worth my time.  I ended up pulling all the kale, along with resident pests, and throwing it into the chicken yard. So far, the adjacent mustard plants appear to be clean.

After I cleaned up the greens bed, I moved on to the okra.  I took out the spent plants, fluffed up the soil, then sowed seeds for more kale, more mustard, and some Asian greens.  I finished just as Mother Nature released a nice gentle soaking rain.  When the rain quits, I'll install the Agribon + (insect barrier fabric).  Doing my best to keep the bugs at bay this time!  Here's what we have to look forward to:

Toscano Specialty Kale

     30/65 days (baby/mature)

Green Curled Winterbor Kale

     28/60 days (baby/mature)

Tendergreen Mustard

     55 days to maturity

Asian Yukina Savoy Greens

     21/45 days (baby/mature)

Toad Abode Disturbed

The okra has finally played out.  The okra "forest" has been pulled up and hauled away.  While working the soil in that bed I uncovered plenty of living beings - spiders, worms, ants, grubs - and this handsome toad.  I fed the grubs to the chickens. I guided the toad to the asparagus bed where he should be able to rest undisturbed for a very long time.

More Root Veggies in the Ground

I came home from a long day at the office and discovered that Andrew had been busy in the garden.  The summer tomato bed was cleaned out and ready for the next round of plantings.  The last of the sungold cherry tomatoes (green as well as ripe) had been harvested and were piled on the kitchen counter.  The heavy-duty tomato support system had been removed.  In its place, the structure to support our row covers.  Man, he's handy to have around!  All I had to do was plant the seeds, then cover the bed with Agribon + (insect barrier fabric) we bought from Johnny's.  I've had it with bugs!

I planted three 12' rows ... one row of radishes, one row of carrots, and one row of beets  ... in these varieties:

Small Tricolored Easter Egg Radish
     30 days to maturation
Shunkyo Semi-Long Radish
     32 days to maturation

Red Ace, Round Red Beet

     50 days to maturation

Purple Haze Carrot
     73 days to maturation

Egg Production Decreasing

My girls all appear to be healthy.  They eat a good, nutritionally balanced diet and have plenty of water available.  There are no obvious stressors.  But shorter days and advancing age are contributing to a decrease in the number of eggs I collect.

 After two or three years, many hens naturally decline in productivity.  Typically, hens will lay efficiently for two laying cycles.  This is the third laying season for the "charter members" of our small flock, and that includes everyone but First Lady!  I've also noticed more thin-shelled eggs, a problem associated with older hens.

The days are short between October and February.  Hens require 14 hours of day length to sustain egg production. Once day length drops below 12 hours, egg production will naturally decrease and frequently stop.   Last year, egg production went down to nothing in the first couple weeks of January, then promptly picked up again in February.  I could provide artificial light to extend the short days, but I've never set that up.  Maybe the chickens deserve a vacation.

Another Dead Chicken

This time, death by dog.  Rouse has been training granddog, Grayson, to leave the chickens alone while they're free-ranging in the afternoons.  The dog's been really good, but the instincts must've kicked in last night.  Rouse and Andrew were working outdoors on the new workshop.  Night was falling.  The chickens had gone to roost.  All seemed to be well.  Suddenly, there was a commotion near the chicken house.  Grayson exited with a chicken in his mouth. Peace-loving Andrew bolted toward the coop, yelling "no", and beat the dog, forcing him to release the chicken.  They put the chicken in the hen house, but the fright (or the internal injuries) were enough to do her in.  She was dead the next day.

Wineberry Jam Earns Red Ribbon at Chatham County Fair ...

... and a dollar fifty in prize money!

Chicken Lost to Unknown Illness

When I went out to close up the chicken coop last night I noticed that one chicken was missing.  A quick head count, and I realized it was the Barred Rock hen.  She's had a droopy, pale comb lately, and has been feeling poorly.  I fully expected to find her dead in the chicken yard.  All but.  Something neurological had happened to her.  She was on her side and unable to stand.  I gently picked her up and settled her into the isolation crate in the barn.  She was still alive today, but obviously terminal.  This afternoon, I convinced Rouse to perform the unpleasant job of putting her out of her misery.  I haven't killed a chicken yet, but one thing I know for sure.  If I'm going to be responsible for a bunch of chickens, I've got to learn how to cull the unhealthy from the flock.

Still Raining!

After a pause in the precipitation yesterday, it's coming down steadily again this morning.

Still Raining!

Blessed Rain

It started raining today about 5:00pm ... a nice gentle soaking rain that has lasted into the evening.  I hope it rains like this all night.  I swear I can hear the earth rejoicing!

Salad Greens Suffer, Cooking Greens Thrive

I cut a bouquet of sweet basil today.  Andrew converted it into a batch of luscious pesto, then used it to sauce up a spaghetti squash he received as part of his compensation for work done all day Friday at Hickory Mountain Farm.

I spoke too soon in my last posting.  The long beans are actually still producing quite well.  Those plants do tolerate heat and drought. The little bit of watering I've been doing must be good enough.  I love those beans stir fried with garlic in olive oil until tender, sort of crispy, and sprinkled generously with salt.

The bed of salad greens are not looking so good.  The radishes are developing nicely, but something has been gnawing on the roots. Squirrels?  They've been leaving enough for us humans, though. The lettuce has shriveled up - again.  The spinach is non-existent.  The arugula, beets, and chard are hanging in there.  We need some cooler weather ... and some rain ... and fewer bugs.

The bed of cooking greens, on the other hand, are looking pretty delicious, despite little insect induced holes here and there.  The chickens sure do like them!  Those yard birds have trimmed back the plants all along the edge of the bed as far as they can stick their heads in through the plastic fencing.

The little butterflies like these greens, too.  Lovely to look at flitting about, but not such a good omen for the success of my greens crop. If I were following best gardening practices I would have covered my newly planted  green seeds with floating row cover as soon as I sowed them to protect them from such pests.  I've never done that, but I can see the value of it.  Heat, drought, bugs ... so many challenges for these young seedlings!

Today I ordered new seed (lots of greens and other fall/winter crops) and a 50-foot roll of lightweight agricultural fabric from Johnnie's Select Seeds.  I'll get Andrew to help me get more seed in the ground, and this time I'll do it right!

Drought

Abi returned home today after being in Hendersonville for about five days.  Her first comment, "It's so brown here!"

It is indeed brown, and crispy!  And I'm not talking nice crisp autumn air, either.  It's been in the the mid to upper 90's with no rain.  Hot and dry.  I can't remember the last time it rained.  Rouse says it was sometime last month.

I've been watering the fall greens, okra, cherry tomato plants, and long beans.  I've given up on the pole beans ... didn't really like them much anyway ... too stringy.  The long beans and cherry tomatoes have just about played out, so I'm going to take them off the watering schedule.  I wish it would rain!

Garden Goodies Highlight our Family Feast

I've been saving up for visitors!  Dad and stepmother, Susan, arrived from Florida today, along with brother, Bob.  Noah is in town for the weekend, refreshed after his recent month-long road trip and backpacking adventure in and around the Wind River Range of Wyoming.  Abi and Andrew are home, recently back from their 1,000 + mile trek along the Pacific Crest Trail, full of tales from the trail and ENGAGED!  Drew is living at home again, and is enrolled in the sustainable farming program at Central Carolina Community College. Good time for the family to gather around the dining room table!

Susan has been dreaming of eating okra fresh out of the garden.  I picked a big pile and I gave her the job of stemming and halving the pods before I fried them up Wilson-style (sans breading) in our largest skillet.  (Three pans full!)  We had grilled pork tenderloin topped with fig chutney, roasted purple viking potatoes, pan-fried long beans with garlic and almonds, and spicy beet pickles on the side.  Homemade cookies, vanilla ice cream, a variety of liqueurs, and lively conversation topped it all off.  What a feast!  What a family! What fun!

Copperhead in the Okra

While working in the okra bed this afternoon I uncovered a young copperhead in the mulch.  It had the typical pattern of a copperhead, but the tip of his tail was bright yellow-green!  Rouse did away with him, a mere five minutes before our out-of-town guests pulled into the driveway.  Probably best NOT to have a copperhead as part of the welcoming committee!

Safety Glasses Should be Required

Last Friday as I was picking okra, a large okra leaf brushed across my left eye and scratched it.  Eyes heal relatively quickly, so I thought I'd wait it out.  But Saturday night it really hurt when I closed my eyes to go to sleep.  I got up three times to wash my eye before I could settle in for the night.  The next morning was better, but by Sunday afternoon, I was feeling uncomfortable.  On Monday, while walking the trail with granddog, Grayson, I noticed that bright light was bothersome.  Later, while looking at the digital clock in the car, I realized my eyesight was slightly blurry in the injured eye.  Plus, I thought I could feel a point source of pain in the upper lid.  I was afraid an okra barb had become lodged up there!  So I went to the eye doctor today.  He found no vegetative debris, but I do have a cut directly across the center of my eye.  He prescribed anti-inflammatory drops and wants to see me again in a few days.  Didn't know picking okra could be so dangerous!

Fried Green Tomatoes

I used to think the idea of fried green tomatoes must've been dreamed up by someone who couldn't wait to eat the first tomato of the season.  But now I think the recipe must've been developed by a gardener who couldn't stand to waste the last fruits of the season!

That's where I am today.  I failed to "layer" my tomatoes a month ago, and I'm sure it must be too late for that now.  The sungold cherry tomatoes are still producing enough fruit to keep me interested, but the other plants are producing very few tomatoes. Between the current drought and the abundance of bugs and caterpillars, the remaining fruit is small, misshapen, and riddled with holes.  Time to pull those plants out of the ground and make way for other crops.

I did pick all the little green tomatoes, along with their plundering pests. Tonight, I'll slice the best of the tomatoes, then lightly batter and fry them, and serve them stacked three high with thin slices of smoked gouda in between and a dollop of Andrew's cilantro salsa on top.  I'll feed the worst of them to the chickens, scattered and tossed with those yummy worms.

More Seeds in the Ground

I had limited germination success with the spinach seed I planted two and a half weeks ago.  What did sprout has shriveled up and died, or has been eaten by some critter, or has somehow simply vanished from the garden.  In its place I've sown seeds for arugula, detroit dark red beets, and rainbow chard.  I'll try spinach again once I get some of the summer garden plants cleared out and those beds prepared.  I also sowed additional lettuce seed to fill in the rows where earlier plantings have failed.  More good greens for the fall! And just in time ... it's raining!

The Bugs Win (Again)

I give up!  The squash bugs are too numerous and the expected fruit is too scant.  Plus, the butternut squash fruits are showing signs of worm invasion.  It's time to pull all the squash plants out of the garden.  The chickens will have a buggy feast.

Very hungry caterpillars have been working hard to defoliate many of the plants in the garden.  This sweet basil plant has lost its appetizing appeal.  I smooshed the caterpillars on this one and processed the rest of the (unspoiled) basil.  Now I have a nice bag of pesto in the freezer - measured out into appropriately sized blops for easy usage.

Rooster Has a Name

I've decided to name our rooster after the President of the United States. Afterall, he'll be the Commander in Chief of the chicken yard.  Plus, he's black and white.  Be sure to pronounce his first name with a chicken accent ...
ba - RACK!

And the hen that's grown up with him and stays by his side?  She's First Lady.

Late Summer Garden

We sure do get a lot of good food out of this little plot of land!  The zinnias add a burst of color nestled into the airy asparagus plants. Check out the tomato wall next to the asparagus, and the okra forest behind that.  Nitrogen rich soil produces monstrous plants, often at the expense of fruit production.  Luckily, we've been getting plenty of veggies.  The pole beans are climbing high on their string trellis behind the asparagus bed, and the bed behind that (in the shadows) contains the Jade bush beans.  The kale sprouts are just showing in the lower left corner of the picture.

From the other side of the garden you can see the two beds planted in greens ... one bed of salad greens, one bed of cooking greens. The Black Turtle Beans are growing adjacent to these beds.  Behind that, look for Lek's Long Beans, Thai and Sweet Basil,  a couple of hot pepper plants, butternut squash, what's left of the late crook-neck squash, the herb bed, and the berry beds.

That pesky wabbit!

The cabbage, collard, and broccoli plants have disappeared into thin air, with nary a trace left behind.  Shriveled up to nothing in the hot sun?  Alien abduction?!  The most likely scenario?  Our cute little cottontail has been helping him/herself to some tasty vittles.  That makes me mad!

Black Beans, a.k.a Black Turtle Beans

Andrew planted Black Beans in one of the beds left vacant after the potato dig.  We didn't know if they'd have enough time to mature, but figured they'd make a good cover crop no matter what.  I don't know the first thing about growing Black Beans (easy-peasy, like any other bean) or harvesting them.  I wondered if they're ever eaten green.  But then, they'd be "green" beans!  The plants are setting fruit now, and I figured it was time to read up.  Here's what I found:


"Black beans grow best when planted later in spring. In fact, warm weather helps these beans grow faster, and the rains of early summer strengthen the plant. And as summer builds, the hot, dry conditions are great for drying black beans in their pods on the plant.


To support your beans as they grow, offer a 3-foot-tall structure for them. When the bean pods begin to fill out, water your plants only if needed and allow the pods to dry out in the summer sun. Harvest your beans after the pods have dried completely and the beans have turned black. If you pick a few and find the beans are still white and the pods are moist, allow them to dry further before harvesting the rest. When they’re ready for picking, crack open the pods to remove the beans, and spread them on a flat surface to dry for another day or two. After that, place the beans in a container in a cool, dry place and use as needed."


From:  http://www.learn2grow.com/gardeningguides/edibles/vegetables/BlackBeanFiesta.aspx

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.

Fiesta Salsa

The tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers are really coming in now ... Perfect time to make salsa!

I went to the home canning bible, the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, to find this gem of a recipe, Fiesta Salsa.

Fiesta Salsa

7 cups chopped, seeded, peeled, cored tomatoes
2 cups chopped, seeded, peeled cucumbers
2 cups chopped and seeded banana peppers (I used 1 cup hot banana peppers and 1 cup mixed green and red bell peppers)
1 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup chopped, seeded jalapeño peppers
1/2 cup chopped, peeled, roasted Anaheim peppers (I couldn't find any locally. I cheated and used roast red bell peppers out of the jar)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice

Get out your cutting board and settle in. Chop, chop, chop; then combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust 2-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Note: When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves. Do not touch your mouth or eyes! Do not inhale deeply!

This recipe says it yields 4 pints. I got five. Plus, there was about a half cup of juice left in the pan. I poured it into a jar and chilled it in the 'fridge. Oh my gosh, it made an awesome vegetable cocktail - no alcohol required - although I'm thinking it would make the perfect bloody Mary! Just the right spicy-ness. Naturally sweet. Can't wait to break open a jar to compliment our next Mexican feast - or bag of corn chips!

Let it Rain, Let it Rain, Let it Rain!

It poured buckets all day today.  Chatham County was under a flash flood warning.  I was driving around town during some of the heaviest downpours.  Many Pittsboro streets were overwhelmed by the runoff.  Don't know the official count, but we had several inches.

The garden is happy.

Hot

We're stuck in a heat wave ... a week of 100 degree days!

Yesterday, the heat index was 115 degrees.  Unbelievable.  And unbearable.  We haven't had rain in 10 days.  I watered the entire garden last night at 9:00pm as the near full moon peeked out from behind the tree branches.  This morning I spread mulch over three beds, then gave more water to all of my beans ... the long beans, the bush beans, the pole beans, the black beans, the edamame.  The weather's supposed to break tomorrow ... expecting a high in the upper 80's.  We shall see.

Where There's Poop, There're Caterpillars!

The droppings always give them away.  The large leaves of the butternut squash plants - running underneath the blueberry bushes - collected these piles of caterpillar castings. One must always be on the lookout for sign of worms and bugs doing damage in the garden!

A quick glance up revealed very hungry caterpillars working overtime to defoliate the before-mentioned bushes.  Using our trusty "Caterpillars of Eastern North America" book, I identified these creatures as datana drexelii, a.k.a. Drexel's Datana.  They are known to feed on blueberry, and metamorph into a fairly nondescript moth.

Long Beans

Last year, my hairdresser, Lek, gave me seeds for these Asian Long Beans. I gave them a try and was impressed. I saved my own seeds, and this year, planted two full rows. They have been prolific! And they are definitely LONG.  Lately, they've appeared on our dinner table regularly.  Today, I used them to make four pints of dilled green bean pickles.

The ants are permanent residents.  There are always several at the stem end of the bean pairs.  I think they're working to keep the aphids under control.  I have to take care when picking the beans ... the ants bite!

Lovely blossoms herald the coming of delicious beans.  These tasty legumes are a definite "do-again-er"!

Fresh Fig Chutney is Heavenly!

I canned four 1/2-pint jars of this rich, flavorful condiment.  I served the little bit leftover in the pan as an appetizer ...  a dab of it on top of Celebrity Dairy's soft goat cheese with a cracker underneath.  Wow!  What an explosion of flavors!  Can't wait to try it on some grilled pork or chicken.  And maybe as a "secret" addition to a pot of beans.  I'll be making this again!

Fresh Fig Chutney

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups red wine vinegar (I used half-'n-half red wine and apple cider vinegars)
1/2 pound brown sugar, packed
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1/4 lemon, zested
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 pounds, firm, slightly underripe, fresh figs, rinsed, stems removed and halved

Directions:
In a large saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, ginger, mustard seeds, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, salt, allspice, and cloves; bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer; cook until mixture is thickened and reduced by 2/3, forming a thick syrup. 

Add the figs; cook gently until the figs are very soft and beginning to fall apart and most of the liquid they've given off has evaporated, about 30 minutes.

Transfer the chutney to a non-reactive container; allow to come to room temperature before serving.  The chutney may be made up to 3 weeks in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

 Alternately, hot chutney may be ladled into hot sterilized canning jars and processed in a hot-water bath according to manufacturer's directions.

Layer Tomatoes to Extend Season

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Propagate-Tomatoes

"By July your tomatoes are in full production swing. But all good things must come to an end - or not. You can propagate your favorite tomato plants with a process called serpentine layering. Layering is a simple method of propagation that can produce several new plants from one stem. You will have tomatoes ready to move into the greenhouse and keep growing throughout the fall and winter much faster than planting seeds.

How to Layer Tomatoes

1. Several weeks before the recommended fall planting date, select a healthy, disease-free, supple or pliable branch from your favorite tomato plant. Pull it toward the soil without breaking it. Make sure it is long enough to lay out over the soil without springing back toward the plant.
   
   
2. Cover a small section of the branch with soil. Water and feed the parent plant, and keep the soil moist around the layered branch. To start several new plants, cover it with soil at different points. Each section that is covered will take root.
   
   
3. Cut the connection to the parent plant once the layered sections have rooted. Cut the vines between the new plants to separate them.
   
   
4. Carefully remove the new plants, being careful not to disturb or damage the tender new roots. Transplant the new tomato plants into containers filled with new, sterile, potting soil. Keep the soil moist and make sure the new tomato plants receive at least 8 hours of sun each day. In the fall and winter it may be necessary to provide some additional, artificial light.

Serpentine layering can be used to propagate several types of plants with soft, pliable vines that run along the ground. It can also be used to propagate raspberries, blackberries, grapes and even strawberries."

Edamame!

What is edamame?
According to this website:  http://www.edamame.com/

"Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches. To retain the freshness and its natural flavor, it is parboiled and quick-frozen. In East Asia, the soybean has been used for over two thousand years as a major source of protein. Edamame is consumed as a snack, a vegetable dish, used in soups or processed into sweets. As a snack, the pods are lightly boiled in salted water, and then the seeds are squeezed directly from the pods into the mouth with the fingers."

The cool thing about edamame?  All the beans on any given plant mature at the same time.  When the beans are done, the entire plant is done.  We harvested just over 3 pounds of beans from our two 10-foot rows.


And my definition of edamame?  Delicious!