Winter Garden

Life is good when you can eat out of the garden in December! We're currently enjoying the collards and the salad turnips.

Wrinkled Egg Shells

Last week we collected two eggs with "wrinkled" shells. There was a vein-like texture to the shell. The eggs were obviously from two different hens (one dark brown, one light brown). The insides were normal. We ate them.

Knowing that the waterer had gone dry one day last week (my bad) my theory was that a couple of hens might have become dehydrated while these eggs were developing. Very creative thinking, but not correct.

Today, we collected another wrinkled egg! No shortage of water this time. What's going on? Well, I needed some expertise, so I did what I always do when I need to know something. I googled it! Turns out wrinkled eggs are a real thing.

Basically, if the white of an egg is watery, it is harder for a shell to be built correctly around it and can cause an egg shell to be wrinkled. This is a problem of old age (we do have a lot of old hens) and some diseases, such as infectious bronchitis. Our hens eat a good diet and appear to be healthy. I guess they're just getting old … like me! The eggs are perfectly fine to eat.

http://poultrykeeper.com/egg-problems/wrinkled-egg-shells 

The Last of the Peppers

They're calling for frost tonight … a low of 29 degrees. The last of the peppers have been harvested.

• Poblanos stuffed with a seasoned and spiced mashed potato mixture for Andrew's graduation celebration last Wednesday.
• Anaheims roasted on the grill this morning. Chopped chili verde in the freezer.
• One more batch of jalapeño jelly? I have enough peppers...
• Sweet peppers chopped and frozen for future use.

Planting Garlic on a Beautiful Fall Day

Garlic

Friend and Master Gardener, Chris Diggs, gave me several varieties of her famous garlic during a recent visit from her home near Seattle. I separated the cloves and got them all in the ground this morning.

• Chesnick Red
• German Red
• Incheliuon Red
• Shantung Purple
• Toch
• Braque

The best time to plant garlic here in the Piedmont of NC is late September through early November. It's not a hard task. Here's everything you need to know about growing garlic:  http://www.almanac.com/plant/garlic

Autumn View

Looking toward the garden from my back door

Sundays in the Garden

The garden, of course, has been slowing down this month. The number of green beans and okra have gradually decreased until production stopped altogether. Garden chores are light this time of year. It seems that Sundays are meant for messing around in the garden. A lot gets done once one begins messing! One thing leads to another, and suddenly hours have passed and my back is tired. Here's a summary of happenings in the garden the last few weeks:

• Rouse and I dug the rest of the potatoes.
• I harvested some dried Rattlesnake pole bean seeds. Will return for more as the seed pods continue to dry on the plant. Hope to gather Garden of Eden Italian flat beans, too.
• Rouse removed the Moonflower vines and harvested a few seeds.
• I harvested parsley for the freezer.
• The peppers are still growing, but will need to be harvested soon.
• The mustards are looking fantastic. I've cooked up one mess of those greens already.
• Collards are growing well. Just need to get some size on them. Same with the kale.
• Don't know if the salad turnips will have time to produce edible roots before hard frost...
• Arugula and some lettuce is growing, but still too young to cut.
• I planted more lettuce to fill in the empty spaces: Romaine Winter Density, Black Seeded Simpson, Mesclin Mix
• The original planting of spinach germinated well, but evidently didn't have the proper support (water at the right time?) to continue growing. I replanted: Hybrid Smooth Leaf Spinach Raccoon, Hybrid Spinach Smooth Leaf Green; Dark Green Spinach Bloomsdale
• General clean up of old plants, trash, string trellises etc.

Fresh Eggs Daily!

Birthday present from MIL Betty

"Lettuce" Make You Smile!

This morning I did what I did not want to do. I picked all the last minute little green tomatoes and cleaned out the tomato bed. Fried green tomatoes must have been invented this time of year.



THEN ... I filled that bed back up with the makings of our future salads!

• Arugula, aka Rocket
• Green Romaine lettuce, Winter Density
• Green Bibb lettuce, Buttercrunch
• Mesclin Mix lettuce

The cherry tomatoes were the next to go. I hate to see it happen! But in their place I planted salad turnips. It's a bit late, but there should be just enough time to get a batch in before frost. The roots are a bit like radishes … less spicy and more turnip-y, of course. Plus, the greens are delicious and nutritious!

These Apples are Delicious!

and RED!

The Red Delicious apple tree has provided quite a crop this year. The fruit is still coming in, providing plenty of crunchy sweet munching for the humans, as well as the deer.

Red delicious apples have traditionally been grown for eating fresh, out of hand. They are not prized as cooking apples. Despite that, I made a pretty darn good apple crisp with them last week!

Rouse the Spouse has enjoyed his new apple picking toy, I mean tool! It really does do the trick, reaching high up into the tree to gently grab and catch that perfectly ripe apple with no damage to the tree and no bruised fruit crashing to the ground.

He has been creating some fine cheese and fruit plates. We recently enjoyed an aged gouda and a creamy Amish blue with red delicious slices.

A Little Help in the Garden

My grandnephew, Fenix, has been visiting. Yesterday morning he was up, dressed, and ready for backyard farm duty! He wanted to go with bare feet, but I don't allow that in the chicken coop. There's nothing quite as yucky as stepping into a fresh blop of chicken poo!

Funny five-year-old feet ended up wearing MY pink and green flowery rubber boots!

We picked okra, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and sweet snackin' peppers. After the garden chores, he enjoyed a breakfast of his favorite ... boiled eggs. Later in the day, he collected four eggs for future breakfasts!

I love this photo taken by his mama, Maggie. Before jumping into the car for the long road trip back home, Fenix picked a bouquet of zinnias especially for her.

I look forward to more bonding over veggies with this enthusiastic young gardener!

Another Pepper Day

These have been blanched in preparation for stuffing

Okra

Here's some interesting trivia about okra in India.
From StarChefs :

"Okra is also called Lady Finger in India and other countries. Okra is considered best when it is the size of the ring finger of a lady with small hands. At that size Okra is not too fibrous, tough or hairy. It is also easier to stem and slice."

Dead Chicken

Rouse the Spouse found one of the Dominick hens dead in the chicken coop this afternoon. He reported, "No apparent foul play." Very punny. I know she was alive last night when I closed up the chickens. There was no autopsy. Assumed cause of death: Old Age

Notice the abundance of feathers throughout the hen house. They are not hers. Several of the birds are molting right now, dropping feathers everywhere. It's a normal process. Each year, chickens molt, roosters as well as hens, shedding their old feathers and growing new ones. Most hens stop producing eggs until the molt is complete. This can take months to accomplish.

Here's more information about the molting of chickens: http://msucares.com/poultry/management/poultry_feathers.html

Praying in the Garden

Praying Mantis on Asian Long Bean leaves

Lotus Seed Pods

I waded into the pond to collect the dried lotus seed pods. Alas, only three were within reach. There were others, but they were located over deeper water. I really didn't want to venture further than my nearly knee high boots would take me.

We use the dried pods for fall/winter decor. The loose seeds often fall out of the seed heads. Have you ever eaten a lotus seed? I haven't, but according to wikipedia raw lotus seeds are "low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and are a good source of protein, thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese." Not being our tradition, I wouldn't know how to go about eating one!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_seed

Added a Bed of Mustard

Two varieties:

Suehlihung No. 2

• Suehlihung No. 2 from Johnny's Select Seeds: " Medium-green plants are well-branched and slow bolting. Harvest from micro to baby leaf to full-size bunched mustard greens." Sow early spring to late summer ...

• Komatsuma (Mustard-Spinach) -  from the seed packet: "A mild flavored variety that is fast growing and highly nutritious. Thrives in cool weather, but unlike most mustard varieties, has good heat resistance. Usually cooked as greens or used in salads in the same manner as spinach." It should be called "spinach mustard" because it IS a type of mustard, not a type of spinach!

Collards Planted

Collards

I bought three different kinds of collards from the Southern States seed and feed store in P'boro. The plants were not in the "best" shape, making me suspect that I am late - once again - getting fall crops into the ground. But, no! NCSU says to transplant between September 1 - 15. I'm good!

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-8012.html

The Beginning of the Fall Garden

Yesterday I removed the spent Jade bush beans. I hate to see them go! I prepared that bed, as well as the bed long ago vacated by the edamame, in order to plant some fall greens, just in time to take advantage of 1-1/2" rain.

one bed of kale
Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch
Red Russian
Spring (Smooth)

one bed of spinach
Red Cardinal SmoothLeaf
Tyee Savoyed

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'!

THIS is why I grow tomatoes!

The German Johnson is not the prettiest tomato around. It's an heirloom variety that produces a huge, pink-red, beefsteak fruit that tastes like a REAL tomato.

I exclaimed out loud when I took a bite of this sandwich!

Filling up the Pantry

A few jars at a time ...

Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Okra Pickles, Jalapeño Jam

Apples … Red Delicious and more

Rouse the Spouse has been adding fruit trees to the mix of delicious produce available in the back yard. Looks like a good year for apples! The bumper crop, not the mention the high hanging fruit, inspired Rouse to purchase a new toy … an apple picker!

We've already enjoyed a couple of Gala apples … VERY tasty ... and several good tasting apples of unknown variety. We've picked a few Golden Delicious apples, my grandma's preferred variety for pies.

The Red Delicious apple tree is loaded! and Rouse has used his game camera to capture nocturnal images of deer visiting regularly to feast on the fruit that has fallen to the ground.

Potatoes

I've dug about half the potatoes, mostly digging and eating as we go. Here's a picture of the big dig I did recently. We still have 3/4 of a garden bed that has been untouched.

Purple Vikings, Fingerlings, Yukon Golds

Volunteer Gourds from last year's Autumn Decor

Processing Herbs

The Stevia was showing signs of bolting. I cut back the entire plant and made Stevia extract. After steeping the leaves for two days, straining out the leaves, and cooking down the infused alcohol, I ended up with 5 cups of home-grown Stevia sweetener! See my post dated July 2, 2014 for all the details on how to do it.

Leaves cut from stems, washed in cool water, drained and dried thoroughly

Quart jars packed with leaves  and covered with cheap vodka
Ready to steep for two days in a cool, dark place

I cut back four of my eight Basil plants to make Basil pesto for the freezer. Along with other batches already stowed away, this should get us through the winter. I gave away the rest of the plants while they're still in their prime. For the freezer I prepare a simple basic recipe … basil, garlic, salt & pepper, olive oil … freeze it in blobs, then store in zip lock freezer bags.

Trim off leaves, then wash, drain, and dry thoroughly.
All ingredients go into the food processor to make a savory paste.

The Parsley is still going strong, and it is SO easy to freeze! As with the other herbs, trim off the leaves, wash in cool water, drain and dry thoroughly. Pack the plain ol' leaves into a zip lock freezer bag. Keep pushing and rolling the leaves to the bottom of the bag until you have a big fat cigar shape. Roll up the bag. Secure with a rubber band. Break off what you need in future cooking endeavors. You'll be amazed at how fresh it smells and tastes!

Working with herbs is an olfactory treat!

Crispy Fried Okra inspired by Kurkuri Bhindi Fry, a common Indian street food

For crispy fried okra start with plenty of fresh pods. Remove stems. Julienne the pods, cutting them lengthwise into fourths. Toss the okra with chickpea flour (or your favorite gluten-free flour mix) that has been spiced with lots of black pepper and salt. Okra should be lightly coated. Let it rest ~30 minutes.

(BTW … Members of our family must have gluten-free, but I actually prefer it in this situation. Wheat flour results in a heavier breading that overwhelms the okra.)

Fry it in a shallow amount of oil over medium heat ... just enough oil to keep everything sizzling along. Stir and turn as needed. Cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oil. Drain on paper towels. Salt liberally!

One day I will invest in REAL Indian spices and give this recipe a try:
http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/crispy-okra-fry-recipe-crisp-bhindi-fry/

You may be wondering, "What is on that back burner?" A pan full of peppers stuffed with spiced ground beef and cheese … ready for the oven. I learned to make them from my step-father, Don West. Click HERE to see the recipe in a post dated September 22, 2013.

This looks like a day for … SALSA!

Look at this pile of produce! I thought I would can a bunch of tomatoes, but you're not supposed to can fruit that has cracks and blemishes. I have very few "perfect" tomatoes. So, I looked at what was available … tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, roasted chile colorado … and decided to cook up a batch of Fiesta Salsa.

All ingredients chopped and ready for the pot

Red AND Yellow tomatoes were used

Fiesta Salsa and Spicy Tomato Juice
The yellow tomatoes contribute to a more orange color

I cooked down all the cherry tomatoes and the tomatoes that were left after preparing the salsa, strained out the skins and seeds, added salt and hot pepper seasoning, simmered for 5 minutes, and canned the resulting delicious tomato juice.

Refer back to my post dated July 30, 2010 for the Fiesta Salsa recipe.

(PS … I didn't have any fresh marjoram this year. I skipped it.)

Abundant Harvest

The garden has produced very well this year. Yields are better than ever! This time last year we were having trees cut down in order to increase sunshine on the garden. I think it's paid off. Plus, I haven't had to water much this summer. Mother Nature has blessed us with rain at just the right moment. Look at the veggies that are coming in!

Moon Flower Blooming

The vines have outgrown the 8" cedar post Rouse the Spouse put up for support. The flowers have a subtle, pleasant aroma. The blooms add an other-worldly beauty to the garden at night.

August 8-16 … Sue is NOT in the garden!

I've been backpacking! 28 miles on the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells / Snowmass Wilderness areas near Aspen, CO. Spectacular views and wildflowers. The good news … we had rain in the garden while we were away. The garden lives!

Dried Cherry Tomatoes & Cucumbers

We have a backpacking trip coming up. Here's salad!

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

The savor melons are coming in all at once over a couple of weeks. How much cantaloupe can a person eat? Today, I found a way to drink it, and it is delicious!

Agua fresco means "fresh water" in Spanish, and that's what this drink is …. a refreshing water-based beverage made up of fresh fruit, citrus juice, and water. Serve well chilled. And remember, life is too short NOT to drink from stemware!

http://www.chow.com/recipes/29745-cantaloupe-agua-fresca

Processing Tomatoes & Beans

• 3 1/2 quarts of canned tomatoes in their own juice
• 3 pints spicy tomato juice
• 3 pints dilly beans

Mealy Bugs

http://growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/2014/07/what-is-the-white-fluffy-stuff-on-my-shrubs/

Beet Pickles

Pickled Beets

It took all morning, but 6 pint jars of beet pickles are in the hot water canner!

Refer to posts dated May 23, 2010 or June 10, 2011 for my Pickled Beets recipe. I've been using the same recipe for years (from the 2008 edition of the Ball Blue Book of Preserving), but the stories and the pictures are different!

This seems to be the latest I've harvested the beets. Since earlier days, I've switched from roasting the beets in the oven to cooking them in the pressure cooker prior to slicing and packing them into jars. Depending on the size of the roots,  15 - 20 minutes cooks them perfectly tender, compared to an hour of roasting in a hot oven.

Cucumber Infused Vodka

Well … we DO have a LOT of cucumbers!

PLUS I was inspired by Bonefish Grill's Cold Snap Cucumber Cosmo, served up in a frozen glass made of ice, no less! From their menu:  Reyka vodka, Solerno Blood Orange liqueur + fresh English cucumbers served on the rocks ... A refreshing fix to cool your senses this summer!

I'm thinking a cucumber infusion is just what we need to improve on this cool summer drink. Maybe I should have purchased a higher quality vodka, but this is an experiment! Here's a link to a web site that tells how to do it:  http://www.shutterbean.com/2011/cucumber-infused-vodka/

And here's the basic process:

What you’ll need:

Large glass jar (1 quart) or container with lid
Cucumbers
Vodka

What to do:

Peel, seed, and chop a cucumber.
Add it to the jar and fill to the brim with vodka.
Cover tightly and store at room temperature in a cool, dark place for at least 3-4 days and up to 2 weeks, giving it a shake every day or two.
Strain through a coffee filter and use.

That’s it! If you want a light cucumber flavor, strain after a few days or for something more intense, leave it for longer. This cucumber vodka is delicious served chilled on its own or mixed into your favorite summertime cocktail.

From: http://noshon.it/tips/diy-how-to-make-cucumber-infused-vodka/

The Morning After

We received 1-1/2 inches of much needed rain last night.
The garden is happy!

When to harvest the Savor (charentais type) melons

To determine ripeness, examine the smallish, long-stemmed leaf attached to the vine at the same point as the fruit. At ripeness, this leaf is pale, and the fruit has a slight yellow tinge. Orange fruit rind color indicates overripeness. Johnny's Selected Seeds 

Here's the melon and the leaf I'll be watching
None of the leaves I see are "smallish"

Charentais melons typically take 70-90 days to mature. Some companies that sell the plant recommend only allowing three melons to grow on each vine at one time to get the best fruit. Once you pick the mature fruit, the vines will produce more.

Most of the melons will only grow to the size of a softball, or about 2 pounds. Look at the color of the rind to determine if yours are ripe. They’ll take on a yellowish hue at maturity. (I threw my first ripe melon away, thinking it was rotten!) Also note that you need to remove Charentais melons from the vine – if you wait until they drop, the fruit will be overripe. Learn 2 Grow 

Creamy Cucumber Soup Recipe

Got cucumbers?

Maybe it's time for cucumber soup.

Many of the recipes out there are for cold cucumber soup ... basically raw cucumbers puréed with yogurt or sour cream, typically topped off with fresh dill. Those recipes are good. But check out THIS recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/creamy_cucumber_soup.html

It requires sautéing the cucumbers with onions and garlic; adding broth of your choice, plus lemon juice, salt/pepper, and the all important cayenne; blending until smooth along with a nicely ripe avocado and fresh parsley; stirring in some plain yogurt at the end. You can serve it warm OR cold! Very tasty. And - BONUS - it uses up several cucumbers!