Another Harvest Today!

I guess when I was watering our community garden plot yesterday I overlooked a few squash.  Of course, with this weather they could have doubled their size in the 30 hours since I was there.  Anyway, just a few photos to share to keep my journal updated.

Cocozelle round zucchini squash, a few Japanese eggplants, 3 Patty Pan squash, Kale, and Beans.  One Asian cucumber that was rolled up so tight against the back of the wood frame that I first thought it was a snake! No kidding, I jumped back about two feet when I was bending down to move the vines. EEEK!

 The green beans are Kentucky Wonder and then a few Purple Pod Pole Beans.

 Calabacitas con Maiz will be on the menu later this week

Nice batch of Lacinato Kale for dinner tonight, I think I will make Peruano Beans and Greens.

Tomato Update June 2012

Tomato Big White Pink Stripe Bed 3

What a difference a month makes May 30th in the Garden.

 

Lots, and lots of photos today to keep my tomato log up to date. 

Tomato Anna's Russian Pink (an Ox- heart shape tomato) Bed 2

Anna's Russian Pink Bed 2

Tomato Crimson Carmello Bed 3

Tomato German Queen Pink Bed 2

Tomato Green Zebra Bed 2

Green Zebra Bed 2

Tomato Purple Russian Bed 1  (I picked one last night!)

Tomato San Marzano (lower) above right is Purple Russian in Bed 1

Tomato Southern Night (along driveway)

Ponderosa Tomato

2 Southern Nights and 1 Gold Medal Tomato, Yellow Crookneck Squash to the left and Cocozelle Zucchini to the right

 volunteer tomato in driveway bed, looks to be a paste tomato probably San Marzano

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Later plantings of Ponderosa (2) and Cherokee Purple, planted on May 28th.  We staked these for lack of room for more cages

Another View of Ponderosa on left, Yellow Crookneck Squash then Southern Night and Gold Medal

Bed 1 this end shows Persimmon Orange, then Paul Robeson.  Robeson is not doing as well as I hoped.

Bed 2 this end shows Green Zebra

Bed 3

Corner of Bed 3 with Gold Medal on left, then Crimson Carmello and Mortgage lifter

Front of Bed 3 with Gold Medal

Bed 4 has a San Marzano volunteer and a Japanese Eggplant

Onions in Bed 4

Onions that seeded outside of Bed 4

Onions on front driveway bank

Late additions Flame or Hillbilly Tomato planted in back by pavers on Sunday June 23, 2012

Late additions: Dr. Wyche's and Chocolate Stripe (small but they will make it) planted June 23, 2012

More late additions: German Queen on left (tiny little guy) June 23 2012

 I have so many seedlings left that I decided to add these since the sunflowers were finished and I had the space now. A tomato addict can never have too many plants!

These are waiting for homes!

Picked this morning. I had one white eggplant, small but I picked it anyway. Today's lunch?  See below!

Oven Roasted Garlic and  Yellow Crookneck Squash,  with garden fresh Arugula. Grilled Flatbread (recipe later on my A Table for Rue Blog) drizzled with a grainy Mustard and Honey Balsamic Dressing.  YUM!!

 I am staying very busy picking summer squash and herbs right now. I have been drying Greek and Mexican Oregano for winter.  And blanching summer squash for the freezer. I have never had this many scallop and patty pan squash. I put in the same amount of plants as I always have but this year I have had to pick every day. I filled the sink full again this morning.

I'm Picking Summer Squash!

Just a quick update on what's going on at Thyme in a Bottle.  We are picking summer squash like crazy.  I picked all this this morning and also a bunch on Monday.  The zucchini in the front is Cocozelle; all the seed from these squash are from Botanical Interests, except the mystery squash above the zucchini. Still not sure where that seed came from. I thought it might be a white butternut squash but the plant is upright, not a vine; might be a cross between that and a scallop, anyway it's really good!

The olive oil and vinegar in the back was from our trip to Old Town San Diego and is from Temecula Olive Oil Company.  I think I will brush the squash with the hickory olive oil and grill it tonight for dinner.

Have a wonderful day in the garden!

Tomato Update, Tomato Addiction, Cucumbers, Summer Squash and Beans too



I am convinced that I have a tomato addiction! With so many heirloom varieties to choose from it is easy to get an addiction to these beauties!



I am already planning next years tomato selections. I will repeat Red Zebra, Cherokee Purple and Isle Candy, though.



The last few days have been busy for me picking tomatoes!  I have picked the San Marzano Tomatoes many times now. I like roasting them and making chunky or smooth sauce for the winter. I froze the sauce again this year in jars; so much easier than heating up the kitchen when canning. I also made 4 pint jars of salsa, I love to bring that out in January and taste the flavors of summer when I am missing my tomatoes and going through withdrawals!.

I am really happy with the Red Zebra tomatoes I am growing this year, last year I only had the Green Zebras, ;which I have I planted but are a little late in ripening as I planted those late in June and with the cooler summer we are having I am not sure that they will do that well.  I have plenty on the vines, but it has been so cool this month they are taking a while to ripen. We are forecast for temperatures down to 59 degrees this week; that is just crazy for August it should be in the high 90's to over 100 now and with much warmer nights.

Heirloom Yellow Pear and Isle Candy, a really sweet yellow cherry tomato.

My cucumbers on the other hand are doing really well this year. I do not have mildew on any of the leaves and the plants are loaded with blossoms.  The bees were busy working the flowers this morning when I was looking for some to pick. I found a few and will make a jar of pickles with these.  I should be getting a bunch in the next week or two as I saw lots of small ones forming.  I can't wait to have these pickles for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. So often my vines get mildew or just get too hot and shrivel up before they produce, I am grateful for the cooler weather we have for these.  And I do have a lot of tomatoes so I can't complain, it has been a good growing season so far.


Organic Bush Bean Pencil Pod and Pickling Cucumbers

I planted Bean Bush Pencil Pod Organic Heirlooms from Botanical Interests this year and have only picked a few handfuls in the last week. The flavor is great and the plants are very healthy. They will do better once we get a few weeks of warmer weather though.

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A few of the summer squash I planted this year, Cocozelle, an heirloom organic zucchini (the ones with the stripes), a Black Beauty zucchini (in the middle), Scallop Patty Pan Blend, so far I have only had white and I should have light green and yellow in the Patty Pan.  And yellow Crookneck squash. All doing fantastic.
Picking lots of basil, tarragon, sage and thyme.  I am still picking parsley with the cooler weather too so that is nice. I will be making Basil Pesto tonight and will also be making a sage and a tarragon pesto. I use walnuts of the sage pesto and pecans for the tarragon.  It is fun to play around with different herbs and nuts to create pesto's. I have also used hazelnuts for the tarragon, but pine nuts will work for all of them. Try using sage, blue cheese and walnuts, you will love this flavor together and it is fantastic on pork and beef. Think Prime Rib!

Here They Come Again! Tomato Time and Update

I like to keep my blog updated with my tomato harvesting and information on each of the ones that I chose from year to year.  This year they seem to be coming in a little later than last year. We have had a much cooler spring and July has been cooler than normal too. This week we are heating up and I am happy to say I am picking tomatoes!

Here is my harvest today

 Cocozelle Zucchini (organic seed), San Marzano Tomato Pole (organic seed), Broad leaf Sage (organic seed), Basil Napoletano, German Chamomile (organic seed), Dill, Summer Early Yellow Crookneck Squash, all from Botanical Interests.  Green bunching onions from seeds I planted last fall. Yellow Pear Tomato which does not have a name on it so can't say which one it is. Red Zebra and Cherokee Purple Tomato from Seeds of Change (both grown from seed).

Bed One

  

Bed Two

Bed Three



Coriander/Cilantro Seeds

Our summers are too hot to grow Cilantro but I always let one plant from the Spring form seed heads for Coriander and to have more seed for Cilantro to grow in the fall through spring months. 

The small plant at the end of this bed is a Poha Plant. Easily grown from seed or cuttings. It has delicious fruit that I just eat from the hand but you can use it to make jam.  Also known as Cape Gooseberry. 

Poha Plant



This year we pulled out the ground cover along the driveway and dug a long two foot wide trough and lined it with chicken wire (to keep the gophers out) then filled with rich compost and amendments.  This is the result.  Lush tomatoes and huge summer squash plants. Tomatoes in this bed are Cherry Rainbow Mix from Botanical Interests.  Dr. Wyche's Tomato, German Queen Tomato (rare), and Green Zebra.

Same bed only a close up view.

Here we have one of two Eggplants and one of several Orange Watermelon plants.  I got the seed for these from a neighbor that brought us one of these melons they grew last year.  It had to be one of the best watermelons I have ever had and very pretty.  I will find out the name and add it later.

Our first Artichoke Plant was planted in June!

Straight Eight Cucumber from Ferry -Morse, looking very good this year. Keeping my fingers crossed that they do not get mildew. I purposely planted them late to avoid the May and June foggy months. I also have Japanese Soyu Burpless Cucumbers planted in this bed along the driveway.

Just a few of our Pepper Plants. These are planted by some Penstemon plants and are still small.  We are growing Ancho/Poblano, Pimiento sweet pepper, Carnival Mix Bells and New Mexico pepper.  A few green Bells and a Jalapeno.

Borage Seed coming up again.



Zapotec Pink Ribbon Tomato

Cherokee Purple

  

Persimmon, a Yellow Orange determinate heirloom tomato.  Plant is loaded with fruit.



San Marzano Pole Tomato

  

Cocozelle Organic Zucchini (from seed)


This plant is doing fantastic in the new bed along the driveway. I pick 3 to 4 squash a day now. In back, to the left a bit is the Summer Early Yellow Crookneck. This one is just beginning to produce now. Many of them are showing up straighter than I would expect; must be because I planted them so close to the zucchini.

I didn't get a chance to photograph the summer squash plants in the back and the beans. The beans are doing well.  After putting down the mulch they seemed to have grown a food.  I planted Bush French Filet and Bush Pencil Pod Yellow both from Botanical Interests.

This is what my husband and I did last weekend.  10 cubic yards of compost for the flower beds and around the citrus trees.  Hopefully this will keep the weeds down for a few weeks.

Well that is it for now.  Hoping you are all having wonderful success with your tomatoes, etc this year!

Day's End

The twilight comes to cool the. air,

The shadows lengthen on the sod,

Soft breezes blow the garden through,

The leaves and blossoms sway and nod.

On garden path, in sheltering hedge,

In treetops dark and cloudless sky,

The evening birds awake to life,

To stir; to sing and upward fly.

And flowers, warm with summer heat,

Expand to greet the softened light

And shed, to show their gratitude,

A fragrance in the summer night.

Now all is peace. From meadows near

A cooling mist blows o'er the wall

And strangely lonesome in the night

There comes the thrush's silvery call.

-EDWIN W. PROCTOR