Sunday, June 26, 2011

STILL NO TOMATOES

I can't believe we don't have any ripe tomatoes yet. Deb spotted an orange cherry today, so the feast is about to begin. I just purchased a pressure canner, and I've canned some squash, veggies, and other assorted goods already. I plan on canning the hell out of some tomatoes and peppers for the winter.

We've noticed the brussels sprouts have started forming the side buds that become the small heads we see in the produce section. That's exciting!

The pests are at it like mad. I've been hand picking stink bugs, squash bugs, Japanese beetles, asparagus beetles, and the first tomato horn worm of the season.




Total produce count for the year:
53 strawberries
17 raspberries(golden variety)
1 blackberry
7 blueberries
1/16 lb sweet banana peppers
1/4 lb sweet bell peppers
1.2 lb assorted (green)bean pods
5/8 lb cucumber
2.75 lb zucchini squash
1.25 lb yellow squash
3/4 lb kohlrabi
1/4 lb red onion (bulb)
6.5 lbs carrot roots
7/8 lb beet roots
4 heads of garlic
4 garlic scapes
7.6 lb sweet/snap peas
15.5 lb assorted dark greens
7/8 lb baby radishes/greens
1/4 lb mature radish roots
46.5 lb assorted lettuce
5.1 lb spinach
1/2 lb New Zealand spinach
4 1/4 lb turnip roots
2.63 lb miner's lettuce
3/16 lb mache/corn salad
5/8 lb baby greens
1/3 lb arugula
5 asparagus spears
3 trays of wheat grass(inside)
3 trays micro  greens(grown inside)
A countless amount of:
  parsley, basil, peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, burnet, fennel, thyme, dill, green onions

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Produce update

The picking is good!


Total produce count for the year:
53 strawberries
17 raspberries(golden variety)
1 blackberry
2 blueberries
1/32 lb sweet banana peppers
5/8 lb assorted (green)bean pods
1/16 lb cucumber
1 lb zucchini squash
1/4 lb yellow squash
1/4 lb kohlrabi
6.5 lbs carrot roots
5/8 lb beet roots
4 heads of garlic
4 garlic scapes
7.6 lb sweet/snap peas
15.2 lb assorted dark greens
7/8 lb baby radishes/greens
1/4 lb mature radish roots
46.5 lb assorted lettuce
5.1 lb spinach
1/2 lb New Zealand spinach
3 1/4 lb turnip roots
2.63 lb miner's lettuce
3/16 lb mache/corn salad
5/8 lb baby greens
1/3 lb arugula
3 asparagus spears
3 trays of wheat grass(inside)
3 trays micro  greens(grown inside)
A countless amount of:
  parsley, basil, peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, burnet, fennel, thyme, dill, green onions

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Produce update

Today I harvested the last of the carrots. Next year I think Deb & I should thin the carrots out a bit more. I noticed the carrots that had some growing room did just that, and grew bigger roots. Today I picked another kohlrabi head, 2 young zucchinis, a few peas, and some green beans.




Total produce count for the year:
51 strawberries
15 raspberries(golden variety)
1/2 lb assorted (green)bean pods
1/16 lb cucumber
1/4 lb zucchini squash
1/4 lb yellow squash
1/4 lb kohlrabi
5.0 lbs carrot roots
1/2 lb beet roots
4 heads of garlic
4 garlic scapes
7.6 lb sweet/snap peas
15.2 lb assorted dark greens
7/8 lb baby radishes/greens
1/4 lb mature radish roots
45.75 lb assorted lettuce
5.1 lb spinach
3.1 lb turnip roots
2.63 lb miner's lettuce
3/16 lb mache/corn salad
5/8 lb baby greens
1/3 lb arugula
3 asparagus spears
3 trays of wheat grass(inside)
3 trays micro  greens(grown inside)
A countless amount of:
  parsley, basil, peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, burnet, fennel, thyme, dill, green onions

Friday, June 10, 2011

Produce update

It's time for squash, beans, kohlrabi and tomatoes. Actually, the tomatoes are still a week or so away. The fruits that we have now are still green. The beans are getting fat, and the squash are finally getting to be worthy size. Peppers are not far behind. We've spotted several little bumps that appear to be pepper starts, and two sweet banana peppers about 1" long each.  We have lots of basil plants growing strong. We've been incorporating basil into meals on a regular basis lately. This morning I cooked a breakfast pizza with basil on top. I found that if you soak basil in water before putting it on something hot, the leaves are less likely to turn dark colored.  About an hour ago, I pulled the most gorgeous garlic bulb we have grown yet. It had a diameter over 2" wide, and the flavor was awesome! We immediately separated one of the cloves, and replanted it in the same hole left from the swollen bulb. We picked 4 beautiful beets from the home garden. One of them was almost fist sized. Canned beets are tasty, but can't compare to freshly steamed sweet beet roots.

Today, Deb & I enjoyed a kohlrabi head about 2 and a half inches wide. We decided a good way to describe the flavor of steamed kohlrabi would be called it a very mild cabbage taste. I actually went a step further and called it a mix of the taste of cabbage, and that of corn. Either way, it's good. The beautiful purple color cooks right out, leaving the head a pale green.





Total produce count for the year:

51 strawberries
15 raspberries(golden variety)
1/4 lb assorted bean pods
1/16 lb cucumber
1/8 lb zucchini squash
1/4 lb yellow squash
1/8 lb kohlrabi
2.5 lbs carrot roots
1/2 lb beet roots
4 heads of garlic
4 garlic scapes
7.5 lb sweet/snap peas
15.2 lb assorted dark greens
7/8 lb baby radishes/greens
1/4 lb mature radish roots
45.75 lb assorted lettuce
5.1 lb spinach
3.1 lb turnip roots
2.63 lb miner's lettuce
3/16 lb mache/corn salad
5/8 lb baby greens
1/3 lb arugula
3 asparagus spears
3 trays of wheat grass(inside)
3 trays micro  greens(grown inside)
A countless amount of:
  parsley, basil, peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, burnet, fennel, thyme, dill, green onions