Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Catching Up



We arrived home after dark on Friday night. I awoke Saturday morning with the urge to visit my garden and catch up on all that was happening out there. What a change 10 days can make. The beans have climbed to the very top of their obelisks and are waving tendrils in the air above, looking to entwine themselves on something higher. The butternut squashes have moved into the pathway between the beds and are nestling comfortably with the cucumbers who have done the same thing from the opposite bed. Tall green kale plants tower over the carrots. Tomato plants lean into each other and it's hard to tell where one ends and another begins. 
 

I wandered bare foot, inspecting the herbs, approving the new blooms of pink cosmos, the second round of roses, and the ripening plums. I dashed back indoors for my clippers and cut stems of richly coloured hydrangeas to plunk into a vase on the dining room table. 
 

Last night I made a Plum Platz, aka Plummen Kuchen, for dessert. And breakfast. I used up the very last of the plums I froze last summer. Have to make room for more in the freezer. With the cucumbers I made bread and butter pickles. With the zucchini and tomatoes, some ratatouille - a big double batch with enough to freeze in quart jars. With a box of blueberries from the store - sauce with lemon and cinnamon to serve over pancakes, cheesecake or french toast come winter. Tis the season!

Do you can/make jam/freeze summer produce? How's your garden doing?

12 comments:

  1. I don't have all those wonderful things in my garden, but we did have broccoli from the garden last night. It was very tasty...we ate it raw chopped up in a salad. A whole lot of good things went on while you were away for those ten days. Laundry all caught up? Mowing? One good thing, nobody's home to mess up the house while you're away. Sounds as if you've accomplished ever so much!

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  2. Your garden sounds like it is doing wonderfully! We have had so much rain this year that the little container garden I planted this year is struggling. I usually do freeze from my garden, but this year there is not enough too. Since this house is new for us, I didn't build my raised beds yet, but will this fall.

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  3. No garden but my trees are producing well and I'm afraid I have no ambition for the fruit this year. I've put out a shout out to my friends to see if anyone would like to take some apples and soon pears off my hands...
    Your veggies looks so good! Oh and welcome home...

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  4. No garden bounty but I do have a few tomato plants and will be enjoying a few tomatoes this week. Nothing beats all those home grown summer vegetables.

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  5. I don't have a vegetable garden, but we have enjoyed saskatoons from our huge saskatoon rows, and some "pie cherries" as my mom called them. Delicious crisps!! We have a number of green houses nearby where I enjoy getting fresh peppers, and cucumbers, tomatoes,,,,so I just stick to planting flowers!! I don't know that I have a green thumb!! Glad you are enjoying the harvest from your garden!

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  6. You have certainly hit the ground running! I'll bet your kitchen smells heavenly! Oh for a bit of that kuchen!

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  7. You HAVE been busy, girl!
    We were away only 6 days and returned yesterday, and I was surprised at how everything had grown. Tomatoes are now ripening, but still waiting for our cucumbers.

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  8. Your garden bounty is amazing, Lorrie! It must be so nice to be able to pick dinner out of your own backyard. I may chance trying to grow some vegetables next year. Your plum tart looks delicious!

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  9. Your bounteous harvest sounds wonderful and the plum tart looks so good!
    I've courgettes, haricot & runner beans, potatoes & lots of lettuces so we're eating well, too, but the tomatoes, blueberries & raspberries have not done well so far this year.
    bon appetit.

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  10. I know what you mean about coming home to overgrown!!!! We're growing nothing special this year so have to grab the shopping bag and head to the Farmers' Market, especially coming back yesterday and needing some good tomatoes! Do have a ton of figs though - when they'll be ready for harvest I'm not sure, they seem slow to ripen this year perhaps due to so much rain.

    Your kitchen must be inviting with so much go on, I smell the wafting flavors from here...............I love that!
    HAPPY WEEK - Mary

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  11. I don't garden, except for flowers on the deck, because we are surrounded by wonderful trees and it doesn't get warm enough in our yard for vegetables to mature. But that doesn't stop me - I'm off to the farm stands whenever I can get there - I make jams from the local berries, and freeze lots of them for winter treats, I make zucchini pickle relish and bread and butter pickles from giant zucchini (seeded, quartered and sliced thinly) and what would Washington be without making apple butter in the autumn. I can almost smell it now, I am going to use the crock pot to make the apple butter - and the house will smell so good for days.

    I also mix up batches of apple pie filling, put it in zip bags in the freezer, thaw, add to a crust and fresh apple pie all winter.

    Your photos are fabulous - what a wonderful garden.

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  12. Oh, how fun it would be to visit your garden and to be invited to eat one of your delicious meals!

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