Gingered Green Tomato Spread

An abundance of green tomatoes, about 15 lbs. forced me to look for green tomato recipes.  On my recent visit to Apple Hill, I picked up a tomato cookbook that had about 10 recipes for green tomatoes. One of those recipes was for Gingered Tomato Preserves.

Ingredients: Green Tomatoes, Red Tomatoes, Fresh Ginger, Sugar, Salt, Ground Cloves, Nutmeg, Sliced Lemons, Fruit Pectin

We haven't tasted this yet as it takes approximately 2 weeks to set.

Putting It Away

The biggest pleasure and sometimes hardest work is putting away the fruits of your garden labor.  I spent the weekend canning all of the green tomatoes that were left over on the plants before the weather change.  In the past I'd bring the tomatoes in and let them ripen in the house.  This year I decided to use the green tomatoes to make a variety of recipes I had heard about.

I made Piccadilli, which is a pickled tomato concoction used as a southern food condiment and dill green tomato pickles.

Ingredients:  Shredded cabbage, chopped green tomatoes, green and red bell peppers and onions.

Veggies brined overnight

Rinsed after brining

Pickled with Vinegar, Salt, Brown Sugar Mustard Seed .  Dill Green Tomato Pickles

The Rain Is Finally Here

The fall rain has finally come and just in time to save me from my damaged drip system.  While happily preparing my beds for my winter garden that wasn't supposed to happen, I accidentally damaged a couple of the lines and have been too lazy to fix them.  So, I've resorted to the dreaded hand watering with the hose.

Broccoli and Russian Kale

My fall plants have been attacked by what I believe could be considered to be the non-biblical equivalent to locust.  Green caterpillar like worms have devoured everything.  They are a smaller version on the horn worm with the same destructive nature. CABBAGE WORMS.

Red Pak Choi - Before

Red Pak Choi - After

Cabbage Worms dumped in soapy water

Ok, I've tried hand picking them off every day, but geez I'm pulling 10-15 off a day.  So, I think I might need to take drastic measures and find a chemical agent.  Yes, I know I  was staying organic and chemical free, but what good is organic or chemical free if there are no plants left?

The lovely (not) creatures come from those pretty white butterflies you see flitting around your garden.  They lay their eggs on your plants and then those plant eating worms devour your garden.  Bacillus thurigienis (Bt) powder or spray supposedly kills these buggers in their caterpillar stage.

Cauliflower -Before

Cauliflower - After

ose pretty white butterflies

Fall Planting - Created 9/13/10 Late Post

I think it's safe to say that Fall is here in Sacatomatoes.  We've had mild days in the mid 80's and I think the triple digits are done for the year.  A couple of weeks ago I did a mass clean-up of the garden and removed most of the green beans and squash.  I double dug the raised beds they were occupying and added a mixture of chicken and cow manure, compost, blood and bone meal.  Of course after that I had to keep the scavenging dogs out of the garden. I swear it's guaranteed if it smells (stinky) they want to eat it.  Earlier this week I had forgotten about the dogs appetite for blood meal and planted one of the Collard Trees outside the garden in what I thought was a perfect spot with the usual side dressing of blood meal.  I came home that evening and my husband had mowed the the lawn (which was great).  He commented on my usual lack of pulling weeds and then asked why I was digging holes in the yard instead of pulling weeds.  "What hole?"!!!!.  There where my precious Collard Tree (the one I had waited 4 weeks to be delivered from Bountiful Gardens) was a huge hole.  Not a small hole, but a hole about the depth and diameter to plant a 5 gallon bush in.  The Collard Tree cutting was only about the size of a pencil.  I must admit, I did briefly consider dogslaughter and various types of torture techniques.  Amongst the pile of dirt I found my poor little cutting actually unharmed (unlike those two heathen dogs when I got my hands on them).  Moral of the story...don't forget about your garden predators even in the "off" planting season.

So, back to the Collard Trees.  I had been hearing about these trees from my family for the last year and thought I'd try them out when I received a notice from one of my nurseries that they had them in.  I received 3 cuttings in the mail wrapped in damp newspaper.  Very unimpressive to say the least.  I wasn't quite sure where I was going to plant these so I put them in water in a window.  After a few days they began to sprout leaves and I realized I'd need to move pretty quickly to find a home for these.  My sister asked that I give one to her, so I placed this one in a small pot.  The others, I planted on eastern side of the house in a pretty shaded area.  It is my understanding that these guys are not overly fond on scorching sun.  I also staked them for added security.  So we'll see how they come along.

The last time I posted, I was going back and forth on whether or not I'd have a fall/winter garden.  I've got a lot of things going on right now and the last thing I needed to do was add something else to my plate.  So, of course I started a new garden, lol.  Ok, what had happened was...

I was driving along Sunrise Blvd. minding my own business, when I came across a Capitol Nursery.  We had one near our old house in Elk Grove, but I didn't realize there was one close to us here in Orangevale.  I decided to look in and have a looksy, just a peek.  I didn't even grab a basket.  I needed some fertilizer for the plum tree anyway.  I slowly strolled along the rows of flowering shrubs, bushes and trees (you know everything that's usually in a nursery) and way in the back I found the veggie and herb section, which I expected to be pretty bare.  But no, they've got rows of lettuces, greens, artichokes, cauliflower, broccoli and much much and they were all so happy and healthy looking.  As I perused this bounty, a winter garden began to seem appealing again, so...

Ha, you thought I went crazy and bought up the place didn't you?  Well I didn't.  I had all of these seeds at home and would plant them instead of purchasing the plants.  Amazingly enough I walked out with only my fertilizer.  Proud of myself in fact.

Ok, so I did go and buy the plants.  Yeah  yeah I know, don't judge me.  Anyyyyyway...So, yes I planted a fall garden and yes I did buy the plants instead of starting them from seed. So sue me.  I justify both by saying I am making sure my family has healthy food while saving myself time by buying the plants.

The fall garden line up:

Pac Choi

Curly Kale

Red Pak Choi

Russian Kale

Oregon Sugar Snap Peas

Broccoli Raab

Red and Green Chard

Green Comet Broccoli

Managing the Harvest

It's been awhile, but I'm back.  I've been managing day to day life with preserving and putting away this summer's harvest.  The garden is transitioning from summer to fall and I am preparing for this winter's garden as well.  We've had some unseasonably mild weather and the plants are loving it (well not the okra) but everything else is going crazy.  I'm harvesting about 3 - 4 lbs. of green beans ever other day and they are showing no signs of slowing down.  I don't think my freezer can handle much more.

(Pineapple Sage, Thai Basil and Tarragon)

This year, I'm trying freezing the majority of my herbs instead of drying.  Last year I used the ice cube tray method, but this year I am trying quick freezing and bagging.

(Slicing Cucumbers and Yellow Squash)

(Poblano Peppers)

(Lots of tomatoes - The Siox tomatoes( red) are doing well now. Initially they were having a lot of blossom end rot)

Hmm tomato chutney this year I think.

Fried Green tomatoes maybe?

(Pineapple Tomato - Isn't it beautiful? Tastes great too, with a mild acidity and slight citrus flavor)

(Butternut Squash - The trellis system worked great!)

There are 6 on the vine now and are starting to turn yellow

Dehydrators being put to work on some herbs for Mom and Sun Dried Tomatoes - well technically dehydrator dried tomatoes.  I also did some yellow squash and my peppers.  This year instead of zip locks I am using mason jars to store these things in the pantry.

(The big canning pot)

I try not to waste anything,  and I'm sick of picking my neighbor's plums off the ground in my yard, so I decided to make jam today.  Every summer there are hundreds of plums on the ground which ends up being lots of rotten fruit to be picked up or deal with the rats that come out of the orchard to feast on the bounty.  No thanks, I'll get up the fruit.

So, today I made jam.

This week is planning the Winter Garden, Ok I'll be honest...deciding if I'm going to be lazy this winter and do nothing after September or do a mini winter garden.  The problem is I can't do mini, I have a plant addiction and can't just plant a small amount or even just enough to feed your average family of 5, ha ha. I'll let you know what I decide to do.

(The empty spots are waiting on my decision)

What's Going On Today

I spent Sunday cleaning up the garden and getting ready to prepare the now empty beds for the next planting.  Funny, I'm always at a lost this time of year of what to plant.  I just don't have the same excitement that I have in the Spring when I'm pouring over the seed catalogs.  I'm not really sure if I'm going to plant anything, I may just focus on seed collecting this year.  I've never collected seeds before and I would like to start.

(The Ex Home of the Greens and Broccoli)

(The Ex Home of the too prolific Yellow Squash)

Now for the good news.  The first Kellogg's Breakfast tomato was ready for picking today.  She didn't quite make 2 lbs. but 1.8 lbs. is not too shabby.  I can't wait to slice into it, but I will wait for my hubby to come home and brag (oops, I mean share with him).

The mixed bush beans are starting to produce beans, the only problem is I have to figure out what "beans" were in the mix.  I've identified the green beans and the purple hulls.  I've got to figure out what this guy is...

Looks like I might finally have some success with Okra, but the jury is still out.

The Japanese Eggplants have begun to taper down their production, but the Thai Green Eggplants are beginning to produce.

The Slicing Cucumbers have also begun to produce, especially since I removed the huge yellow squash plant that was blocking all of it's sunlight.

Orange Chicken with Stir Fried Garden Veggies