Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Changing of the Garden

Monday I made a meal of the last of the edible podded peas and the first zucchini! This marks the transition from spring to summer in the garden.

Actually the peas lasted longer than they do some years, as they kept getting a new lease on life from late rains.

The lettuce is bolting wholesale now, and I finished harvesting the garlic today. I found one inch long green bean - and lots of flowers, of course. I got my tomatoes and peppers in late. The plants are looking good and are blooming, though they haven't set fruit yet. The yellow summer squash is behind the zuke - but that's good for variety in that season when it seems like forever until the tomatoes start really producing, and it's beans and squash day after day. Beets are the one thing I seem to remember to plant early and often, in little rows that will give me a couple of bunches each and some greens. Beets the all purpose plant. There are some in my fridge, and a few that can be pulled anytime, plus some for two and four weeks from now.

It's open season on jars, too. Yesterday I ordered a box of no-spray apricots which I will pick up tomorrow. I had great success with brandied apricots last year, even though I ran out of brandy. Amazing how a pint of those can brighten up a winter evening - or several in a row. Most successful flavor: white rum and lemon verbena. This is now my recipe for Tipsy Apricots.

I hate the heat, but I love the foods of summer.

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