Sunday, July 31, 2011

Sunday Harvest(s)

I made a trip over to the veggie plot. It is terribly over grown and the only thing surviving are the peppers and tomatoes. Not sure what happened to the vines (zucchini, cucumber) but they are shot. The tomatoes, though over grown, are prolific. Sadly any ripe tomatoes were chewed and/or rotted. I picked almost 7 lbs of green tomatoes! We'll see if they ripen on the shelf.

When I got home it was finally cool enough (83F) to water. While watering I saw plenty to pick. So I did.

Here is today's haul. It's more than 13 lbs of produce. I'm pretty happy with that!















Meatless Monday should be a snap!

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener
email: thegastronomicgardener at gmail dot com

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Chilies and first tomatoes

It was happy to have a cool breeze tonight after dinners as I  poked around the garden. What a break from recent days. Let's take a look at the peppers (or chilies if you prefer).

Cherry pepper




Early Bell - these are huge






Hot banana




Hot Red



Jalapeno


























Any finally, the first couple pounds of tomatoes. Celebrity and Black Prince. The ones on the left asre from the grow boxes, one the right Squarefoot method. I'll be tracking production throughthe harvest.






















Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Weekend Harvest

The day I returned from Tennessee I picked over 9lbs of cucumbers. More pickles or at least relish seems in order.





















Today's haul included:

Three types of beets:  Chioggia, Cylindria, Detroit Red










































Seems like a nice garden saute is in order.

Now if we can get some tomatoes to start ripening.

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Friday, July 22, 2011

Tennessee Waltz

This is off topic so if you come back for the next one, I understand.

We made a quick trip to Bumpus Mills, Tennessee this week, 8 hours down, 35 hours there, and 8 hours back.  Ah, the things we do for love and family. 

While down there, I got  a chance to sit a spell on the rocking chair and let the breeze cool me down from the blast furnace that is the Midwest US these days.

Up in the Tennessee hills, away from the highways, you can hear the trees, the insects and the birds. And if you sit quietly, you may even see something you've never seen before.

Now I've seen Goldfinches, but these were fluttering so close, you could hear their wing beats.
























Then they were joined, first by a Tufted Titmouse....























and then by a house finch.
























And I've seen deer, though not this close.





















But what I have never personally seen is an Indigo bunting. The first hints were blue smudges flitting about the first evening we were there. Early the next morning I managed to capture a few images. A little bigger  than the goldfinch, this brilliant blue bird was a thrill for me to see.



















Off topic but I hope you enjoyed it.

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Picture tour of Guido's Garden

A friend called this morning and told me of a garden tour being given by a garden club a few towns over. He said "You gotta see Guido's garden, it's fantastic!" I looked it up online and indeed, listed with having over 100 tomato plants I had to check it out. It's too hot to work outside, so I grabbed the camera, left The Student to her books and drove over.

The first thing you see as you approach the house is a grape arbor that spans the driveway (parking pad) between two houses.




















I introduced myself, and Guido, a diminutive older Italian gentleman greeted me warmly. He said he's been gardening here since 1976, and all his work unfolded before my envious eyes.

The vines are huge, and they're loaded with grapes. Guido said he eats them out of hand, and gives many away - there are too many to eat by himself. He said he's made wine twice but wasn't happy with the result. So now he just eats them.




















Walking up the drive one comes upon the fig trees and some enormous eggplants. Apparently the eggplants are from Australian seed.























As you step through the gate your gaze is drawn to a rustic greenhouse, made of recycled storm windows and railroad ties. Guido said he doesn't start plants out there, he uses his porch  for that but moves the seedlings out to harden off before transplanting.




















Notice two things, one - the grass is incredibly lush. He must use a lot of water, and two - that bare stick was a fruit tree that was damaged in a recent storm, he won't pull it up until fall and after the arugula that is planted at the base is harvested.

Speaking of trees - he has all fruit trees. I overheard him tell a guest "Why would I plant any other tree than  than a fruit tree, I can't eat the leaves!" Looking towards the back of his lawn the fruit trees are many and all in fruit. He has pears, apples, Asian pears, quince and peach.























As if what I had seen was not enough, I realized that this was only the start. After all - he was advertised as having more than 100 tomato plants. "One hundred and one!", he declared with a twinkle in his eye.

Walking toward the rear of the property, a large trellis upon which grows a great wall of beans comes into focus.









































I walked to the far end, through the gate and into the back garden; and oh what a garden!



















Stretching out before me were the biggest onions I've ever seen in the ground, lush celery, eggplants and cabbages to the rear, a half turn to the left,



















was the most orderly plot of tomatoes one can imagine. Pruned and staked, they stood tall and healthy in the hot sun.

The onions are far bigger than my fist.




















Celery  growing strong.




















I don't know what kind of basil this is, but some of the leaves are bigger than my hand.


 And the kohlrabi looks like  a spaceship.





















I walked around a little bit more, listened to the charming Guido patiently answer tourists questions, then thanked him for his time and efforts.

I walked to my car, a little stunned by what I had just seen, appreciative of what 35 years of development can accomplish, and all the  more determined to continue developing my little garden.



















Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Midsummer report on Growboxes

As previously discussed, one of the exercises this summer is the investigation  of various growing techniques. We've got raised beds over at the remote veggie plot, Squarefoot in the back and the Growboxes in the drive way.

Here are the growboxes from this weekend.




















In the boxes from left to right, 2 tomatoes, about 8 peppers (below capacity) and in the final box 1 zucchini and 1 cucumber, also below capacity. Everything is exceedingly healthy, the tomatoes while not tall, are full of fruit, the peppers are producing and loaded with blossoms, zucchini on the vine, and the cucumbers you saw a few days ago.

So what can I say about this system? First, I need to fill the reservoirs every day. So don't think it will save you on watering time.  But it is easy to fill.

There is no weeding, and the start up was super easy.  No tilling.  Just fill plant and go.

It is ideal for balconies, or small spaces, or extending your growing area onto the driveway/parking pad.  Good for beginners or seniors, this appears to be a system that works!

The proof now is how much will it produce. Stay tuned!

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Other than the Growbox samples themselves, no consideration or compensation was granted from The Garden Patch.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Harvest Monday






















A cucumber, another marconi, more banana peppers, and shallots! Very excited about the shallots! Total harvest just about 3 lbs..

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Sunday, July 10, 2011

The Promise of Pickles

Last year I made some pickles. They were the first thing I ever canned, but I had to purchase the cucumbers. This year I am determined to can some of my own growing so I planted three cucumber plants.  Two went into the Square foot beds and one into a Growbox.

The ones in the grow boxes are climbing  nicely up the trellis constructed for this purpose. It is 7' tall, pretty soon , I'll need to start weaving it downwards.







































The flowers are pretty to look at.




















And the clinging tendrils fascinate me.




















From the small ones on the trellis...






















...to over on the wooden fence in the Growbox,




















to this early one that is chilling in the icebox for The Student's lunch;




















it looks like I will have a big harvest. I am not sure I'll have enough ready simultaneously to can, but I hope so.


Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener
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