Wednesday Harvest
The season is in full swing, and with it flows the bounty of all the work invested this spring and summer. The cucumbers are setting what may be their final pickles, as the vines are beginning to wither. They have worked very hard to preserve their seeds and genes for the future, so I’ll make it a point to select a few particularly good specimens, and save the seeds from them.
The tomatoes are starting to ripen, and you can find nearly ripe ones all through the valley in our window sills. This is an ideal location for nearly ripe tomatoes to fill in there color and taste. It’s also particularly handy when cooking. Simply find a tomato that looks good, and slice it up.
The Zucchini is still piling up well. I’ve been slicing it up and freezing it, hoping they will lift my spirits in the dull winter. We have also been shredding zucchini, to make winter cooking easier. I’m really amazed by the Zucchini plants, as when you pick them, the vine is damaged a bit, but they just keep producing like nothing happened.
The potato plants seem to be dying, or at least turning brown. I know the Late Blight is not to blame, as my tomato patch is still very green. I think the plants have simply ended their growth cycle for the season, as they are a cool weather crop, taking between 8-15 weeks to grow. This seems about right, as they were planted in early June. It’s simply crazy how this summer is slipping by.
There are also some yellow pumpkin looking squashes appearing in the late garden. I’m not sure what these things are, but I don’t remember planting them. There is another photo of them here. If you can ID this squash, please let me know what it is. They grow very well in the valley, and one has weighed in at 10 + pounds !
