How does my garden grow . . . stop thief!!

My goodness . .. drama at the garden.

Hubby and I were hanging out in our living room reading when we heard over the police scanner that someone was caught stealing produce from the community garden we we have our plot!  

One of the gardeners showed up to work on his plot when he was approached by a man . . . with child in tow . . . and was asked, "are there any peppers here?" and then they started taking stuff from someone's  garden.  A garden he knew wasn't theirs.  So, he called the police.

The gardener tried to explain the community garden was, but they didn't seem to care. Hello?  No trespassing signs posted everywhere . . . mean anything to you?  No, I guess not!

These people were from the next town over and didn't have a plot there.  The officer spoke with them and told them to stay away.  They got a $105 ticket for trespassing. 

One person with them said she didn't know it was private, she took bags of stuff last year.  I think the fact that they took off running after dropping the food was a good indicator that they knew that they were stealing.

The person who caught them donated the veggies to a local food kitchen because they had taken a lot and he didn't know who all it belonged to and he didn't want to take it.  I agree that was a good decision.

So, I was laid up since that day with a sprained ankle (and hubby with an eye infection) so I hadn't been able to get over there until today.  I can say with a fair amount of certainty that these people didn't go into my garden because the gate was closed up just like I left it.  However, there was only ONE ripe tomato which leaves me to believe that that probably swiped what they could reach from outside the fence.  I should have a whole bunch of ripe ones after 5 days!

But, I did get a big ol' bucket of green beans and some peppers . . . so all is not lost.  Amazing considering the damage the bugs are doing to my bean plants.

Oh, and I spotted an animal that was either a very large brown rat or a small kangaroo making its way up the path.  Ew!

How my garden grows . . . lotsa beans, lotsa 'maters and lotsa hot peppers

My morning visit to the garden was fruitful . . . literally!  I filled up a five gallon bucket with beans, tomatoes, peppers . . . plus one zucchini and three cucumbers.

I know what I'll be doing tonight!  That would be standing in a hot, steamy kitchen stuffing jars full of fresh, healthy goodness!

It's all good . . . the pantry is filling up.  This winter . . . and next . . . we'll have tomato sauce, chili and pickles.  Lots and LOTS of pickles.

WOOT!



Oh . . . speaking of peppers.  I'm gonna have a bucket full of habaneros soon . . . yay!

How my garden grows . . . tomatoes and beans

Pressure Canning Tomatoes

Now that the tomatoes in my garden are finally getting ripe it's time to start canning them.  I try to can them the day I pick them for the best results.  Obviously, that's not always possible, but I try.

When planning on how many jars you will need based on tomato volume figure 7 large tomatoes will fill one quart jar.

Besides the tomatoes the only other ingredients you will need is lemon juice and salt.  Salt is optional but make sure you don't use iodized table salt . . . you want a salt that doesn't have added ingredients.  




Equipment you will need:


Pressure Canner (I use an AllAmerican model 915). An excellent canner, by the way!
Pint or quart canning jars (quart jars are more economical)
Large spoons and ladles
Lids and Rings
Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)
Lid lifter
1 large pot for scalding the tomatoes
1 small pot to sanitize the lids.
Jar funnel




Be sure to sanitize the jars, this removes any fungus and bacteria to prevent spoilage.  You can use the dishwasher for this if you have an extra hot or sanitize cycle, but you can boil them in the canner while your prepping your tomatoes, which is what I usually do.

If you're using the canner, fill the jars with water and place them in the canner.  Then fill the canner with water  until it is over the tops of the jars and bring to a boil.  You will only need about 3 inches of water for the actual canning process but you can dump out the excess water before you put in your filled jars.

Otherwise, fill the canner about half full and bring to a boil.

Put the lids into the small pot of boiling water for at least several minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Put the tomatoes, a few at a time in the boiling water for no more than 1 minute (30 - 45 seconds is usually enough) and them put them into a large bowl of ice water.  This will make removing the skins ridiculously easy.


You want to use the freshest tomatoes you can; preferably unbruised and blemish free but that's in an ideal world.  Just be sure to cut out any bruised and discolored flesh when chopping them for the jars.  You definitely do NOT want rotten or mushy tomatoes!

Once you've removed the skins, cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters . . . making sure to remove any tough, bruised or soft parts.

Fill the sanitized jars withing a 1/4 inch of the top with the tomatoes. After the jar is filled, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per quart jar, 1 per pint jar.  This helps to reduce the odds of spoilage and to retain color and flavor. Then fill to 1/2 inch of the top with either boiling water or boiling tomato juice.  Add a pinch of salt, if desired.


Release any trapped air bubbles by sliding a flat utensil up and down around the inside edge of the jars.

Wipe the lips of the jar with a clean dry cloth or paper towel. Then put the lids and rings on.  Screw on the rings finger tight only.

Dump out any excess water out of the canner leaving about 3 inches of boiling water.  Put the jars in the pressure canner.  Then put the lid on and screw it down.

Let the canner vent steam for 10 minutes before putting the weight on.  After venting put the weight on and let the canner build pressure.

For a weighted canner, like mine, process both pints and quarts for 15 minutes at 5 pounds of pressure.  Make sure you read the instructions for YOUR canner before using it.

When the processing time is up.  Vent the canner and remove from the heat.  DO NOT remove the lid until the pressure is down to zero.


Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight).  I normally let them sit for at least 12 hours.   You can then remove the rings if you like to reuse.

Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it.

Personally, I don't recommend reprocessing the jars if they haven't sealed because to tomatoes will be smooshy.

The tomatoes will float over the liquid.  This is normal, so don't panic.  You can reduce the amount of liquid in the jar by packing the tomatoes tighter next time.  But, remember, tomatoes are mostly water so you'll always get that water layer.

Finally, store them in a cool, dark place.  Enjoy them all year!

How my garden grows . . . it makes me itch!

The garden is in Phase 2 full production mode.  Phase 1 being cucumbers, zucchini and peppers.  Phase 2 is beans, tomatoes and peppers (still).

This is is what I got before I even stepped foot inside the garden . . . I got all this stuff from outside of the fence.

This is what I ended up with once inside the fence . . . I nearly filled a five-gallon bucket.  And, that bucket was heavy!

I've noticed something since I've started harvesting the beans.  Itch . . . all over itch.  I get so itchy that I literally want to dig my nails into my skin to make it stop.  I good long soapy shower fixes makes it all better but . . . what the duck??

OMG!  I'm all itchified just thinking about it!

A little research tells me that a lot of garden plants have little barbs or spines on the leaves . . . tomatoes, squash, beans . . . the break off and embed themselves in your skin 

if you come in contact with them.  This, of course, irritates your skin.  Contact dermatitis . . . that's all it is.  

Yes, I could prevent the itch by wearing long sleeves, gloves and whatnot.  But that's not likely to happen.  First off, I pretty much roll out of bed at 0'dark:30 and head over to the garden to do what needs to be done before I have to get ready to work.  Which means I'm usually wearing a tank top, short sweats and flipflops . . . lots of exposed skin.  Secondly, it's summer time . . . it's hot, humid and sticky . . . even at 5:00 in the morning.  I'll deal with the itch if it's as curable as a shower when I get home . . . heck, I've got to do that any way. 

I know they are just trying to defend themselves but do you know what?  Those stupid plants can assault my skin all they want.  I'm still taking their beans!  Their yummy, yummy beans.

How my garden grows . . . everything's coming up beans!

The beans are coming on full force and I'm lovin' it!  It's interesting.  If I look at the bean plants all I see are leaves and vines.  But if I happen to spot bean pods it's like a window opens up and all I see is bean pods everywhere dripping from every vine.  They are the masters of camouflage   

Today I picked another big batch of beans . . . literally pulling them off the plants by the fistful.  And I have plants that haven't even started growing pods yet but lots of blossoms.  

This is the first year I've grown beans and I have to say that its very rewarding.  They are easy to grow and the really produce.  We have a garden so we can stock our pantry and the bean plants are making an excellent contribution.

This week I managed to empty out my veggie drawer which was stuffed with tomatoes, cucumbers and beans by preserving them.    I canned the tomatoes for sauce, made dilly beans, cucumber pickles and pickled peppers.

Today I filled it right back up again and that's not including the beans.  Additionally, I filled a gallon sized baggy up with those.  Time to whip out the canner again.

Besides the beans, I harvested a pile of tomatoes that were surprisingly unmolested, several cucumbers, a zucchini and one pea pod.

I go to the garden between 5 and 6  in the morning (I have to be to work at 8).  The garden is at the point where I either have time to either pick veggies or weed.  I'd rather have weeds than a garden full of rotting vegetables.  However, I try to pull as many of the most obnoxious ones as I can.

Gardening rocks!

How my garden grows . . . hope renewed!

I half-heartedly went to the garden this morning fully expecting to be disappointed.  In fact . . . I was  so dispirited that I didn't even bring my camera with me . . . if you know me then you know that I always have my camera with me . . . always.  But I had to go anyway to salvage any tomatoes that may have survived the onslaught of Sir Hops-a-Lot.  

When I arrived, I heaved a sigh upon seeing that one of my bamboo bean poles had snapped in half and the 7-foot vine toppled over outside of my plot.  No doubt caused by the heavy wind and rain from last night's storm.  *sigh*

As I approached, imagine my surprise as I lifted the vines to drape them over the garden fence only to find the vines to be dripping with . . . what is this? . . . long, skinny green beans!  Holy cow!  Fistfuls and fistful and fistfuls of beans!  WOOT!  

And do you know what?  I might have paid those vines no heed if not for the fact that they had fallen over.  

So, giddy as a fairy high on pixie dust I entered the garden.  Lo and behold there were tomatoes . . . whole . . . intact . . . with nary a nibble taken from the red luscious juicy orbs. Miracles DO happen! 

  I snagged about a dozen with more on the way.  Still . . . not the harvest I had hoped for when I planted them but still more than I expected after the past few weeks of disappointment. 

As I moved along the row I discovered that one of my nearly depleted zucchini plants had rooted an offshoot and there was a fresh new zucchini plant growing.  So, I’ll be having a whole new crop of zucchini to look forward too!  How cool is that?

Out of six bell pepper plants I  have two that have one little pepper each that are just not getting any bigger so I picked those and I’ll give them to hubby with his lunch. 

The hot pepper are producing quite well, however and I picked a bunch of both jalapeños and Hungarian wax peppers.

The cucumber plants are petering out but still producing a few a day. 

I even managed to pick a handful of peas!  The bunny must be so busy with the tomatoes that he forgot about those. 

So, overall, I’m feeling better about the garden.  There is hope!

Did I mention beans?  Yeah . . . lotsa beans.

Balsamic Roasted Broccoli

A friend and I have a veggie swap going on.  She gives me things I'm not growing in my garden and I give her stuff that she doesn't have.  It works out quite nicely.

Along with some other veggies, this week she gave me two big heads of broccoli.  One of my favorite ways to cook broccoli is to roast it.  I decided to try something a little different this time and this is the simple and delicious recipe that I came up with . . . 

Balsamic Roasted Broccoli 

2 Pounds Broccoli Crowns

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Sugar

Ground Black Pepper 

Preheat oven to 450F. Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with aluminum foil  . . . to aid in clean up. Place dish on the lowest rack of the oven while oven heats up.

Cut broccoli into pieces. Place broccoli in bowl and add olive oil, salt, sugar, balsamic vinegar and pepper to taste.  Toss to combine. When oven is heated, place broccoli in pan and roast for 11 minutes (until slightly browned).

Serve and enjoy!  It’s excellent cold or reheated, as well.

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How my garden grows . . . grrr

I'd like to say that everything in the garden is wonderful and all that.  But I can’t control Mother Nature and apparently I've done something to offend her.  

I’ve known that they’re getting in . . . specifically Mr. Bun . . . and we’ve patched up, stopped up and repaired every hole under the fence we could find.  But, he’s still finding his way in.

What I don’t understand is why he has to force his way through our fence when there is such easy fodder one row over.  I just don’t get it.

I’ve gotten very few peas because of this critter.  What we managed to harvest were really sweet.  Apparently, he thought so too because he ate most of them. 

Now he’s after my tomatoes.

I’ve had green tomatoes on all of my plants for weeks and weeks.  I’ve been waiting patiently for them to start to ripen.  A couple weeks ago two of them turned a lovely shade of red but when I went to pick them there was a bite in them . . . both of them . . . one stinkin’ bite.  He can’t eat the whole thing?  He’s got to ruin them all?

So, I’ve had my eye on a few more that were just about ripe.  But, again, when I went to pick them  . . . chomp chomp chomp.  Unbelievable!

But possibly worse than that is that he’s going after my heirloom tomatoes . . . with a vengeance.  He’s not even waiting for them to turn!  The little bugger is eating them when their still green!  And these he must like especially well because he’s eating half of them instead of just a taste. 

And it’s bad enough that Mr. Bun is using my tomato plants as his personal salad bar but some of them have rot around the stem . . . mostly the Better Boys.  Which makes them useless to me.

The partially eaten tomatoes that are left behind are rotting in the heat and humidity.  So the garden smells like rotten fruit and there are fruit flies all over the place.  It's gross.

I was counting on this tomato crop to can and preserve.  Between the rabbit and whatever else is going on, I think I’ll be lucky if a get half a dozen quarts the way it’s going.

So frustrating.

How my garden grows . . . harvesting bit by bit

How my garden Grows . . . we munch, they munch

After a huge amount of rain and a really hot day I harvested over 10 lbs of cucumbers!   It's crazy . . . one day they're nothing but nubs and buds and a day or two later they're huge.  Amazing!


I spotted the first tomatoes turning today and I have a few bell peppers that should be ready soon, too!


I was totally shocked to discover the cucumber beetles and larvae are eating up the leaves on the bean plants! Especially, since there are hardly any on my cucumber and zucchini plants.    I hope I can get them under control before they destroy my bean crop.


The peas . . . the bunnies have found they're way into the garden and LOVE them.  I managed to pick a scan few of them and there were literally handfuls of pods on the ground all around the base of the plant.  Some little bunny had himself a real feast.  There will hardly any left for us because the plants will be dying off soon.

Sauteed Radish Greens


I love radishes!  But what to do with all those greens?  Don't throw them away. They are really quite delicious sauteed with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.    A great side dish!


1 or 2 Bunches Radish Greens
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 or 2 Minced Garlic Cloves
Sea salt
Juice of one lemon


Wash the greens really well to get all the sand, dirt and grit out.


Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute being careful not to let it brown.  You just want it to soften up a little.  Add the greens and saute until wilted and soft. Season with salt and lemon juice.


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How my garden grows . . . visualize whirled peas

How my garden grows . . . more stuff from the garden

Alley oop!!

I was watching the morning news while drinking my coffee when the sports report came on and said something about some player alley ooping the ball.


Never the sports fan I can't say that I ever associated the expression 'alley oop' with basketball.  


My first recollection of hearing or seeing this idiom was in relation to the comic strip of the same name.  The cartoon was first syndicated in 1932 but didn't reach the heights of its popularity until the 1960's.  I remember reading the old Alley Oop comic books that I discovered in my Grammy's attic and also in the  newspaper funnies.




So, after listening to the news I got to wondering what the origin of this pairing of words . . . alley oop.


It is a variation of the  French expression 'Allez! Houp!'   . . . the 'h' is silent . . . which roughly translates to , "Go on! Jump!" or "Off you go!".  It was an expression often used by French circus performers who would exclaim 'allez houp' right before they launch themselves into the air.


It is interesting to note the French influence in some Arabic speaking countries . . . specifically Egypt . . . where laborers says 'hailly hooph' when lifting a large, heavy objects. 

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 Zesty Italian Dressing Recipe

In honor of a harvest of fresh veggies from the garden that I'm making into a salad I thought it appropriate to dress the salad in a fresh homemade variety of a classic.  This recipe is the best I've found!

1 Cup of Vinegar

2/3 Cup of Olive Oil

2/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Tablespoons of Water

1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Tablespoon Onion Powder

1/2 Tablespoon Honey

1 Tablespoons Dried Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1/2 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

1 Tablespoons Salt

1 Teaspoon Hot Pepper Flakes

Pour ingredients into a glass jar or bottle with a cover.   Cover and shake well.  Use or refrigerate for up to 90 days.

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How my garden grows . . . cucumbers, zucchini and peppers, oh my!

This weekend I canned 17 pints of cucumber pickles and 8 pints of zucchini pickles . . . that makes a grand total of 24 pints cucumber pickles and 12 pints of zucchini pickles.  


This morning I picked another pile of cucumbers . . . I guess I know what I'll be doing after work today.


The rest of the garden is doing well . . . the tomatoes are still green, peas are still peaing and beans are blossoming. 


The peppers are trying their bestest!  We've actually eaten a few of the Hungarian peppers and those suckers are spicy good!  We'll soon be having jalapenos and bells.  It would be nice if they all ripened at once because I'd like to pickle them, as well.  

How my garden grows . . . the hard work is paying off!

Thanks to lots of good sunshine and rain and pulling weeds by the fistful and wagon load the garden is doing extremely well.


Last weekend I canned 7 pints of cucumber pickles and 4 pints of zucchini pickles.  I've baked fresh zucchini bread every weekend for the past 4 weeks.  And made all manner of things with zucchini in them.


Yesterday I gave away a pile of zucchini and and still have 3 huge ones for myself and more on the way.  


This weekend I will  be making more zucchini bread and canning both zucchini and cucumber pickles.


I have baby peppers and green 'maters, baby peas and soon to have beans.  We will soon have fresh salad from our lettuce . . . maybe in a day or so.


All the hard work is paying off!

How my garden grows . . . it's growing

How my garden grows . . . like crazy!

Beet and Feta Salad

2 Cans Whole Beets, Halved

8 Radishes, Chopped

2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Pinch Sea Salt

Pinch Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 Cup of Feta Cheese

6 Fresh Mint Leaves, Chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well and chill to allow all the flavors to mingle.

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How my garden grows . . . growing zucchini

Zucchini plants are stupidly easy to grow.   All they need is sun, water and some love.   They grow fast and produce squash like crazy . . . when they're healthy, that is.  Within ten days time my plants went from this to this with absolutely no maintenance . . . we were on vacation and we came home to enormous plants starting to bear fruit.








My poor zucchini plants have been the abused by pests every year that we've had our garden.  First come the squash and cucumber beetles followed inevitably by powdery mildew.  Both will greatly diminish the output of the plant at best and destroy the plant at worst.


Fortunately, both the these problems are easily eradicated by chemical means or controlled by organic measures.    I'll give you both options for both methods that I've had varying degrees of success with.


My plot is in a community garden where we are only allowed to use organic products.  However, in the past, I have used Sevin for pest control and Daconil as a fungicide . . . both with exceptional results.  


One simple thing is to lay a mat of tin foil around the base of the plants.    Most of these pests prefer the shady underside of the leaves; which is also where they lay their nasty little eggs.  The idea is either to confuse them by reflecting a light underneath the plant or to cook the eggs to an uncomfortable temperature. It also helps to prevent bugs like squash borers from coming up from under the soil from emerging and climbing up the plant.




There are plenty of organic fungicides and pesticides available commercially, but I haven't tried them.    I use homemade organic concoctions for pest and fungus control.  They're really quick and easy to make . . . not to mention inexpensive.  

For pest control I make an orange oil insecticide.  Simply combine 1 tablespoon of orange essential oil with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle.  Then add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mixture and shake the bottle to mix the oil with the water.  Spray the orange oil pesticide on the stems, undersides of the leaves and the vegetables themselves to protect them.  Store the pesticide away from heat and direct sunlight. Shake the bottle before each use.



Believe it or not, milk makes a great fungicide.  It's so easy to make a milk based fungicide, too!  It is believed that the antibiotic qualities of pasteurized milk impede the germination of powdery mildew spores and also provides nutrients to the plant.   All you need to do is dilute one part organic cows milk with between five to ten parts water. Spray the solution during the cool of the morning to reduce the risk of foliage being burned in intense sunshine before it dries. Wet both sides of leaves and stems until it begins to drip off. Reapply after rain or irrigation. It is most effective when applied in the early stages of infection.


Proper watering is also important to make your plants as productive as they can be.  First of all, they like a LOT of water . . . the zucchini fruit is mostly water.  If the soil is dry make sure you give them a good drink.


Generally speaking but especially once the plants start flowering you should watering only the bottom of the plant near the roots.  The first reason is the plants are susceptible to diseases when wet, so you should make sure to avoid watering the leaves and stems of your zucchini plants, if possible. 


The second reason is as simple as the birds and the bees . . . well, the bees mostly.  Zucchini plants need the bees to pollinate the female flowers in order to make the squash.   You don't want to water the from the top because you will wash the pollen from the flowers.    





Take care of your plants . . . protect them, water them . . . and they will give you more zucchini than you can possibly consume.