The Week of August 9-15
26 oz. bush beans
35 oz. pole beans
46 oz. beets
15 oz. carrots
65 oz. cucumbers
11 oz. basil
32 oz. potatoes
53 oz. sweet peppers
30 oz. crookneck squash
80 oz. zucchini
48 oz. strawberries
1087 oz. tomatoes (nearly 68 pounds. Finally!)
Total for week: 1528 ounces = 95.5 pounds
Total year to date: 399 pounds
As you can see, the tomatoes are finally ripening! It's been a busy week of picking and canning, and I find myself once again behind. The patio table is covered with ripe tomatoes, the refrigerator is stuffed full of zucchini, green beans, beets and crookneck squash. There will be a lot of harvesting, canning and freezing in Granny's kitchen in the next few weeks.
I'll probably be taking out a few of the tomato plants. Some are showing stress from the heat or beginning to show some early blight, and some are just not being put to good use, as they are being replaced with larger, more flavorful varieties. All of the small, yellow fruited plants are going. I'll keep the red/black cherry tomatoes, as they can just be tossed in the pot and cooked up for tomato sauce.
35 oz. pole beans
46 oz. beets
15 oz. carrots
65 oz. cucumbers
11 oz. basil
32 oz. potatoes
53 oz. sweet peppers
30 oz. crookneck squash
80 oz. zucchini
48 oz. strawberries
1087 oz. tomatoes (nearly 68 pounds. Finally!)
Total for week: 1528 ounces = 95.5 pounds
Total year to date: 399 pounds
As you can see, the tomatoes are finally ripening! It's been a busy week of picking and canning, and I find myself once again behind. The patio table is covered with ripe tomatoes, the refrigerator is stuffed full of zucchini, green beans, beets and crookneck squash. There will be a lot of harvesting, canning and freezing in Granny's kitchen in the next few weeks.
I'll probably be taking out a few of the tomato plants. Some are showing stress from the heat or beginning to show some early blight, and some are just not being put to good use, as they are being replaced with larger, more flavorful varieties. All of the small, yellow fruited plants are going. I'll keep the red/black cherry tomatoes, as they can just be tossed in the pot and cooked up for tomato sauce.
I have two of the prettiest eggplants. I'm seriously thinking of planting some in pots in my front yard next year. These were doing nothing, as far as showing anything but blossoms, until this past week. Suddenly they are absolutely loaded with little "eggs". This variety is called Red Egg, and I have no idea what it might taste like when ripe. Actually, I've never eaten eggplant, so I don't have any idea what it's supposed to taste like!
WOW, Granny, what a bounty you have!! You will be one busy lady this week preserving all of your harvest!! Nice problem to have!!
ReplyDeleteNice Harvest! Glad to hear that you are finally getting larger tomatoes. Are your eggplants turning red when mature('coz they're called 'Red Egg')?
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled to see you are still getting strawberries. I hope you decide you like eggplant!! A friend shared a very simple recipe of a 'parmesan' style dish that requires eggplant, basil, red sauce, and cheese. Nothing fancy, but it sure tastes good. I will send it to you if you want it.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous harvests! You have far more variety than I these days. My squashes have given up for the summer.
ReplyDeleteDebiclegg, I need to get off my rear this morning and get busy on them! It's just so nice sitting here relaxing, I don't want to start working ;-)
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RandomGardener, the seeds were included with tomato seeds I got free from WinterSown.org, so I have no idea what they will be like. Thompson & Morgan describes it as a striking red colour and the size of a tennis ball. I'm going to have a lot of those "tennis balls". LOL!
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Kelly, please do send the recipe. Thanks.
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The Mom, I can't believe this one zucchini plant. That's one crop I've not had great luck with in the past, but it certainly likes the location where it got planted this year! I've already harvested more than 32 pounds from it, which is more (by 10 pounds) than I got from several plants the entire summer last year.
Great harvest! Now I am going to have to look up 'Red Egg' eggplants! I have 4 varieties this year, and apparently that just isn't enough for me...
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear that your tomatoes are finally coming in!! Yeah for you!!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that I have "Matt's Wild Cherry" seed for you. That plant produces hundreds of tomatoes a week and they are so so sweet.
I can't even imagine where I would start with all that produce! I can barely get my act together with what I have, LOL
ReplyDeleteNartaya, I'll be sure to save seeds if you'd like some. No chance of them crossing with another variety, since I have no other varieties ;-)
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Robin, I'm so disappointed I didn't get a really sweet cherry tom this year. I'm anxious to try your MWC, I've heard they are really good.
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Erin, I imagine I'll be canning tomato-something every week until mid-October!
Great harvest Gran! It looks like we're both in the same tomato boat! While we'd made a ton of sauce and I'm making Annie's salsa tonight, I've taken the lazy gardener's way out and have given a lot of the tomatoes away.
ReplyDeleteI don't really know that much about eggplant either. I think I'll just deep fry mine. Everything tastes good deep-fried right?
Ha! Thomas, you had even more tomatoes than I. I'm using all my small ones in tomato juice today, that's the coward's way out ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've heard eggplant is good just brushed with olive oil, s & p and cooked on the grill. I also think adding mozzarella and a fresh tomato sauce makes it edible.
Ha! While your tomatoes are picking up, mine are slowing way down! Crazy! Different places...
ReplyDeleteI will just post it here, faster for me.....
ReplyDelete-2 med eggplants (1 lb each) cut ito 1/2 inch rounds
-3 C marinara sauce
- 24 large basil leaves
- 1 1/4 C shredded mozzarella
1. Pre-heat broiler. Put eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray. Broil until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn, spray, and broil for about 4 more minutes until browned. Remove and reduce oven to 375F.
2. Spread 1 C sauce in a shallow 11 x 14 baking dish. Add eggplant rounds, overlapping slightly. Topw ith remaining sauce, then basil leaves; sprinkle w/ cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, until cheese has begun to brown. Remove and let stand 10 min. before cutting.
The zucchini brownie recipe is also up for you over yonder. :)
Shawn Ann, I see last year I did most of my salsa making in September, so it looks like I might have a long tomato harvest ahead of me!
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Kelly, that was quick! Thank you...I'm making brownies this afternoon. I was thinking I needed to watch what I'm eating, and drop a few pounds. I'll do it tomorrow ;-)
What a nice harvest. I'm sure next week will bring even more. I'm still wishing I had a bit more tomatoes. Usually here they don't last much into September and I don't know if I'll have enough or maybe too much. This year is just so different from normal.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, I'll soon be at the point where I want one ripe tomato a day ;-)
ReplyDeleteHoly Cow, Granny! What a haul on the tomatoes! I'm sure you are loving it. Nice to be able to look in the pantry come winter and see what you worked so hard on now. Anything special that you can with your tomatoes?
ReplyDelete~~Lori
Lori, as long as I get at least three dozen (hopefully more) pints of Annie's Salsa, and a dozen (or more) pints of Sweet Chili Sauce, I'm happy. After that, everything goes into tomato juice or tomato sauce. I do think I'll try barbecue sauce this year, if I can find a good recipe.
ReplyDeleteThe Sweet Chili Sauce is so good on Swiss Steak, or burgers, or meatballs, but I made so much last year, I don't need any this year!
Oh my gosh Granny, where do you get your energy? What an awesome crop! Glad to hear your maters are coming in too! I suppose I should be weighing mine, but oops... :) Maybe I should consider that for next year. I always count jars though! Well, it sounds to me like you could use a good break...find a toliet and enjoy! :) Heehee
ReplyDeleteApple Pie Gal, even if I go sit for a spell, I have my Crockett's Victory Garden book right next to the pot! So, even when I'm "resting", I'm gardening ;-)
ReplyDeleteWell Granny, I guess I can't accuse you of slacking anymore with your 95.5 lbs. Although... couldn't ya through in another tomato or two in there to bring you over 100 lbs? :-) Speaking of tomatoes, you mentioned the yellow fruited plants going - did you mean yellow tomatoes, or half-ripe tomatoes? I do see some definitely yellow tomatoes in your mix - were they just not tasty enough? I've never tasted yellow tomatoes before.
ReplyDeleteThyme2, you don't know how tempted I was to go out after dark and try to find more tomatoes. I could have, too. I picked about 17 pounds today, and some of them were almost over ripe, so I missed them yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI'm taking out the yellow fruited cherry tomato plant. It was supposed to be a Sungold, but it wasn't. It doesn't have a very good flavor, and I don't like to mix it with the red tomatoes when I'm making juice or sauce. I also have a Green Grape tomato plant that looks and tastes just like that yellow one. It's going. I'm keeping the yellow Gold Dwarf Champion, 'cause it tastes fine, and it's so pretty sliced and served with the red ones.
That's lovely. My friend just made some nice caponata with eggplants she grew, and it was terrific.
ReplyDeleteStefaneener, even if I don't like them, they are such lovely plants I'm happy I found them! My neighbor, Pat, loves eggplant. I can feed the fruits to her.
ReplyDeleteYou are off to the races now AG! I heard on the news last night that the heat we had on the West coast is moving inland starting today I believe and so you are going to warm up even more for a while - which should make both the eggplants AND your tomatoes even happier and more productive - if that is even possible!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and abundant harvest this week.
Your tomatoes certainly are coming in now! Those eggplants take ages to fruit. Not really a fan of them either, kind of tasteless and spongy. Not bad fried though with a crunchy coating.
ReplyDeleteVery, very nice looking harvest. As for eggplants, harvest them immature, cut them and then grill them on the BBQ or you can batter and fry then layer like lasagna. I love eggplant but certain varieties taste better than others. One of my favourites is Applegreen.
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