The Harvest

[Handloader109]

Just picked first okra today. Have had squash and zucchini and a few cukes for a couple of weeks. Tomatoes are struggling. Peppers have produced week so far but heat is hurting and no rain for about 2 weeks now. Purple hull peas are blooming and small peas showing up. Another week and it'll be okra and peas! With side of cornbread!!! Daughter found a good recipe for zukes. Peal,slice and bread in your favorite breading. Use egg wash if wanted. Sprinkle well with parmesan cheese and bake for 20 min eat hot!

[CHeatermk3]

Handloader--if you take the Zucchini as you describe above and then layer them into a casserole alternating with tomato(spaghetti) sauce, then zukes, then Mozzarella cheese, then a few fresh Basil leafs; continue layering until your casserole is as big as you want it to be; top with more grated Parmisan and bake covered at 350 for about 40 minutes then uncovered until the top is as browned as you'd like it's really good eatin'. some pasta on the side--I can smell it now...

Another way is to leave the peel on and slice lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick then brush with olive oil and sprinkle garlic powder lightly and broil both sides until browned just a very few minutes, until you have enough for your casserole...You can build the casserole then cover with plastic wrap pressing down to seal out air then freeze and bake later--still be great a couple of months later like around Christmas. I usually make 2 or 3 of them and remove from the casserole dish after frozen hard, seal in more plastic wrap or better yet vacuum seal. Just need to remember which casserole dish to put it back into to be baked!

Presto fresh summer flavor in January and quick and easy too.

Works with any summer squash and is especially good with eggplant either with or instead of the squash.

[dale2242]

Slice your zucchini length ways in 1/4-3/8 inch thick slices.
Place the slices in a large Zip lock bag with enough olive oil to lightly cover them, add Italian seasoning and garlic.
Add any seasoning that you like.
Shake them up and let marinade for a couple of hours.
I like to sprinkle on a little seasoned salt.
Grill until done to your liking.
Enjoy...dale

[rondog]

I'm sure I could love gardening, but we don't have space to do so and the wife is NOT interested in it.

[dale2242]

rondog, Have you considered container gardening?
It takes very little space....dale

[Geezer in NH]

We have picked 32 pounds of raspberries from 90 feet of plants. They are not ever bearing and son believes 2-3 more picks and they are done for the year. Not bad for the first year after planting them and no bird netting.

They are quick frozen and will be sold. Another 90 feet of the same in process of planting.

[dale2242]

The English burpless cucumbers are producing....dale

[Bulldogger]

Getting lots of tomatoes, squirrel nibbles withstanding, and good amount of turnip greens. A huge rain three weeks ago while on a 6 day vacation saw us coming home to two MONSTER zucchinis and one tired, worn out plant. It never recovered. I've got a few peppers, but they have not done well at all this year in any spot in the garden. Cucumber was planted very late and is just starting to flower. Turnip greens grew like wildfire, I am eating plenty of them and freezing some to cook in winter. Baby lettuce and beets are not big enough to harvest. June bearing strawberries bore in May due to early spring and mild winter, then petered out to near nothing. That patch is only 4x8 so not much. Did eat well for a couple weeks and froze two bags of berries for winter treat.

Bulldogger

[MaryB]

Started pulling up lettuce to plant the fall batch, by the time it is 2-3 inches tall it will be cooler sept weather so it should do better. Need to get a new row of radishes in too. weeded both rows of carrots, they seem to be doing well, have a few baby peppers on the hot pepper plants, tomatoes are loaded with baby green tomatoes and I really need to get in there and start tying them back to the fence.

Tom Thumb Romaine lettuce just became my favorite garden lettuce, I also plant butter crunch for a friend who can't garden because she loves it. And at least one or two rows of mixed lettuces that are usually to the bitter side of the spectrum for a variety in a salad. The mini romaine is fairly sweet and one head is most of a salad then I add some red leaf, radicchio, oak leaf, etc to it. Gives a good balance of vitamins and minerals.

[DLCTEX]

It has been a very hot and dry summer here after a too cool start until in May. I harvested a small crop of potatoes about a month ago, my first ripe tomato June 25, and began getting yellow and zucchini squash July 4. Black eye peas and okra have been coming of since then also. Peppers, bell, ancho, and jalapeño have been doing well. Now when we normally have hot weather we are in the 80's and forecast to be so for at least ten days, so maybe I can set some tomatoes on my indetermanent varieties. Watermelon and cantaloupes are getting close.

[dale2242]

The 100+ weather has caused the lettuce to bolt and the broccoli to shut down.
I see ears forming on the corn and Minnesota Midget cantaloupe are getting big as softballs.
Green beans are about ready to pick .
100* days and 60* nights are sure making the garden grow.
With this much hot weather, I could have grown okra this year....dale

[MaryB]

First 2 bean pickings, 1st I gave to my neighbor and her daughter, second put 2 meals in my freezer(plus I ate a meal of baby beans as I picked! Love them raw). Potatoes harvested, only about 20 pounds, I think the ground is to dense for them so I need to do something different. Harvested onions too, tops had laid over and turned brown. Had about 2 dozen left(we have been picking and eating them all summer as scallions). And my little alpine strawberries are setting fruit. Only 2-3 berries here and there so far but the taste is incredible! Grocery store strawberry on steroids. If I can keep them alive through this winter they should fill that raised bed with fruit next year.

[Wayne Smith]

Lets see, haven't been here for a while. Beans and cukes done in the heat, got a couple meals from each, now nine quarts of blueberries in the freezer, the fig tree is producing and have lots of them, tomatoes still producing. Eggplant not doing well this year, need to check the fertility of the soil - probably need to suppliment.

[MaryB]

Fried a strip of bacon tonight, set it aside. Drained most of the fat(leave enough to coat the beans well) then tossed in green beans fresh from the garden. Tossed them to coat with fat, S&P put over medium heat with a lid on for 2 minutes so they steam in their own liquid. Took the cover off, added a crushed chopped clove of garlic and sauteed until the garlic was just brown and the green beans were just cooked and had a little texture yet. Splash of Franks Hot sauce for a little vinegar and heat and serve with the reserved bacon strip crumbled on top.

[dale2242]

Gotta have bacon with green beans....dale

[dale2242]

The English cucumbers are really coming on.
Faster than we can eat them.
Picked the first Midget cantaloupe.
The corn should be ready next week.
My tomatoes are producing nice big plants but few fruit.
Hopefully later...dale

[Bulldogger]

Today's harvest is wild Pawpaws. They are 2-3 weeks early this year. Maybe due to the soft spring and the good hot and wet days of summer.
Bulldogger

[MaryB]

More beans for the freezer, more beans to give away to an elderly neighbor(I feed her from the garden all summer). My cukes and squash flopped this year, weather was to hot and dry early then wet and cold late...

Planted 2 rows of lettuce, hope to get some fall lettuce to munch even if it is baby lettuce. Getting a few tomatoes here and there but the weather didn't do them any good either...

[Thundarstick]

Mary B, I had a man ask me once, "why do you grow that big Ol garden? I can buy it cheaper than you can grow it! ". My reply was, "You can't buy as much as I've given away to folks.".
Don't it just make you feel good when God uses us gardeners to bless others?

Okra, tomatoes, peppers are producing well. Acorn and butternut squash are in and the second planting of green beans are blooming. I've got kale and brussel sprouts planeed and need to plant some english peas for the fall crop.

[MaryB]

1/2 gallon of San Marzano paste tomatoes in the freezer today. I use a gallon ziplock and wait until I have 2-3 gallons before making sauce. Cut in half, core, toss in the freezer. Thawed they go through the tomato squeezer a lot easier than fresh from the garden.

I love sharing, garden is huge and can easily feed 2 families so why not do so!