We've pulled out most of our garden this past weekend. It's quite ratty looking at the moment and needs some substantial TLC to get ready for the winter. Bob planted some fava beans as a cover crop on Saturday. We've never done that before. As usual every gardening year is full of new experiments as we learn more. There's still cabbage in the garden. THAT was a great success. That is, if you like cabbage; we've eaten borscht a couple of times, coleslaw, and corn beef and cabbage. Ben enjoys a hunk raw now and then. I've been told the cabbage will keep for awhile on the plant so I've left it unharvested as I've run out of cabbage recipe ideas for the moment. We also still have leeks, parsley, asparagus (which can't be harvested for 2 more years,) and a few sad looking beets.
Our rhubarb plant is in the photo on the left and, this year, has provided enough stalks to start a small business. I made some absolutely marvelous rhubarb chutney with ginger, brown sugar, cinnamon and jalapeno peppers. We had it on pork loin the first night, and then made sandwiches with pork, blue cheese, mixed greens, and the chutney. It makes my mouth water to think of it.
Some of the easiest vegetables to grow I seem to always have trouble with: beets, spinach, carrots and radishes of all things. Our cherry tomaotes where so plentiful that we couldn't keep up. I made a ginger/tomatoe chutney, dried many with our dehydrator, and ultimately fed hundreds to our composting worms. We did quite well with squash and found we prefered the yellow summer squash to the standard zuccini.
I'm trying to branch out into livestock, but as of yet have not convinced Bob that chickens are a good idea. He usually points at Lottie and asks if I have enough time for chickens...
I'm so glad to finally see something new on the blog. Your use of your garden produce sounds great. Incredible how much you grow in a small space. I have decided to grow only greens in our small patch at the lake next summer and maybe some radishes. Our first planting of radishes was totally successful and the second batch of seeds produced nothing. We did get broccoli finally but it was after the summer was over (it's still producing). Greens are about the only thing we can't get at the farm stands.
ReplyDeleteStir fry cabbage with eggs is a big hit in our house.
ReplyDeleteTui,
ReplyDeleteWhat's your recipe?
Sara,
Could we have the chutney recipe?
Your garden is beautiful. I love your use of your front lawn. I have saved some big pieces of cardboard which I plan to put on my beds any day now, and then cover with soil. Has anyone heard of this? I read about it somewhere and do not remember any more than that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Janice for saying my garden looks beautiful. It does sometimes, but right now it looks weed infested and messy.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of that layering over grass with cardboard to start a garden. I have twice tried that techniques with multiple sheets of soaking newspaper covered with 8" of soil. The grass tends to come up around the edges, but it seemed to work fine for a rasberry patch I had for awhile. I also threw in a load of rotting apples from our old apple tree, underneath the soil. However, when I did it for a row of arbor vitae it took years for the newspaper to breakdown, and I think the roots of the plant sufferred, and the trees grew slowly. I don't think the newspaper could get wet enough to breakdown quickly. In the front I covered the grass with black plastic for 2 months to kill the grass, took up the plastic, and then covered with 6" or so of soil. That was easy.
Tui, I too would like the cabbage-egg recipe.
Here's the chutney recipe. I only made 1/2 and still got 2 jam jars of chutney.
Part 1:
In suacepan combine:
2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c cider vinegar
1 t ground ginger
1 t salt
1 t allspice (I omitted this)
1 1/2 t cinnamon ( I added extra)
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t cayenne papper
bring to boil and disolve sugar then add:
6 c rhubarb cut in 1/2 " pieces
3 small jalapenos with seeds minced
2 t minced ginger
3 t minced garlic
1 c chopped onion
1 c golden raisin
bring back to boil and simmer stirring often for about 1 1/2 hour until thick and spoonable
I recommend this on a good bread or roll with blue cheese and arugala. It's spicy and sweet, and goes well with strong tastes.
Wow. Looks terrific. Can't wait to try it. Would be great with meat as well, I imagine.
ReplyDeleteIt goes very well with pork.
ReplyDeleteIngredients for Cabbage and eggs
ReplyDelete2 tablespoons olive oil
Chopped Garlic per taste (we use alot)
Half a cabbage, chopped (not to fine)
2 eggs
garlic salt
black pepper
Heat the pan with olive oil
Add Garlic when oil is hot
Add two eggs and garlic salt over the egg - Cook like an over easy style
Add cabbage and stir all up, egg yolk should break and spread
Add pepper to taste
Cabbage cooks quick, cook till desired taste/softness