Sunday, July 20, 2008

Harvest Time


The gardens have really taken off, if you click here you can see how much they have progressed over the last month. It has been a great growing season in Maine, lots of sunny days followed by rainy nights. Too bad the season is so short. I have been doing some research on 4 season gardening and I am trying to talk John into building me a cold frame.

Interestingly, if you didn't know the difference between the tomato plants we started in January compared to the ones started in March you could never pick them out. Although there was about a 2-3 ft difference when we transplanted the late starters caught right up in size. However, January's tomato plants are the only ones that have produced ripe tomatoes, about 10 so far to date.


Ok, here are some aerial photos taken from the hay loft. No sure why but our corn is really short this year. John just planted spinach and more onion in that row that looks empty.
I have yet to open up my garden stand that I have previously talked about because I do not have enough produce or eggs yet. We have been averaging a dozen eggs/day and believe it or not I still had to buy a dozen the other day. Between Leah's omelets, John's infamous egg salad and my baking we use them right up. The garden vegetables I have been able to utilize and have had enough to share with my friends and neighbors. John assures me that we will soon be overwhelmed with garden veggies within a couple weeks so next time I go to town I will buy the canopy I plan to use for my stand and sell whatever extra I may have.




Aerial photo of the pool..it's a bit cloudy, were working on it!


Photo by Leah


Last year I made zucchini pickles and zucchini relish and it was a real hit so I decided to do the pickles today.


I had 3 lbs and this is what it made.

Here is the recipe in case anyone wants. I had posted it previously but now that it is that time of year I thought I'd put it out there again.

Zucchini Pickles

  • 2 lbs. sliced zucchini
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 1-2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seed
Place zucchini in a large pot. Add salt and enough water, cover and let stand for 2 hours then drain well. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Have glass jars prepared filled with the zucchini and onion then fill jars with boiled liquid, seal jars and boil jars for 10 minutes.
I hung some mint to dry. Not sure yet what I'll do with it. I have used it in lemonade this summer and that's about it. Do any of you grow mint, if so what are some of the things you do with it?



The rest of our meat birds are going to the butcher on Tuesday. John decided to leave the dirty work to someone else this time.




These Dalia bulbs came from my grandmother who passed away a few years ago, we dig them up in the fall and plant them every spring. They are very special to me!



John has been busy in the woods cutting for a while now but today he brought the first load into the barn. That will keep us warm for a few weeks. We are very thankful to have a wood lot on our land!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great looking garden, Kim! You definitely have a green thumb!

PIE said...

Your garden is wonderful! So funny about the cold frame, I am in the process of trying to cull off unused wood from the addition that I can use to build one as well...just have to find windows. I guesss you and I must both be Elliot Coleman readers!

Also interestingly enough I called my grandmother in law who used to make squash pickles for me for my birthday to get the recipe because I love them and so does my dad! I read yours and it is the SAME recipe...we are sort of living some parallels here aren't we!

Mint: Well, I use it in cooking (mainely Indian dishes etc...), it is also really good with watermellon, and fruits. And, makes an excellent Mojito. But all that aside, have you looked online, just plug in cooking with mint, and you will come up with bunches of recipes!

happy gardening, I am so happy for your successes!

Anonymous said...

wow, you guys have been busy! The gardens look great :)

Amy said...

Everything looks so nice Kim. I really enjoy your photos. The zucchini looks so yummy. I like to saute half a pound of bacon, a big vidalia onion and 3 small zucchini all together. Add a dash of thyme for flavor. It's a wonderful summer side dish!

YD, sometimes with ♥June and ♥Angel Samantha said...

Kim, your garden is looking great!
Those zucchini pickles look very yummy. I will have to remember this recipe next year. I didn't plant any zucchini or squash this year. You are right, too bad our growing season is so short(same here in upstate NY). I'm usually itching to get in the garden and start planting by April but know that it's still too early.
We have been splitting wood like crazy these past few days. Those logs were already cut to length last year and early this year. Now it's splitting and stacking time.

Anonymous said...

Awesome looking garden. Our zucchini is just starting to come in and I can't wait! I saw your recipe for Zucchini Pickles and I am definitely going to try that. Like most folks, we usually have too much zucchini and not enough ways to eat it all. Thanks!

Don said...

love this post! your place looks utopic. (is that a word?) Your gardens are doing so well. I think I may need a nortrac.

thanks for the pickled zuke recipe. I am going to try it. I'll let you know if I am successful.

Mandie said...

Look at all that wood!!! Ours is about half of that. We need to get busy. Of course I am sure it is a little colder there compared to here, tehe. Your garden is soooo wonderful!!! I am sooo impressed by it. I can't wait to hear how much you will get from it all. You sure have been a busy family. Does it get very hot there? We were 110 yesterday, YUCK! Too hot for me. I am longing for a cold night. Our airconditioner went out today, agghh!

Paula said...

Wonderful pictures, Kim.... thanks for the look around!
The pickles look deee-lish!

YD, sometimes with ♥June and ♥Angel Samantha said...

Hi Kim, just wanted to let you know that I have tagged you on my blog but please don't feel obligated to continue but it would be fun though. :)

Regards,
YD

Anonymous said...

Have I mentioned that I love your blog? Well, I totally do.

We're currently drowning in tomatoes and cucumbers. Eggs, too, for that matter.

Well, I'm back from L.A. and trying to working on the blog.

Blessings!
Lacy

Country Girl said...

Coastrat, credits go to John I am just farm help.

Pie, I have been reading a book from the library called Four Seasons Harvest and you were right on it is by Elliott Coleman. I never really niticed the author until you named it. Too funny! Those pickles are to die for. I had to hide them in the cellarway or everyone would eat them all up. Thanks for the ideas on mint, I've never cooked an Indian meal maybe I'll google some recipes.

Nita and Amy, thanks so much for the kind words and Amy the bacon and onion sound good. All we need is some pigs and a milking cow and all the ingredients would be from the farm .

Yd's splitting and stacking wood is hard work but it is well worth it on a cold winter night! Thanks for the tag....I'll follow through!

Warren, thanks for stopping in my blog. I always dreaded zuchhini time but now that I've found this recipe I look forward to it! I am going to make some more tomorrow.

Don, thanks for the garden compliments. John is the man!!
You will love the pickle recipe and so will all your friends and neighbors. I had to barder with mine the other night 1 1/2 c sugar for a jar of pickles.

Mandie, I wish I was better at tracking how much produce I get. I need better kitchen scale, I've been using John's fish scale.
Maine does get warm 80-90's at times but RARELY 100.

Thanks farm chick, I think I get a little too excited with pictures at times.
Lacy, I can't wait to get cukes and I am looking forward to seeing your blog when you are done with your revisions.