tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post3134844250876293787..comments2024-03-24T11:10:13.186-04:00Comments on The Gardening Me: Harvest Monday - October 3, 2016Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-43968065793192814772016-10-05T09:00:29.232-04:002016-10-05T09:00:29.232-04:00Sometimes this late in the game, I get impatient w...Sometimes this late in the game, I get impatient with all of the dead leaves and diseased plants and end up ripping them out, even if I could get a few more tomatoes. We'll have to wait and see if I can hold off this year.<br /><br />And that's Red Ursa kale - it's not only beautiful but delicious too. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking to try a new variety.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-26470976291718420342016-10-04T21:51:25.992-04:002016-10-04T21:51:25.992-04:00It's nice you're getting some extra warm d...It's nice you're getting some extra warm days to get a few more tomatoes ripened. I've got a few more weeks before our average first frost, but I'm already thinking about how many green ones I may have to pick. I just hate letting them go in the fall. That kale is really beautiful. It almost looks like the ones they sell as ornamentals. khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04618838407160052772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-56648609568097547682016-10-04T11:02:04.123-04:002016-10-04T11:02:04.123-04:00Thanks Karen. Oh...it is so worrisome when a drou...Thanks Karen. Oh...it is so worrisome when a drought gets bad enough to impact on mature trees. That's happened to us a couple of times over the years and we've had to drag the hose around to give some of them supplemental water. Unfortunately, it's not practical to do that for every tree. Hopefully the coming weeks bring you some much needed moisture.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-61182297865535174772016-10-04T11:00:50.434-04:002016-10-04T11:00:50.434-04:00Thanks! Fingers crossed that we both have an exte...Thanks! Fingers crossed that we both have an extended fall season!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-22160469437133601852016-10-04T11:00:35.565-04:002016-10-04T11:00:35.565-04:00Yes, I've had a few raspberries turn over on ...Yes, I've had a few raspberries turn over on the canes as well and I think all the rain we've been having is contributing to that.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-10108649886604466692016-10-04T11:00:19.353-04:002016-10-04T11:00:19.353-04:00Kale is a very sturdy green so it holds up incredi...Kale is a very sturdy green so it holds up incredibly well in the freezer - the texture and taste when it's cooked is, to me, pretty much the same as fresh kale. In fact, I think you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between fresh and frozen kale when you use it in soups or stews.<br /><br />To freeze it, I trim off the tough stalks and wash the leaves (some people trim off every last bit of the stalk, but I usually leave the thinner parts that are in the leaf). Then I blanch the leaves for 2 minutes. Once time is up, I use tongs to get it out of the pot and place it in a bowl of ice water to cool down. Then I drain it and either leave it in the strainer or spread it out on a cookie sheet (if I need the strainer for kale) for about an hour so that it dries off a bit more. At this point, I chop it up and bag it into portions. I find it's much easier to chop up after it's cooked than fiddling with shedded kale in the boiling water. Also, when I bag it up, I flatten it out in the bag and eliminate as much air as I can before I seal it. When I need some for a dish, especially if it's a liquidy dish, I don't even bother defrosting it but simply plop it into the pot frozen. Of course, it's already partly cooked, so the cooking time in whatever dish you use it in has to take that into account.<br /><br />And yum on the salsa! I should put some on the list for the last of the tomatoes & peppers. Thanks for the reminder!<br />Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-58949038232381276592016-10-04T10:50:41.793-04:002016-10-04T10:50:41.793-04:00Thanks Lexa - I couldn't agree more! My freez...Thanks Lexa - I couldn't agree more! My freezer is basically full, so the timing is perfect!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-60348605316517884912016-10-04T10:50:26.485-04:002016-10-04T10:50:26.485-04:00That idea came from Michelle...the tromboncino deh...That idea came from Michelle...the tromboncino dehydrate really well and then I pack them into freezer bags and pop them into the freezer. My plan is to use them in stews and soups over the winter - yum!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-22020410013533619062016-10-04T10:49:35.877-04:002016-10-04T10:49:35.877-04:00Kale seems to do well all summer here - perhaps as...Kale seems to do well all summer here - perhaps as our summers are not as long and hot as yours. This year, however, I made the mistake of planting the kale behind the kohlrabi, so they were shaded & didn't get going until after the kohlrabi was pulled back in mid-summer. Another lesson learned!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-78552232516237866002016-10-04T09:01:48.032-04:002016-10-04T09:01:48.032-04:00So far so good with warm weather - I'm hoping ...So far so good with warm weather - I'm hoping that I get a few more tomatoes, peppers and butternut squash to ripen before we get hit by frost. Last year, we didn't have our first frost until Oct. 17 and it looks like this year will be pretty much the same (hurray!)<br />Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-74556403318607963852016-10-04T09:00:37.576-04:002016-10-04T09:00:37.576-04:00I know what you mean - I would love to just get in...I know what you mean - I would love to just get in there and rip out those sad looking tomato plants....but then I see some big green tomatoes and I think if I just hold off for a few days, they may start to ripen. I'm very excited to get to that 500 lb mark and with the carrot/butternut squash harvest just around the corner, it won't be too much longer :)<br />Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-24598950638895982072016-10-04T08:57:53.678-04:002016-10-04T08:57:53.678-04:00Yikes - heat turned on already. The thing with fa...Yikes - heat turned on already. The thing with fall is that there is usually a lot of variability in the weather - I doubt there is another season that sees as much thermostat adjusting!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-1473405909172670512016-10-04T08:56:01.097-04:002016-10-04T08:56:01.097-04:00Me too!Me too!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-8338511749425944212016-10-04T08:55:44.448-04:002016-10-04T08:55:44.448-04:00Thanks Jane - I love cool evenings...we've bro...Thanks Jane - I love cool evenings...we've brought in some wood and I have a feeling we'll get the fireplace going very soon.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-60478715738736878132016-10-04T07:04:33.811-04:002016-10-04T07:04:33.811-04:00I am always so impressed with your harvest. Such a...I am always so impressed with your harvest. Such an inspiration! I am envious you are getting rain. We are so dry here and the drought is finally taking its toll on the plants. Lots of trees are dropping leaves early. Karin / Southern Meadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06514989784715204223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-60138274192213228032016-10-04T04:45:39.146-04:002016-10-04T04:45:39.146-04:00I'm hoping for a late frost over here, as well...I'm hoping for a late frost over here, as well! Great harvest and enjoy the nice weather!Lottehttps://mrssimplelifeblog.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-68716191168048234742016-10-04T04:44:35.128-04:002016-10-04T04:44:35.128-04:00Our remaining yellow raspberries are mostly spoili...Our remaining yellow raspberries are mostly spoiling in the canes now. It's starting to feel very autumnal here.Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-35457422225263464802016-10-04T00:17:39.661-04:002016-10-04T00:17:39.661-04:00Oh, isn't that great to have a late frost?! I ...Oh, isn't that great to have a late frost?! I volunteer at a food pantry garden and we harvested an impressive batch of hot peppers tonight. I was dreaming of homemade salsa! (Actually, I made some earlier this summer and it was sooo tasty.) That Red Ursa kale looks yummy! You've probably already posted about it, but how do you freeze it? I'm curious about the taste and consistency after defrosting.Beth at PlantPostingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10473637655960119672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-17607351161486681092016-10-03T23:36:53.460-04:002016-10-03T23:36:53.460-04:00So glad to hear that your weather is holding out! ...So glad to hear that your weather is holding out! This is such a fun time of year, bringing in the last of the Summer crops and filling up the freezer and pantry.Enjoy these Indian Summer days and have a great week!Lexahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11067337116117320740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-57077904144737325222016-10-03T21:45:51.676-04:002016-10-03T21:45:51.676-04:00I am counting on this warm weather lasting another...I am counting on this warm weather lasting another week or two as my cherry tomatoes are taking forever to ripen!! I had never thought about dehydrating zucchini, I'll have to try that next year.Susiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10354350096358468967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-23361991813489260772016-10-03T20:22:35.626-04:002016-10-03T20:22:35.626-04:00Hooray for the growing season lasting a little bit...Hooray for the growing season lasting a little bit longer! It's always so sad to be forced to say goodbye to all the summer crops. It looks like you've had a good season. I'm impressed that you can harvest kale at the same time as tomatoes and peppers. Those don't seem to overlap here. Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00193278804750154921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-81492874838033830612016-10-03T15:02:12.117-04:002016-10-03T15:02:12.117-04:00It's always a bit sad to see the summer veggie...It's always a bit sad to see the summer veggies winding down, but I guess it has to happen eventually. I hope you have some more warm autumn weather before the frost hits though!Dave @ HappyAcreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441364543023807886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-47318993282434559112016-10-03T14:46:44.843-04:002016-10-03T14:46:44.843-04:00How great that the weather is cooperating and stay...How great that the weather is cooperating and staying good for you. It's been swinging hot and cold here, kinda like my mood towards the garden, one minute I want to rip it all out and the next I want to save what I can. It looks like you've had a really good year, I wouldn't be surprised if you pass the 500 pound mark soon.Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07812702328134261533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-76331616657706196862016-10-03T14:03:27.151-04:002016-10-03T14:03:27.151-04:00It's great to be getting such good harvests st...It's great to be getting such good harvests still at this time of year. Wow, look at your weather. We had our first frost last night and it's turned really cold, I've had the heating on.Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17436932004631816039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-59812968034953532552016-10-03T12:57:10.947-04:002016-10-03T12:57:10.947-04:00I'm hoping your warm weather holds so you can ...I'm hoping your warm weather holds so you can get every last one of those beautiful peppers and tomatoes.Eight Gate Farm NHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15877942009419912353noreply@blogger.com