2010 Fall Garden

Carrots are up! Broccoli and lettuce plants are perkin' right along and more are in seed pots. Pea and turnip seeds were planted today. Rain failed to make so we were out first thing watering one and all. I am proudest of my new parsley plants that I grew from the seeds I harvested from last years' plant. Wow. They were a major success in germination! I transplanted the seedlings today into the garden knowing that they love heat and sunshine something we have plenty of these days. Still in the 90s here in mid-September.

Two New Things

There are two firsts in the garden right now. The first was the tomato hornworm caterpillar. It completely ate one tomato, moved on to a second but ha-ha-ha-ha-ha the garden wasps had laid eggs on it! I left it to die slowly, being eaten alive from the inside out, checking daily on the progress of the parasitic wasp larvae. They did their job masterfully and all hatched within days. The caterpillar carcass remains as a warning to all. Medieval, right?


Number two in the new category are the butternut squashes. They are almost ready and wow are they beautiful. They've taken over one whole corner of the yard vining beyond the garden. Scott has respectfully left them alone not moving them to mow the grass which is going to be hell to cut. Behold.

Cornell Plantations

I guess I was in shock because I did not take a single picture of the tomatoes growing at Cornell Plantations. Really, there were at least twenty varieties of tomatoes all loaded with fruit. Brandeywine, Black Krim, and great big Jersey Giants were thriving and the Swiss Chard was huge! There were beets and turnips, and lettuce and beans, and peas and cabbages, and carrots, and all of it was coming off at once and there was no one there to stop me from picking things, but I didn't, which seemed stupid and so civilized. Maybe it was the sun and the heat. It wasn't a complete wash, I did have the presence of mind to take pictures while in the flower gardens.
Here's the deal with America's world class universities. They have it all. Museums, gardens, beautiful buildings and landscaping, librarians who are happy to help, and it's all free or nearly free. This was the summer of colleges: Duke, Emory and Cornell. Below are photos from Nasher Museum at Duke and Johnson Art Museum at Cornell.

How hot is it?

Hot enough to sun dry fruit leather in your car. That's how hot.I've been doing figs this week. Puree together a bowl of figs, add between one teaspoon to one tablespoon sugar and a squeeze of lemon. Pour on to sheet cake pan lined with plastic wrap and put on the dash of your car parked in full sun. Two days later you will have yummy, sun-dried fruit leather. It helps to open the car door a few times during the day to let out the moisture. That's it. Free fruit leather. Totally free. Figs,by the way, require no attention to bear fruit. None. Zero. Nada. You can't buy them in the grocery fresh because they don't ship well. They are the most local of fruits. What do figs taste like fresh? Sweet like a banana, seedy like a strawberry.

Winter squash

Folk wisdom declares that pumpkin seeds should be planted on July 4th in the South in order to have them for Halloween. Using wonky logic I waited and planted my butternut squash seeds,also a winter squash, the first week of July. I'm not willing to declare absolute success because gardening is an ongoing lesson in humility, heartbreak always a possibility, but do have some truly beautiful specimens forming. Not knowing they would rival Jack's beanstalk in speed and length I stuck seeds randomly around the beds. They are now draped like kudzu all around the yard. Last year I had one butternut that when roasted was food for the gods. This year if the garden fairy is with me I'll have nearly 20. Fingers, eyes and toes crossed.

Tomato Wilt

The heartbreak of growing summer vegetables in the South is the stress heat and lack of/too much water place on plants. Tomatoes are particulary vulnerable. Old timers being creative made use of the fruit of wilting tomatoes. Made famous by a movie about women who kill, cut up, and cook a bad man into BBQ, fried green tomatoes are one good use for those not yet ripe tomatoes that must be pulled prematurely.

Stuffed Squash

We have a neighbor who reliably accepts surplus vegetables. This wonderful woman, though widowed, living alone with no one else to cook for, cooks for herself. She entertains and always cooks for family when they visit. Rarely does she eat out. She suggested stuffed squash and gave me this informal recipe when I waddled over under the weight of too many squash to deal with at once. It is beyond gourmet. There is no restaurant I know of that would serve such a meal. Too bad, America. Homage to Betsy, lady, neighbbor and good friend.

Betsy's Stuffed Squash

2 yellow summer squash, halved
1 small onion, chopped
garlic,chopped
small amount of leftover meat
1 cup of cheese
small amount of leftover cooked rice,stale bread, breadcrumbs or crackers
Salt and pepper to taste.
Fresh herbs (I used oregano, parley, and thyme.)

Cook the squash for about 5 minutes in a large pot of simmering water. Remove. Cool enough to handle, then scoop out the center. Saute the onion and garlic. Mix with scooped squash, add bread crumbs, meat and half the cheese, salt and pepper. Stir in chopped herbs. Stuff the squash shells and cook for 15 minutes at 350. Top with the remaining cheese return to oven to melt.