Tuesday 10 September 2013

Late Summer Harvest...and some recipes

The transition from summer to fall is a scramble between last-minute harvesting/preserving and first-minute sowing of winter crops.  This easing over into another garden focus often gets stalled.  I stubbornly think the carrots could put on some growth, the melons/tomatoes could ripen a bit more, and the green bean/cucumber plants still have some potential although their yellowed, crisp leaves belie any possible anticipation.  If they stay in, then there is no room for fresh plants and hopeful seeds.

Up came the remaining carrots and into the soup pot they went. Recipe for Velouté de carottes is here.

Garnished with bacon and French bread chunks

The last of the beefsteak tomatoes along with a few cucumbers went into a salad. Here's the recipe for the vinaigrette.

Juicy, ripe tomatoes and cukes were thinly sliced 

Ditto for the green beans.

Onion rings, capers, grated Parmesan were added

I altered my basic recipe for Linguine with Roasted Garlic, Parsley, Capers, and Parmesan by choosing tagliatelle, using minced sauteed garlic, replacing the parsley with basil, and tossing some green beans into the boiling water along with the pasta.



Roma tomatoes look like glossy red eggs, and I love harvesting them as they fall neatly into my cupped hand.


Their meaty juiciness is brought out in Creamy Tomato Soup with Edam and Rice. (Recipe here)


And tomato sauce with sausage.

Grated carrot and heaps of basil, not to mention Romas, consort in a cauldron of bubbling goodness

We can resume having lasagne (recipe) now that there is a nice supply of sauce.


Green peppers are awaiting to be stuffed and baked. (Link to recipe is at the end of this post.)


Butternut squash is willing and waiting to be stored in the root cellar.


Soon the onion and garlic harvest which have been curing under the pergola since July will be trimmed, bagged, and stored.

Ferninand Pichard Rose is still putting out its fragrant clusters of flowers

Evening temperatures are cool enough to warrant bringing in the potted basil.


The garden in autumn has a different feel for sure; there are still sunny warm days, but the dawn and twilight are deliciously cool.  I love seeing blue skies dressed with billowing clouds.

Tracery of our fig tree etched against the autumn sky

Nothing is more wonderful than digging up taters.

Prospero is a lovely variety which forms tight, shallow clumps making unearthing them a cinch.

After a harvest consisting of about twenty-five melons--not to mention their consumption--it was satisfying pulling up the well spent plants.


With beds cleared, winters crops like broccoli and Brussels sprouts can be transplanted.


Black-Eye Susan vine (Thunbergia Alata) is doing a brilliant take-over with my permission. There is a nice collection of them colonising various cracks in walkways in the front garden.

One plant has made a cheery home right on the front steps!

Dayo is enjoying being completely over his pesky paw injury and spending time in the garden.

His cradle of green is the nursery bed for laurels


But he is also spending more time indoors than he did before incurring his injury.  He is pulling way less overnighters.

Four paws, count 'em!  And they are all in good health. (I now check his paws each day for any injury)

À la prochaine!

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Green Peppers Stuffed with Toulouse Sausage/Brown Rice/Parmesan