Harvest Monday (June 11, 2012)
Finally! We have heirlooms!
Tomatoes, that is.
Now I’m not going to lie and tell you that I didn’t mind losing 3 nice-sized green zebras to… something. A critter that was not The Murderer, because The Murderer was inside sleeping when it happened. Some other critter. Since there was no other damage to the tomato plants and no sign of tomato carnage, it’s almost as if some person plucked those tomatoes right off the vine.
But I have one that wasn’t ripe yet that got left behind, and a Cherokee Purple, along with a handful of Supersweet 100s and Porters that all combine to weigh one perfect pound!
We also have taters. Once again, we lost some to rot. I’m not sure what is going on there. Brand new bed, with excellent organic matter, compost, soil, etc., layered with pine straw. No green potatoes, but some rotten ones. And their total weight topped a pound–1 pound, 2.3 ounces.
You can also see the pintos in this pic. I missed the fact that they were drying on the vine. That’s okay. I bought some fresh pintos and cooked last week, so these will give us good beans for planting next year. Bite me, Monsanto! I plant heirlooms that don’t have your patent, you scum-sucking bottom-feeders of society.
But the star of this week’s harvest is George the costata romanesca. Having read that this is a predecessor to the more typical zucchini that has richer, nuttier flavor, I wanted to find out for myself. And yes, this is one delicious squash.
First, the day we harvested two Georges.
Then, George, sliced. You might notice he’s not as dark a green as a zucchini, and he is ribbed. Very pretty!
Next, in order to fully appreciate his flavor without the usual tomatoes, onions and such I would have added, I simply browned him in a skillet sprayed with olive oil and dusted with sea salt.
Finally, on the plate, on the way to the tummy. Delicious!
And finally, a miscellaneous selection of photos from the past couple of weeks, since I have been busy and not posting. A Saturday harvest:
A pound of ruby chard (that I cooked the way the Resident Storm Chaser prefers, with bacon drippins and water and salt, nuthin else). I’m pleased with the way this stuff grows in the heat, and this doesn’t include the holey chard I discarded because something had been eating it:
And finally, a salad I made with canned salmon and a few kidney beans–and goodies from the garden. Scallions (the real ones, from Welsh onions), and fresh dill, green zebra tomatoes, Porter tomatoes and Supersweet 1oos. Just a wee drizzle of Caesar salad dressing.
I just made myself hungry. I’m going to fix one for lunch.
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you’re doing great!
Thanks! We sure are learning!
That Cherokee Purple and Green zebra look so good! And I’m jealous that you already have first costata romanesca and bell peppers! Mine are only now starting to bloom so nowhere near the harvest yet.
It will soon be too hot for much of anything, though. You probably have a nice long season ahead of you!
I planted costata romanesco this year after seeing it growing at the botanical gardens last year. But mine have just sprouted so it’s going to be awhile. And Cherokee purple is one of my favorite heirlooms. I had great results from it last year, a bad tomato year for us, and it’s in my garden again this year.
I’ll be interested to see if your costata romanesca are huge plants. Ours sure are. Huge leaves, huge plants.
Just looking at it made me hungry too. Very nice!
Thanks! I’m loving it!
Tomatoes, potatoes and costata romanesca, oh my, quite a harvest Your Swiss chard is so pretty.
I just had dinner and your salmon salad is making me hungry again.
I added a bit of garlic powder and fresh dill and it was perfect!
Make me a salad too please! You made me hungry too. That costata romanesca (George) looks like a variety worth trying in the future.
If I understand correctly, it is less prolific than the zucchini they developed from it. That sounds like a bonus!
Congratulations on your wonderful harvests! Those Georges are fantastic! I love their ridges! And your tomatoes! So many tomatoes!
Thanks. The Georges are very tasty, too.
What a lovely harvest week you’ve had! love the different colors of potatoes; waiting on my main planting to be ready to dig. Hadn’t heard of the costata before. I’m growing Tromboniccino which can get 3 feet long and be eaten as either a zuke or a winter squash.
Tromboniccino? Oh, a new one for me to try!
Very much enjoyed the Monsanto comment. I would love to enjoy those tomatoes – oh for it to be summer here….
Thanks. I really do despise Monsanto!
Ha! I appreciate the Monsanto comment. What great variety of veggies in your harvest. I’m anxiously waiting for my tomatoes to come into season. We’re growing Supersweet 100s too, and I hope they live up to their name!
Lovely mix varieties of harvest!