Archive for June 29, 2009

Peppers Before Tomatoes

peppers-2009-06-249

That’s really not the way it’s supposed to work, but that’s how it’s working this year.

Despite having started my tomato plants early in February, I did not plant most of them them until fairly late, and since they don’t hold as well in pots as peppers do, the peppers are harvestable – not yet the tomatoes. Yep, here it is, not quite July 1, and I am harvesting peppers. On the picture: Sweet Banana (which I love) , Jimmy Nardello – new to me this year, supposedly great for frying and drying – and probably (because I forgot to look at the tag and I am too lazy to go check it now) Acongagua.

The tomatoes? Well they are ripening, and I should be able to pick a few before July 4 (maybe!), but it’s nothing like last year, when I was harvesting cherry tomatoes from June 14 on, and big fat ones by late June. OK, I did pick 5 ripe cherry tomatoes (ah!) so far, and one green fat one to make a green tomato salsa. But it’s nothing like last year… Of course, i have also heard from others who were the recipients of some of my plants, that THEY are harvesting RIPE tomatoes. Sigh…

What else in late? Squash, winter squash and cucumbers. But that was on purpose. Last year squash bugs, cucumber beetles and stink bugs were just awful. So I decided to plant all those squashes late, with the hope that the first generation of bugs that emerge would find nothing to eat and nothing to host their eggs. While I have seen – and squashed – some bugs, at least for now, it’s nothing like last year (this is good)! So, unlike Ed of The Slow Cook who is making true pickles with his cucumbers at the moment, pickles are at least 3 to 4 weeks away for me (although I can see the first flowers on my young vines).

Okra? Beans? Corn? late too, but like tomatoes, that was due to short of time in May and June (as well as old seeds for beans that germinated very poorly. Lesson learned, I hope….). All should do OK provided we don’t get cold too early in the fall.

On the other hand, I am harvesting kohlrabi, cabbage and still lettuce, and enough basil to already make pesto.

So goes life!

Elder Blossom Lemonade

elder-blossom-syrup-2009-06-0091

A plant of our hedgerows and abandoned fields that are being reconquered by the forest, the elder favors the sides of ditches and embankments – especially those with a bit of shade. Oh, it grows well enough in full sun, but it seems to appreciate the extra moisture that accumulates in ditches.

Elder is a plant of the edge – maybe a plant ON the edge – making do with full sun or part shade – unable to decide whether it wants to really be in the meadow. Because of its widespread natural habitat, Sambucus (the botanical name for the genus) plays a role in many folklores: Scandinavians, Mediterraneans, North American Indians all had legends of the Elder … giving rises to conflicting stories of goodness and evil, stories that bellies its sun/shade qualities. At the edge, neither sun nor shade, neither evil nor saintly.

elder-blossom-2009-06-172

Even its name – both the common and the botanical name in fact – harks back to old times. Read more

Summer Solstice on Turkey Mountain – The Pictures.

I am zonked. Elated, but zonked.

The Summer Solstice Farm Dinner worked beyond our expectations.

There is absolutely something magical that happen when you gather people around a long table (or in this case 3 long tables of 50 people each), in the fieldd, in a gorgeous farm and natural setting with local seasonal food prepared by an extraordinary chef, served efficiently and smoothly and paired with local wine – ah le gout du terroir. And the music… did I mentioned the music? Gourdvine String Band performed lively Appalachian and Celtic music throughout the evening which fitted the setting and the mood of the event perfectly with fiddle, hammered dulcimer and banjo. Times like that really bring home why I chose to be a Virginian.

ssolstice-2009-guests-at-table-by-allison-morgan

ssolstice-2009-armstrong-by-allison-morgan

Read more

Summer Solstice on Turkey Mountain

mvf-2009-06-09-sunset-by-ray-boc-w-name1

An all local seasonal menu to celebrate the summer solstice:

Canapés
Rappahannock Cellars Seyval Blanc 2008
Gadino Cellars Pinot Grigio 2008
Blueberry Wasmund’s Rye Cocktail
Blueberries from Roy’s Orchard in Sperryville, VA
Rye from Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville VA

Read more

Of Hot Dogs & New Potatoes

Sometimes we forgot how good simple food is. Or at least can be, when one is eating pure fresh unadulterated food. Like what we pretty much did today. Delicious and hardly any cooking! We simply listened to the garden who told us what was for dinner (and for lunch). Pretty simple, really.

1-local-summer-2-hot-dog

Morning was busy in the garden and harvesting wild cherries, and so – since Keith made some of his gorgeous baguettes early this morning – we had what must be the best dogs in the world for lunch. Read more

One Local Summer

The kitchen garden is really coming into its own now.

View of kitchen garden

View of kitchen garden

We are eating lots of salad greens and cooked greens (kale, mustard, Swiss chard, escarole); peas (both mange-tout/sugar snap and shelling peas) have just started and should go through the end of the month. Still a few spears of asparagus, despite my resolve to let the bed go: since many of the spears are still as large as my thumbs… I am still picking. Spring Onions. A few Japanese turnips. Lots of herbs that I use by the handful: parsley, leaf celery (aka parcel), cilantro, dill, oregano, and sage (which I love, leaves fried in a tempura batter as an appetizer) and many others which I use with less abandon (mint, thyme, lemon verbena, anise hyssop etc). And the strawberries are lovely.

peas-2009-06-025

What’s next? Currants are just blushing and the early blueberries blu-ing. Read more