The Mid-Summer Potager

Garden vegetables are growing in leaps and bounds at this time of the year.

Peas ...
Both sugar/snap and shelling peas are still producing. The more you pick, the more they produce! this also goes for the Sweet Peas : )

 These are purple podded, heirloom snap peas. They are as tasty as they are pretty!

I generally eat these as I work in the garden...

just making sure I have lots more peas coming on ; ) 

 

 

Artichokes are having a phenomenal year this year.

 These are ready to be harvested now

however, am considering letting the first one go to 'flower'.

The problem is, letting them flower also weakens the plant so that it might not overwinter.

Such is my dilemma. Love the 'flowers' but would hate to lose the plant, too.

 

Will see if my daughter wants to cook up these pretty babies...

You all probably know this by now....

I am all about the growing of the food... while hubby or daughter makes meals from the bounty!

Though I am not big on cooking, I love canning and preserving, so it all works out in the long run.

  

The Black Currants are ready to go!

I love that they all ripen at the same time, makes them so esy to process!

These will be reduced down with a bit of sugar and water

To make a delicious and healthy hot drink for fall/winter and flu bug season.

 

Black Currants are really high in vitamin C, iron, potassium, vitamin A,and even calcium.

It also has more anti-oxidants than even blueberries!

Makes for terrific health boost when made into a 'hot toddy' or as an addition to your cup of tea.

 

Take when you feel a flu or cold coming on and you will kick the bug outta your system in no time!

 

  

Blueberries are almost ready, though not quiet!

I eat mine fresh or freeze for later, as blueberry jam is not my favourite.

 

 Serrano peppers.

The first peppers to really start to produce.

The others are coming along but not as quickly as this Serrano.

These guys are ready to go, as Serrano's are generally used when green.

Gives a great kick to salsa and guacamole.

Hear that some people eat them fresh, just like this! Yikes! 

However, I think they would add the perfect heat to my favourite corn bread recipe.

 

The zukes are coming!

Clarimore zucchini is a lovely light green in colour.

Is very creamy and smooth in taste and texture, sweeter than the regular dark green zukes. 

 

This is another veggie that enjoy eating fresh from the vine, in the garden as I work, just like the peas and carrots..

Or bring it in and eat it with a wee bit of dip.

 

Pick them and eat them while they are small, no more than 5 or 6 inches.

That is when they are tastiest and folks will actually enjoy them if you decide to share.

No one wants those over grown, tasteless, humungo zukes!

 

 

JustLove watching the progress of these Mammoth Red Rock cabbages.

See how much they have grown and filled in since the last photo?

They will be huge, so am glad I left lots of space between them this year!

 

Potatoes are flowering!

Not all potatoes flower, though most do.

Water consistently during the flowering time as that is when the tubers are forming under the ground.

 

For baby spuds, you can begin picking a couple of weeks after flowering.

 

Or ... if you plan to store them, leave them in the ground until the stems begin to die down.

They will be larger and tougher, less apt to rot.  

If you are going to store them, do not wash them, just brush off the soil.

Handle them gently, place them in a cool (and humid, if possible) place to cure.

Leave them for two weeks to get a thicker, tougher skin.

 

 

Stupice tomatoes... the first to ripen this year.

 



This bed of garlic is just about ready to be lifted out to cure!

You want to pick them when the stems and top leaves are still green, but the bottom 3 or 4 leaves have gone brown.

 

 

Gardening in the potager is different for me this year...

 As the house has been sold and we are going to be moving at the end of next month.

 

This means the greenhouse is coming down and nothing is being grown in there this year :(

 

The fall/winter garden will not be going in this year either.... however, if it were, this is what I would be planting up right now or at least before the end of the month!

- Lettuce

- Kale-

- Radishes and daikons

- Spinach

- Onions!!!

- Broccoli raab/sprouting broccoli

- Chinese greens, mustards, arugula, etc...

- Carrots (hurry! - they gotta get in soon!)

- Beets (hurry!)

 

Kali baby is now 8 months old, 120 lbs and a lot of fun yet trouble, too ; )