Garden Notes

Kentucky Blue Pole Beans

      In May we planted pole beans.  So far the Kentucky Blue variety has been performing very well.
It is a high producer of 6-8 inch long pods and they have been producing all month long.  I have used them in salads, raw and cooked.  I also sauteed them in garlic and olive oil.  They make a great side for any meal. Hopefully I can get at least one more month out of them.  We didn't plant enough to jar them, but thats's ok.  We were just trying a new variety this year.  Next year we will plant more.

Cool Melon

The girls are enjoying a nice cool melon on a warm summer day.

Crab Season

spaghetti with crab sauce

     My family hates the dog days of August.  After all it's the end of the summer and we're tired of the hot and humid weather.  The start of school is just around the corner and we have to get our summer assignments done.  But there is one thing we all love about August.  "Blue Claw Crabs".
     August is the start of blue claw crab season in New York.  My family loves it made in a sweet tomato sauce poured over a bed of spaghetti.  I  make it every friday during the season.
     I buy about a dozen live crabs and have my fish monger take the backs off and clean them.  Its best to try and cook them as soon as possible.  I brown them in a big pot with some olive oil.  Then I add some garlic and canned plum tomatoes.  I usually put the canned tomatoes in the blender and then pass them through a sieve to remove the seeds. But you can also crush them by hand if you want a chunkier sauce.  Then I add salt pepper and fresh basil to taste.  I bring it to a boil, then let it simmer for about 2 hours.  Boil a pound of spaghetti until el dente. Pour crab sauce over spaghetti.  Enjoy!

Hen of the Month

Ginger

          Miss August is our one year old red star, Ginger.  She is very affectionate and loves to be handled. Every time we go into the coop, she follows us in. She jumps on to the perch and waits to be petted. She lays a nice deep brown egg.

First Tomatoes of the Season

Juicy sweet ruby red tomatoes
ripened to perfection

     We just started picking our first tomatoes of the season.  So far the tomato plants have been doing well.  We have used them in salads and sandwiches.  As the season progresses I will make tarts, bruschetta and panzanella.  Nothing is better than eating a tomato warmed from the sun and right off the vine.

Pickling Time

                                 These are the pickling cucumbers we grew from seeds.

We quartered them lengthwise.

                                       We made 4 quarts of dill spears and 2 quarts of bread and
                               butter chips. In the next several weeks we'll continue to pickle
                               our cucumbers.  I'm thinking about canning a zesty dill pickle by
                               adding some red hot chiles to the mix.

Fall Planting

                                              The garden is prepared for fall planting.
                                              Coming soon: cabbage, radish, lettuce, spinach
                                                                     and beets.