October 29th Salad and More

Amazing to have salad from the garden, at least for me. This year I planted lettuce and arugula in late August and now I have salad! I didn't plant as much as I wanted to because so many other plants were still producing but this is enough. I planted Black Seeded Simpson lettuce and is tender and delicious. Replanted both the European and American arugula and both are doing well at the end of October.
I had tucked a few potatoes in corners late this summer as a test and today pulled up some Purple Peruvian and Fingerlings, leaving more to harvest later....well a little bit later. Cold is coming and the rains so I will have to get them up out of the ground probably within the next 3 weeks.
Today I planted more garlic; Music and Metechi and set out a row of French Red Shallots. Last year I planted shallots and forgot where they were and they got covered up with chard and kale. This time they have a row of their own, clearly marked:-) and I am trying some in a pot.
Good day for being in the garden!

October 20th photos

The garden is not ready for bedtime yet. Still alot going on and I have plants that I hope will hold on in a light frost. Not quite ready to use a row cover and I don't have a good system for the covers. Last year I simply laid the cover over the plants when the snow and freezing weather was on its way. This was only modestly effective, arugla, beets, lettuce and chard made it through the snow. Planning for cold weather gardening requires some learning and research.

Mr. Stripey continued

Now I am not sure that my green tomato is a Mr. Stripey. I think it is a Green Zebra tomato mis-labeled. While I was making green tomato chutney from these tomatoes, I kept thinking that the tomatoe was soft and juicy, not like a green tomato at all. Once they were bubbling in the pot and too late to save it occurred to me that a "green" tomato would hold its shape and not melt away like a ripe tomato and that was exactly what was happening. There are a few more on the vine and I will bring them inside and see if they start to turn reddish and if not then I will be fairly sure that this tomato is indeed a Green Zebra. If it is I can add it to the list of tomatoes that did well this summer. Not a large producer but plenty of pretty green tomatoes with a lovely flavor.
Planted some of the brown garlic that has the great stripes on the paper sheath. Don't know what it is other than a hardneck with mild flavor and gorgeous bulbs.
All the hardnecked garlic is still keeping well. I'll start to use them up now before the basement freezes which is where I am storing them still on their stalks.
Cool nights but still above 40 degrees so I am leaving everything in the ground for now. My list of still growing veggies as of October 20th:
Golden and red beets, purple potatoes, mustard, collards, kale of 2 varieties, parsnips, parsley, carrots, chinese cabbage, leeks, lettuce, arugula and the on going tombocini.

Mr. Stripey

I love this tomato! Love the name and how it looks. It tastes great too. But alas most of them will not ripen this year. It is turning cold and damp so I've picked them today, October 19th, and will make chutney out of them. I've not done that before, fried green tomatoes sure enough, but not cooked down with peppers and loads of garlic as the recipe recommends. Since I have loads of garlic and I understand that the hard necks don't last long, it will hopefully be a good recipe for Mr. Stripey.
My golden beets are looking wonderful but they are small, about 2" or so in diameter, will wait and hope that they fill out a bit more. The nights are in the 40's, I think things will continue to grow.
My peas that I set out at the beginning of August will not make a fall crop of peas. For Seattle I guess they should be started in late July.

Mid October

Today was a fabulous day for working in the garden, warm and sunny. We haven't had any rain so the soil was very workable for planting. It might be a bit early to plant garlic but the weather is predicted to be wet and that makes for a planting mess so I am starting now.
Today I planted 6 varieties of garlic and marked them with stakes...wrote the names on the stakes at least for now.
I set out Brown tempest, Chesnok Red, Translyvanian, Romainian Red, Red Janice and whatever the small red soft necked garlic that I bought last year from a Chinese woman who called it Chinese Red...I don't think that is really the name of that garlic. I hope to plant at least a few more varieties, Music for sure.
Made a great recipe for collards, saute a bit of onion and garlic, slice the collards very thin, best if rolled up like a cigar and then saute with a bit of water for just a few minutes...super good and very pretty.
Still have tomatoes on the vine, I will be able to get a few more ripe ones but the rest will have to be fried green tomatoes or chutney. Mr. Stripy is so pretty but certainly won't get ripe with the rains coming. The Sunburst continues to ripen and taste great, so no question about planting that one.
Trombocini still has squash growing, about 6 on the vine and I think they will get large enough to eat. There are also 2 small zucchini that are trying their best with this warm weather to grow, they will be cute little ones about 5" or so. I will "harvest" them tomorrow and remove the vine for the winter.
Haven't posted any pictures lately, but we have had great collards, mustard and beets this last week from the garden.
Happy that we have lots of flat leaf parsley still along with chives. The basil is nearly all gone and I will bring a sprig of Thai basil in to start in water on the window sill.
Time to try drying some herbs for the winter...

October 10 Tomatoes

Making fresh, simple tomato sauce right now, herbs, onion, garlic and tomatoes from the garden picked today, October 10 in the mist. It has been a strange year for tomatoes,glad they are ripening this late. The varieties that have done well are the beautiful Black Prince, Costoluto, Star Burst cherry and a variety of small yellow pear tomato. I will probably just plant these next year if I can resist the pull of trying yet again something new.
A little basil left from pesto to add to the sauce, I was sure that it would be black from the cold after removing most of the leaves but happy to say that the pots are holding and the little leaves of that spanish seed basil are doing fine in the mist.

Beans in a pot

These scarlet runner beans were grown in a 5 gallon pot without much care, forgot to water or was away but each time they were neglected the vines bounced right back. Planted for a vine to climb up a post I had never grown this bean before and had no real idea of what the beans might be like. They are gorgeous to look at and while I only have a cup or so of them I will cook them and see how they taste.
This Sunday October morning I turned over 2 beds with some compost and manure, I already put in green sand and most of the soil has been through a fine mesh so the soil ought to be great now. This are hasn't been planted or cared for for many..maybe 20 years, so I am happy to have the little area ready to plant. Maybe the garlic will go into those beds, garlic on one side, shallots on the other would be a good planting.
Had baked yellow fin potatoes for dinner and leftovers for breakfast. Really good.
Fall here now, cooler, high 50's and cloudy, minor rain for the last 2 days. Not much yet for fall color.

My garden is producing tomatoes that are ripe and while not as sweet as in a warm year, they are most welcome. Today I roasted the tomatoes, banana peppers and garlic then sauteed some onions and oregano added the pureed tomatoes and peppers and it was a yummy warm soup.
Garlic is still holding well, potatoes in box with paper between the layers, both are in the garage. Temperature there will be about 40-50 degrees so a bit warm but it is the best that I have for now.
My parsnips are growing and I am excited about that, beets too.
It is time to make some pesto to store since the nights cooled down as of yesterday. I think that the basil from seed did the best, but all plants were productive and mild.
My ordered garlic came and it is helpful to identify some varieties and will sort as best as possible. Preparing the beds now for planting, turning over my own compost, adding green sand, and now will get some composted manure, let it all settle in and will plant toward the end of the month and try to remember to consult the moon just for fun!