Scarlet runner beans

I don't know what changed but these vines are finally making beans.

First tomatillos.

Pass the chips. I mashed up a couple recipes I found online to make salsa verde from my first tomatillos.

1 lb tomatillos, husked, and stuck under the broiler 'til the skins started to blacken
1/2 c diced onion
1 t mashed garlic
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1 T fresh oregano
1/2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t salt
1 T lime juice
1/2 t sugar

Pulse in blender, leave it a little chunky. Black flecks are the charred skins from the roasting process.

My oh my

The Cherokee purples are to die for just plain sliced, and the rest of these are looking pretty in the pot.

Tomato season

Is here.

August 13

The height of summer, at least judging from the pole beans which must be going on 10 feet tall.

The second crop of raspberries is starting to come on strong, more than you can eat just walking down the row - except if you are carrying Ames. One of these berries about fills his mouth, but it goes down so easy he can just keep popping one after another. This is the 1-year-old summer of antioxidents. He's a berry monster.

Asparagus is still sending up new spears. Each stalk is thicker and stronger than the last. I think it's enjoying wetter weeks and the layer of compost I top-dressed with.

Here's a view from the east end. Just looks like a mass of green, you have to look under everything to find the jewels.

Like a spaghetti squash. This one started very early, and it looks as if the vine might survive just long enough for it to mature. It's probably the last remaining squash vine in the garden, all other succumbed to squash vine borer. Really hoping to find an organic solution to that problem.

Beans planted a couple weeks ago, aiming for a late summer string bean crop.

This is the remains of the potato patch. Yukon Golds are ready to come out, but the all blues are actually still green!?!

A few straggling beets leftover from the spring planting, but still growing, a nice basil crop and a few more beans where the carrots came out. If I were better at keeping my mind on food production I'd kick those beats out of their turf and plant something more productive, like beans, or maybe daikon radish?

Cherokee Purples - haven't eaten one yet, but I think these are the first to ripen and they look ready!

Supersonics - these were the first slicers to ripen and have been delivering for quite awhile now.

Hungarian Yellow Wax peppers, on their way to red - these guys are stinkin' hot!

These are a very small slicer type that volunteered. Very prolific. I like them.

Amish Paste tomatoes. Prolific, but susceptible to blossom end rot during a drought.

Um, so, this was supposed to be the path, until two enormous kales self-seeded and I didn't have the heart to pull them. It's a theme with me.

I thought I planted a sunflower that would flower at every leaf-stalk. In fact, I know I did. But nevermind, now I have big beautiful sunflower heads to enjoy - and maybe seeds? Unfortunately, they point toward the rising sun, away from the house, so in their current locations there is no enjoyment to be had. I'd have to plant in the front yard if I wanted that.

Fall seeds for beets, leeks, carrots, and daikon radishes are in the ground, and mostly sprouted and emerged.

Chard seedlings were started in pots and then transplanted into the ground a couple weeks ago. All doing well.

These Scarlet Emporer Pole Beans from victory seeds are gorgeous - but no beans! Not cool. I knew there was an ornamental variety, but I definitely thought I was buying a bean producing pole bean - nevermind... next year.

THIS is the squash vine borer moth.

Great. I guess they aren't done for the year.

Dinner.

Hail followup

Some tomatoes show the pelts, and of course there were some torn leaves, but we really came through fine. The drought in July caused as much damage - lots of blossom end rot on the Amish paste tomatoes.

Fall seedlings coming up

Pirat bitterness lettuce, Copenhagen market cabbage (green), red acre cabbage, long island improved Brussels sprouts are all up! This time I started them in larger pots filled with compost and just a little potting soil on top. Better for water-holding and staying cool I hope, not to mention nutrition.

Compost temperature

The outdoor temperature on this grey rainy day is 70. (ahhhhhh...) But the compost is heated up to at least 90! Those little microbes have quite a metabolism.

Elizabeth Crisfield
814 777 3395
www.elizabethcrisfield.com

Hail!

Taking a page out of my sister's book... We just had a hail storm. Slightly bigger than pea-sized I'd say. Haven't been out to harden yet - crossing fingers!