Eat it! The Soup Edition

Made some soup with our tomato crop this season. We made 5 quarts total which is plenty for just the two of us. I typically over-do it with items like this and then it sits around for YEARS because we are just too tired of eating it.  But the quantity seems perfect this time around. A very simple soup but great tasting and even better with a cheesy melty sandi. Yumm.  I found the recipe here.  Next time I'll go a little lighter on the celery though.

Instead of busting out the water bath canner, we just froze it.  Canning can add a layer of fussiness and work to a project so I was happy to avoid it. Most of the things that I can would do well in the freezer so I'll have to keep it in mind.  

Last Days

Disease and a couple of frosty days here and there means the tomatoes are seeing heir last days in the garden.  Can't complain about the crop this season, got a good amount and used it wisely.  We had 1 regular tomato and 2 cherry tomatoes which was nearly perfect for our consumption.  The only concern is...what happens if your only plant kicks the bucket early?  You have no back up and you're paying $3.99 a pound for organic vine ripened 'maters.   Gardening is gambling!

Volunteers

This beautiful lettuce has decided to come up all on it's own.  We haven't actually planted any seeds for lettuce in over a  year!

Harvest Time!

Culantro Failure

Failure times two.  I had 2 culantro plants going at the same time and neither one made it.   They were both in pots which is where I typically grow all of our herbs. Herbs tend to be invasive so I don't let them loose in the raised beds.   Both of the plants immediately went to seed when I potted them and then they stayed in a perpetual state of seeding until they turned black and dried up.

One of these plants was rescued from a neighbors pathway! I can't believe that I killed something that literally was walked on repeatedly.  My basil and oregano that are also in pots are still alive and doing well, so I'm concluding the culantro just doesn't like to be contained.  Next time I'll plop it into the main bed since it didn't seem to be aggressive.

Garden Update

Ugh.  What an ugly garden.  We're winding down here in this zone and mentally getting ready for the next seasons spring crops.  When a garden is at the end of it's cycle it's not a pretty sight.  All the way to the left are the 2 cherry tomato plants that have merged into one hot mess.  Delicious though and that's what ultimately counts, right?  The broccoli are the low dark green plants below the tomatoes then the scallion/onion and garlic section.  The spiky plant up front is one of my pineapple plants.  As I take out an expired plant, I'm filling in the blank space with the spiky plant to deter the cats from coming to poop play.

Here's the second bed.  All that light green equals 3 brussels sprouts plants, only 3.  Still going strong but producing near nothing of any quantity.  All the way to the left is a large variety of tomato that has performed really well for us.  Just one plant has produced enough to make a huge pot of tomato soup and another huge pot of spicy spaghetti sauce.  Which reminds me, if you haven't tried shakshuka, you really must. Really.

Meyer Lemon Tree

Here's the lemon tree that the Hubby purchased for our last wedding anniversary, it's still alive!   This  teeny little tree gave us quite a few lemons last season.  Not enough to really make any baked goods or full scale canning adventures but amazing anyway!  A few basil seeds snuck in there which you can see in the pic.  Also in the pic is the hand truck we use to wheel this guy in and out when the weather takes a turn toward chilly.  It's a special treat for us when the tree comes in the house because the flowers smell so devine, there is nothing else like it.