Seedling Update

A few weeks ago I started some seedlings for my Fall garden. Seeds of 4 different types of tomatoes, broccoli, 3 varieties of cauliflower, edemame, banana squash, avocado & loquat were started. Here's a peak at how they are doing...

Banana Squash

Broccoli

Edemame

Tomato

Look What I Found

My first 2 ripe tomatoes were unfortunately lost to a squirrel last week and today I found this lying next to the Stump of The World. Looks like a catapiller made himself a little home. Not to worry, this is what I found next...a fully ripe Pineapple Tomato. It's a beauty! Can't wait to eat it tonight. I also picked some more Sun Gold, zucchini, some Black Prince Tomatoes, and some peaches.

Impatiently Waiting

A few more Sun Golds are ripening but I am still holding my breath in anticipation for the first tomato to turn red.

Think Red

Choo Choo...I think I can, I think I can! My tomatoes should take a lesson from the little engine that could. These have been in the ground since February 28th and not even a sign of red yet. I have 10 varieties growing this year: Black Prince, Black Pear, San Marzano, Romeo, Pineapple, Stump of the World, Tangerine, Mortgage Lifter and two cherries (one Sun Gold and one volunteer that I received from a neighbor). We've only picked about 40 cherries so far but I am hoping that any moment now I will be seeing red. O.K. maybe I need your help. On the count of three, let's send red thoughts to my tomatoes. Ready...1...2...3...THINK RED!!! There, hopefully that did it!

Roasted Beets & Mixed Green Salad with Bleu Cheese

Ingredients:

2 Golden Beets (Med)

2 Red Beets (Med)

2 Cups Mixed Greens

1 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar

3 Tablespoon Olive Oil

4 Tablespoons Bleu Cheese

4 Sprigs Chervil

2 Tablespoon Toasted Pecan Pieces

Salt & Pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Place beets in aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roasted at 350 until the beets are tender. Remove from foil and cool when done.

2. Peel and cut 1 golden beet and 1 red beet into small dice and set aside. Peel and quarter the remaining 2 beets. You should have 4 pieces of red beets and 4 of golden beets. Set aside.

3. Prepare vinaigrette by placing olive oil and sherry vinegar in a jar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Shake jar vigorously to emulsify the dressing.

4. Place mixed greens in a large bowl and add vinaigrette. Toss salad to coat completely with vinaigrette.

5. Take a use tomato can and cut top and bottom off. This will be your mold to build the salad in. Place the cleaned can onto the center of a clean plate.

6. Divide the tossed salad into 4 equal parts and pack to salad into the can. Add 1/4 of the diced beets on top of each lettuce tower. Carefully remove the mold (can). Your salad will mantain its shape if you pack it firm enough.

7. Carefully place 1 piece of golden beet and 1 piece of red beet on top of each salad and top with a chunk of bleu cheese and garnish with a sprig of chervil.

8. Drizzle any remaining dressing that collected in the bowl around the salad. Sprinkle with remaining bleu cheese and toasted pecans around the salad.

Serves: 4

The Subway System

The Gopher Highway has expanded in the garden. We dug up several connecting tunnels yesterday, 4 alone in the lettuce bed and 2 each in the strawberry and zucchini. Our first sign of gopher activities in the garden was about a month ago with the usual mound of dirt. After lots of research on the internet for ways to get rid of the pest (which ran the gammet of chewing gum to traps), I was ready to give in. If it weren't for my neighbor, I would have just call it quits for the season. She suggested that we dig through the pile of dirt and find the tunnels. Once the tunnels are unearthed, fill them with horse manure which would deter the gophers from coming back (gophers don't like the scent of any other animals/human). Well that's what we did....hopefully this works. Stay tuned....

Sowing For Fall

So today was a busy day of sowing seeds for Fall. I know what you're thinking...it's not even Summer yet and she's sowing for Fall??!! Well, I'm trying to see if I can get 2 harvests this Fall. Let's see what happens...
What I sowed today:

Juane Flames
Moskvich
Drop-Ins
Currant
Fuerte Avocado
Haas Avocado
Pink Banana Squash
Vietnamese Perilla
Loquat
Rambutan
Longan
Edemame