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Back at the Old Homestead

October 24th, 2012

We’re back in Ohio this week for a job we booked last year. It’s not all work, we’ve been enjoying time with family and friends. Of course we had to go back to the old Chiot’s Run to mow the lawn, harvest potatoes, and check on everything.

By the looks of all my beets, dill and other crops, the deer have been enjoying our absence and taking advantage of the all you can eat organic vegetable smorgasbord.

This sweet little cat was seen lurking around the week before we left. She seems to have adopted the gardens as her own now that our cats are gone. She’s stealthy and quiet, but did rub on my legs and stop by a few times for a pet while I was out working. I wonder if she’s using the pet door in the garage?

If you remember, late last fall I planted some Jerusalem artichokes I got at the farmer’s market. They grew well this summer, though the deer kept nibbling them off. I decided to dig them up to see what lay beneath and was pleasantly surprised with a nice crop.

I’ll be cooking a few tonight for supper so we can all try them. The rest will be divided up between my garden and my mom’s for future crops. From what I’ve read they’re more digestible if they’re fermented, I might save a few and give that a try too.

How’s your garden progressing at this late stage in the year?

14 Comments to “Back at the Old Homestead”
  1. Marina C on October 24, 2012 at 7:24 am

    Les Topinambours, en Francais!
    I do believe they sustained the French during WWII, and many older French relatives thus considered them with disdains when I was a child.
    I love them, however, they make a creamy soup that tastes like chestnuts, sautéed with parsley, and garlic, yummy, and add a little crunch to gratins and stews,
    I grow then in their own bed, however, as they could be invasive left to grow among other crops.
    As to digestibility, no problem in our house, and they contain beneficial inulin.
    Lastly, they keep forever in the bottom of the fridge!

    Reply to Marina C's comment

    • Susy on October 24, 2012 at 7:56 pm

      Can’t wait to try the soup, we are big fans of creamy soup. Also good to hear that there are no digestibility problems at your house, perhaps since you’re used to eating lots of veggies.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  2. Jaye on October 24, 2012 at 7:56 am

    Those look amazing! I’ve never had them before, keep us posted.

    Beautiful little cat! I lover her markings.

    Reply to Jaye's comment

  3. Jessica on October 24, 2012 at 8:20 am

    My husband and I love Jerusalem artichokes in beef stew. They have a such a nice nutty flavor and almost creamy texture to them. Our supplier at the farmers’ market stopped selling there so I’ll have to consider growing my own.

    Reply to Jessica's comment

  4. daisy on October 24, 2012 at 8:33 am

    Aw, what a sweet kitty.
    How do you cook those artichokes?

    We have lettuce just coming up and just finished planting carrots, leeks and garlic. Now we need some cooler temps!

    Reply to daisy's comment

    • Susy on October 24, 2012 at 7:57 pm

      There are all kinds of ways to cook the artichokes, you can pretty much use them like potatoes.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  5. jennifer fisk on October 24, 2012 at 9:14 am

    Until it got down to 27 last night, I had some volunteer tomatoes that were lightening up, Swiss Chard, broccoli and kale. Now that the sun is coming up, I should go up and have a look. I hold no hope for the tomatoes but the chard may have been close enough to the ground that it survived. The broccoli might have survived. The kale will be so much nicer now that it has been frosted. That’s what I’ll have for dinner tonight.

    Reply to jennifer fisk's comment

  6. whit on October 24, 2012 at 10:30 am

    That sweet kitterses is so beautiful! I wonder what breed she is? What an amazing photo, Susy.

    Our outdoor garden is done. The greenhouse is still ripening tomatoes and squash. Our other greenhouse is churning out lettuce and spinach and working on meyer lemons.

    Reply to whit's comment

    • Susy on October 24, 2012 at 7:58 pm

      She is a beauty – so long, tall and lean. She’s quiet as a church mouse and so graceful.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  7. Deb on October 24, 2012 at 1:05 pm

    The cat looks like a Bengal, a breed some folks pay money for. Very temperamental however. Rescued one that’s part that and a tyrant. Looks good. I ahve Jer. artichokes but haven’t eaten any. This year did better than last but will have to wait till next fall to dig as I’m having carpal tunnel surgery on my right, dominant hand, and woon’t get to them. Would like to hear how you cook them though. Thanks for the post.

    Reply to Deb's comment

  8. Mich on October 24, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    Got some veg beds cleared and good layer of rotted muck spread on them.
    All the winter brassica’s are looking good and a good crop of leeks so far…. Tomatoes in the greenhouse still ripening but due a frost on friday night so need to rescue them before that.
    Then it’l be clearing away beans, squash beds, ready for winter.

    Reply to Mich's comment

  9. KimH on October 24, 2012 at 6:24 pm

    The kitty is beautiful.. maybe she misses Dexter.. maybe she doesnt. ;)

    I love Jerusalem artichokes. I was hoping to plant some this year but didnt get around to it.. theres always next year.. I do have a plan. ;)

    My gardens are done. The deer helped the community garden along a lot and M’honey went & took everything down & put it to bed for the winter. There are still some beets over there that I want to go dig up if I can find them Deer happen to love beet greens. ;)

    We pulled all our cherry tomatoes up here at the house & got between 70 & 80# of mostly green tomatoes.. I made 4 batches of Farm Girl Suzy’s Green Tomato Relish (http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/09/saving-harvest-green-tomato-relish.html), I’ve given a lot away to friends, neighbors & coworkers, I’ve taken them in a dish to a potluck, and I still have loads & loads
    I have 3 recipes I think Im going to :”put up” from the book Putting Food Up…
    About an eighth have turned red, so I may just let em keep on turning who knows.

    I still have to plant garlic here at the house.. that’ll be my last garden job and I’ll be doing that soon.. Today would have been wonderful if I had gotten home early enough.. Maybe tomorrow. ;)

    Reply to KimH's comment

    • KimH on October 24, 2012 at 6:27 pm

      Correction… Putting Food By..

      Putting Food By

      Reply to KimH's comment

  10. Hannah on October 25, 2012 at 8:12 am

    Cute Cat !!!!!!!!!!!! I hope she did Not Run away Like Little miss Mama !

    Reply to Hannah's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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