Signs of Summer
One of the best signs of summer (besides bare feet) is berry stained hands. I have many fond memories of picking berries when we were at the family cabin so my grandma could make us a black raspberry pie. Of course we ate as many as we picked and rarely had enough pie, perhaps it was my grandma’s way of getting us out of the cabin?
We’ve been picking a berries for a week or so. We have wild black raspberries growing around the edges of the property. We’re trying to cultivate a few more of them because we don’t have a ton yet, but we get enough for salads and for eating fresh.
My mom has loads of wild black raspberries at her house and we often head over there when she’s gotten all she needs. Yesterday we went over for a work day. Brian cut up a tree, then spent the afternoon picking blueberries and black raspberries and my mom and I worked in the garden.
I still have some black raspberries in the freezer from last year, but you can never have too many tucked away for winter. There really is nothing better on a cold winter evening than a steamy black raspberry pandowdy.
Are you picking any raspberries or other berries?
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I Spy Something Exciting!
Earlier this week while tying up tomatoes I spotted a tiny green tomato. Oddly enough I posted last year on June 22 about spotting baby tomatoes. Seems that even though I started my tomatoes earlier last year, this warm spring has made my tomatoes very productive. It is the same variety of tomato as the first last year, it’s a Zapotec Pleated Tomato.
I don’t think I’ll be getting my first ripe one on July 6 like I did last year. I don’t have any cherry tomatoes this year. I must remember to start some each year for early tomatoes. Perhaps I’ll also try starting my Sub-Arctics in January and put them outside in April in order to get tomatoes as early as possible.
Any tiny tomatoes in your garden yet?
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Oregon Sugar Pod Peas
This year I’m also growing ‘Oregon Sugar Pod II’ peas. I really like sugar pods, I always feel like they’re so much more productive than regular garden peas since you can eat the pods. I have some vines growing in pots, so we’ve been enjoying a few from the garden every week. I’ve grown a few different varieties of sugar snap peas and I think this variety is my favorite, they’re tender no matter how big you pick them and not even a hint of bitterness can be tasted.
I must remember to plant more next spring, since we like them so much. They’re so delicious lightly steamed with olive oil and salt & pepper. Every now and then we also drizzle them with balsamic or tamari. If I had to pick between these kind and podding peas, I’d have to pick podding peas. I do love them both, but there’s just something about having peas in beef and chicken stew.
Which kind of peas do you prefer, sugar pod or garden peas?
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Peas in a Pod
This year I planted a lot of peas in hopes of having lots in my freezer for winter stews. The groundhogs obliterated the patch here in my garden, but I still had some that I planted at my mom’s house. They started producing peas a week or two ago.
Last Thurs I picked all the ripe ones and ended up getting 6 cups of peas for the freezer. Peas are one of those vegetables that are deceptive, you pick and pick and end up with a big bowl of pods. Then you shell them and have a measly amount when you’re done, they’re so good though it’s worth all the work. I planted ‘Wando’ and ‘Alaska’ Peas, but because of the groundhogs I’m only harvesting ‘Wando’ peas.
Until this year, I’ve never had enough peas in the garden to freeze them. Thanks to my mom letting me grow stuff in her garden, I’ll have a few peas tucked away in the freezer for winter. I can’t wait to make a delicious venison stew this winter with Mr Chiot’s venison and homegrown peas.
Do grow peas in your garden?
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Drowning in Cherries
Yesterday afternoon we went out to my sister’s plot of land and picked cherries from two giant sweet cherry trees. The old trees are huge and they were polluted with cherries. My sister picked, I picked, my mom picked, and Mr Chiots picked as well. We picked and picked, not wanting any to go to waste, but finally we had to call it a night. My sister took home 2 one gallon buckets, my mom took a few home and we ended up with a ton. After picking all afternoon the trees didn’t even look like we’d been there.
We got home late and I’ll be processing cherries all day. I’ll be making maraschino cherries for my Christmas chocolate covered cherries and I’ll be dehydrating lots of them for snacking. I may make some jam, and I may freeze some as well. We also picked tart cherries at my mom’s house and peas that need shelling. Here’s to a busy day filling the pantry with fruit for winter eating.
Are you drowning in anything that’s in season at the moment, filling up the pantry for the winter?
