I thought we needed a break from the constant eye-bleeding red shots of tomatoes, though that is what is on our plates these days.Pears are also thundering into ripeness, so those are in our hands, our bowls, and maybe if I have the gumption, our drinking glasses. I know there are thousands of uses for pears, but — gumption, people.
I've been quiet lately, but food has been happening. It's mostly not kitchen-intensive, though today we are firing up the oven for something I dreamed up (though I'm probably not alone in conceiving of it) involving a chicken and white beans.
In the no-heat-applied department, we've done some fermenting, a little ice-cream machining, and an oddly successful melange of emergency garden produce mixing fruits and vegetables in a salad.
I love gardening. I love growing my own food.
I just hate that the garden thinks it can crack its damn whip at me, and I'll cower.
I do cower.
Damn you, garden. Just remember, I own the water.
Posts
15 comments:
Darwin did.
Actually, I happen to know that Cookie and Cranky have a clever Japanese gardener who arrives under the cover of darkness to perfect the harvest for them: uniform sizes and evenly ripened fruit. He ties net bags around each pear to protect it from the insects and makes them all photogenic -- easily passed off as that "pesky bumper crop" they get each year.
Zoomie: I think Darwin was more into diversity. Uniformity begets little adaptation, but it sure makes for damn cute pears (there's a sack with your name on it).
Kudzu: And he lets us harvest in the morning, believing we did it all ourselves. Today: a beautiful Delicata (our first winter squash), an Armenian cuke, several jalapenos and gobs of tomatoes. You ready for your pears? I'm feeling more public.
Pear is the possum's favourite fruit - what a shame Customs would refuse entry to a sack or 2.
I've got bean flowers, that's it, everything else has been nibbled to a stump.
I want the phone number of your gardener!
Yeah, we work so hard and then get pissed off at all the food we grow, because most of it needs something done to it if it's going to last any length of time. I still have chive flowers hanging on the porch from 2 months ago.
Mouse: Your problem is pre-solved, however. There won't be any pears in a month. I do wish I could send Poss sum.
Greg: His number? I just push him out of bed in the morning and say "WEED, HOE."
Peter: It wasn't until I started growing more than the occasional tomato that I understood the reciprocity. The garden gives me bounty, I damn well better do something with it. Freezer!
All my toms are still green. They are refusing to turn red. Out of sheer bloodymindedness methinks...
Ah! See, I am never intimidated, usually because I am waiting so long for the payoff!
It's seasonal, frankly, this whip-cracking. And gardening and dispatching with the garden's goodies is just kind of what you signed on to, didn't you? I mean: delicata squash! uniform pears!
But: if gumption were something I could stick in the mail, I would!
I saw something today and thought of you. I'll swap you it for some pears when I get back to CA?
I had a suggestion for using up those gorgeous pears. And then I remembered you're off dairy and wheat. Nevermind!
Monkey Gland: Hang in there. In each of the past five years I've noticed vastly different growing seasons.
Congratulations on your marriage! I meant to leave a note on your blog where you first mentioned your "wife," but you seem to have removed the reference, according to word search.
I'd comment elsewhere there, but your posts are too beautiful for my babblings.
Fast: I am grateful, I really am. I can't wait to be intimidated by the eggplant, and next year I plan to be intimidated by green beans.
Our best solution for cold storage for the delicata? Cool hearth bricks in the family room. It's seriously hot here, darn. And no steps leading to the cellar.
Sam: The pears left on the tree (about half the crop) are huge, spotless and beautiful. Can't wait to see you.
Kate: Darn! There are alternatives to wheat flour, but I haven't tried them... I really don't bake much. Thank you for thinking of me.
I am very excited to once again join the gardening masses. It may not be California, but at least here I have my own yard that's soon to be home to many tasty treats and a giganto compost bin.
P.S....oh how I wish it was California.
You never fail to crack me up. Here on the east coast I'm jealous of your tomato excess. Oh woe is me.
Birdie: Yippie, you have gardening space. California misses you too, but I'm sure you'll make the most of it, and your VIP hubster is certainly where he should be now. :)
Era: They grow tomatoes on the East Coast! Oh, late blight... right. I hope you can find some... SOME dirty outlet.
Post a Comment