"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Fruit and Veggie Update.

I thought I would give an update on our fruit and veggies this month and join in with Tina and Skeeter.  As much as I love growing veggies, we don't have the space to really grow a lot of anything, so we mostly just grow enough for a few meals here and there.  The fruit on the other hand seems to be doing great, with even enough to share.

Sweet Pea has been having fun digging up the potatoes.  These are some of the Banana fingerling potatoes and red potatoes that I've forgotten the name of.  We probably don't grow them exactly right and have forgotten to do the hilling to help produce more.  I think next year we will try a different method to see if we can get more.   They really do taste so much better homegrown.

Sweet Pea (in one of her many hats) was a great help in gathering the apples that had fallen.  We had a "good" bag and a "compost pile" bag.  Most went in the "good bag".  We've had so many more than we've had before and hardly any have worm holes in them.

This is about one third of the amount collected so far.  I'm trying to store some in the fridge in the garage.  I read that they should keep about 60 - 80 days.  I'm sure we'll use them before then, but it would be fun to have some in the winter from the apples still on the tree.  We plan to make an apple pie in the next day or so.

I love the bush zucchini that we started growing last year.  We have just two plants that hardly take up any space and have given us the perfect amount.  We've had lots of grilled zucchini.  My Mom took some home and turned it into delicious zucchini bread.

Here is a Blueberry pie we made with some of the blueberries from our bushes.  The recipe was okay, not good enough to recommend, but it was still fun eating a pie with our homegrown fruit.  The bushes are still loaded, but I've noticed the berries have lost their sweetness since it has been so hot.  Next year we'll have to pick more quickly and try and get some in the freezer.

We've also been enjoying the delicious 'Brandywine' tomatoes that got so big they began to split.  They are the most red and juicy I've ever had.  The 'Anna Russian', 'Great Wall of China' and grape tomatoes are producing lots too.  The figs are really ripe, but I still haven't figured out what to do with them beside just chilled.
Now, I'm trying to decide if we'll plant any more vegetables.  I don't usually start any this late, but I know a lot of people are planting more cool season crops.   
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30 comments:

  1. Boy I tell you I've never seen such a pretty blueberry pie. It is almost too pretty to eat! Good thing it is on the blog for all of posterity. Those apples look great. You know I kind of think having just enough veggies to eat fresh is okay. That is how my garden is this year. We'll see for next year. Looking mighty good in the northwest!

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  2. I finally wised up and started reading blog posts that talk about food AFTER I've eaten. The pie looks delicious! Interesting about the blueberries, for some reason I would have assumed heat would intensify their sweetness - which goes to show I am not a particularly knowledgeable edible gardener.

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  3. Catherine, wow, your garden and it's bounty are to be commended...as are you! What a lov-e-ly bunch of coconuts...er, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, apples, blueberries, ETC!! I fail in that area:-( But, I really haven't 'tried' so I suppose I shouldn't say that until I've put in some effort. My yard really isn't the proper habitat for a veggie garden so that is mainly why I don't attempt it. You've outdone yourself girl! It's so nice that you have a willing, eager helper!!

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  4. Well the pie looks great! You coulda kept it a secret...LOL!!!

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  5. People do not understand how much better home grown potatoes taste, they are a treat. The pie looks good enough to eat :).

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  6. Everything is just lovely, including Sweet Pea. Those are very attractive potatoes. The banana fingerlings will be added to the list. You will be making the best pies with apples, blueberries, etc. Figs, I just eat them, they don't keep well and are so good nice and cold. All yummy!
    Frances

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  7. I can't get near fallen apples for wasps!

    Looks like a nice harvest and that pie looks the biz

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  8. Another marvelous blog post! I adore the star treatment for berry-pie crust top. I'm going apple picking at a farm in a week and I'm so excited. Nice that you have just the right amount of zucc. I am totally overrun and it's mind-boggling. I'm canning, blanching/freezing and shredding/freezing... oy vey. Really nice pictures as always! Bonnie

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  9. I'm so envious of all your wonderful looking produce. Sorry your blueberry pie wasn't as tasty as you would have liked. But it looked delish!

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  10. I always enjoy seeing Sweet Pea in her colorful hats. It looks like you have some good produce. Those apples look delicious. I bet the zuchinni was tasty grilled too. Hope you all have a good weekend.

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  11. You are having great harvests. Those potatoes turned out great. We grew bushels of them when I was a kid. The apples turned out wonderful, I am so ashamed of my small little things. And any pie is great, but stars on thars is wonderful. I am glad your bush is doing so well. A very nice blog. Love the hat....

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  12. WoW! Everything looks so great! You always say you don't have much space but you sure do produce! I guess you know how to make the most of the space you have. The pie looks delicious.

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  13. The garden bounty looks wonderful! Fruit is a great crop and to have a homemade blueberry pie to serve guests and family...that is a super treat! gail

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  14. I came across your blog by accident. I love your photos, especially the pond & your little white dog. I currently have 3 Bichons and post about them pretty often. I am also a volunteer with Small Paws Rescue and a brand new Master Gardener, located just north of Orlando Florida.

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  15. They all look absolutely divine! And, boy, that pie looks picture perfect! I'll be over in a sec with the ice cream [=

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  16. Aren't you smart! Pretty apples and very grand looking potatoes. They have yummy looking skins. Your dd's hat is perfect.

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  17. Okay, now I have to bake a blueberry pie. That looks soooo gooood! Mine won't be as good as yours because I don't grow berries, I will have to hit the farmers market.

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  18. This is making me hungry. The pie is beautiful!

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  19. Wow! What a harvest! Love the apples. Yummm! You're making me hungry - I'm fasting today! Grrr.... I gotta wait till evening for my dinner!

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  20. Lovely harvest, and a beautiful blueberry pie! We usually make muffins and pancakes with our blueberries, which grow wild here so the berries are small. Zucchini bread is the best.

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  21. I'm so jealous of your zucchini! We grew that kind this year and while I had gorgeous blooms, no zucchini! Apparently, they didn't get pollinated? And no one I know is growing zucchini, so if I want zucchini bread, I'll have to buy it, I guess. Where are all those people who have too much??

    Your potatoes look REALLY good! I love the red ones best.

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  22. Good to see such luscious looking apples. The veggies look so appetising. I too have the problem of shade where veggies don't grow.

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  23. I love those rather long potatoes... really exotic looking.
    ~bangchik

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  24. Love the stars on the blueberry pie!
    I made my first of the season apple pie today...in fact it is in the oven right now baking and smelling great.
    I even had taken pictures of the pie for a future post..but now I will consider not doing it after seeing that star pie. ha

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  25. Hi Catherine. It's funny about the potatoes - mine were harvested in April (about 150lbs worth). I'm having to think about my fall planting as well.

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  26. WOW! This is my first visit to your garden but certainly not my last. Your blueberry pie looks scrumptious. What is your secret to growing blueberries?

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  27. Kim and Victoria are our next door neighbors.

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  28. Your bounty is great! Ohhh, I want to grow blueberries. I think I can, but it will be a lot of work here in Texas, especially since I have clay soil. Fingerling potatoes are on my list, too -- I'll need to find out whether they grow ok here. Yum!

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  29. My Grandmother use to make Fried Apple Pies from our apple tree! They were awesome to the taste buds. You potatoes look wonderful. I had the one volunteer come up in the compost bin but over watered it to death. Argggg.... What yummy lookin zukes you have! I have not had luck with any squash in my GA garden when I had such luck while living in Germany! Pesky bugs here I think....

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