In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen
The transition to fall menus begins as the weather changes and the winter squash are ready to harvest. I am disappointed to only have three delicata but I’m also delighted to have three. Someone suggested I might have issues with pollination. I only had three plants and we had cool and cloudy weather during critical periods. Expect to see photos of roasted half slices next week.
The butternut squash are still in the garden as the stems suggest they are not ready yet. I have designs on those with many recipes in the folder.
Though I had earlier declared strawberry guava season over, we consumed or gave away the last of the guavas squirreled away in the fridge. They actually keep for a week or so.
There’s a second crop on the way—I’m guessing a few months off for the large marble-sized fruit to ripen. The tree may think it is in the tropics during our San Diego winter. It’s located in a corner where the southern winter sun is intense. The placement was intentional as we knew they thrive in Hawaii.
I kept this cluster of limes on my kitchen counter for about five days just for the pleasure of their beauty. Then came Lime Blackberry Scones which was an unusual use for the limes. The glaze had both lime zest and juice. I still have about two dozen limes in the fridge so I may make lime marmalade soon.
Here’s another cutting of baby arugula, the start of a salad entree over the weekend. Soon I’ll be planting arugula in the garden—but after the mid-80’s heat expected this week.
From mid-spring through early fall I like to grow my arugula in a 10-12 inch terra cotta container. It’s easy to move from sun to shade as needed. For details read my blog post from last week, Growing Arugula in a Container.
These asters are the current sidewalk sensation in my street-side garden. Captured in the late afternoon sun, ‘Nana Hearn’ was buzzing with bees. I anticipate this time every year and thank Steve Brigham, former owner of Buena Creek Gardens for introducing me to this perennial over 25 years ago. In the 1990’s it was the connection I needed to the perennial garden with many asters that I left behind in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
You may enjoy seeing what other garden bloggers harvested last week at Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres.
To leave a comment, click on “Leave a comment/Show comments,” enter the comment, then insert your name. Email address and website URL are optional. Finally, click on “Comment as Guest” to post comment.
