In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen
Possibly my favorite harvest from the waning summer “vegetable” garden last week was the ‘Queen Red Lime’ zinnias for this bouquet. I relished it for a day then took it to church for the entry table. The plants are mildewed and look horrid but they still produce flowers up high. I strip the leaves and wedge them in with greens that highlight the lime.
At the end of September, I wait for the stems of the butternut squash to become straw-colored and ready the beds for fall planting which starts this week.
The strawberry guavas continue at a pace that has us gathering the drops and picking ripe ones every morning. Thankfully, I have a cadre of friends who will take the surplus. The crop has improved in size and quality. I snack on the largest, darkest ones when warmed by the sun.
Though it’s not the season to harvest rhubarb, the enlarging plant has to be kept out of the lawnmower’s path so I bring in a few stalks each week.
Peppers love the heat and sunny days we’ve had recently. They seem to color up in a day after coming to size. Still waiting for the red bell peppers to be red.
During this change of garden seasons it’s too warm to plant lettuce so I often purchase Cruciferous Crunch from Trader Joe’s. It’s a great start for a salad with the mix of red and green cabbage, shredded kale, Brussels sprouts and possibly stems of other cruciferous veggies. To that I added my own carrots, red onion and bell peppers. In another iteration, I made an entree with diced chicken and the same vegetables. White beans could sub for the chicken. It’s also a quick dinner lightly stir-fried with a protein. Downside: Cruciferous Crunch is not organic.
An errant sweet pea seed popped up as I was preparing to plant my bi-color favorites. It’s a timely reminder that conditions are just right. Sweet peas were planted yesterday and I’m expectant.
Check the What I’m Planting Now and Garden Tasks This Week pages. Then head over to see what other garden bloggers around the world harvested last week at Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Happy Acres blog.
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