Late Summer: Harvest's Lead Into Autumn & Recipes

Though The Calm One prefers his raspberries sugared and smothered with whipped cream, these fresh-from-the-garden berries are pretty good on their own. After the first raspberry crop came in about late June which were born on previous season's canes, the patch was weeded, fertilised, mulched, and faithfully watered to encourage a copious second cropping on new canes. There are probably two more bowls to be had before harvesting will be complete. The tops of these canes will be pruned, leaving the rest of them to overwinter so they can produce berries for the first crop come next June.

The carrot crop promises to be abundant though it will be at least a couple of weeks before it will be ready to harvest. Until then, the rows which were thickly sowed will be thinned to provide some lovely baby carrots. These can be be trimmed, scrubbed, and simmered whole with some butter in a covered skillet.

Beefsteak tomatoes and romas continue to be harvested. About 36 kg (80 pounds) so far! Since we have a large freezer, all I have to do to keep on top of this red deluge is to wash and dry them, then to throw them into large ziplock freezer bags. Once frozen, if run under cold water, the skins can be rubbed off with your hands. Most of them will be made into concentrate (for soup) and sauce (See related links below for recipes).

The beet harvest is done and processed. They were scrubbed, tops trimmed, tails left on, boiled till tender, placed under cold running water so their skins, tops & tails could be rubbed off with my hands, and packed into ziplock freezer bags. An easy and simple way to serve both tomatoes and beets is to place slices, thin or thick (we like ours thick!) on a bed of couscous and then top with tuna/shrimp/chicken salad. For tuna salad served with beets, crème fraîche is a much better 'lubricant' than mayonnaise because beets and sour cream is a match made in heaven. Your favourite dressing and spices/herbs could be sprinkled over the salads.

There's enough in the freezer for borscht with scrumptious beef and onion dumplings all year round. Detailed instructions to make this fabulously satisfying meal in a bowl can be found here (some of the photos got corrupted in this ancient post, but the text remains intact). Though it takes two days to make it, there is plenty left over which can be frozen for many a meal. However, to lessen the work involved, canned beef broth can be used along with minced beef instead of homemade broth and simmered stewing beef.

Stir in a bit of crème fraîche for a ravishing raspberry-pink colour punch. Its slight sourness is a nice foil to the natural sweetness of the beets.

A couple of months ago, Daifla variety of potatoes, looked like this:

When their haulms (above ground foliage) are completely spent, they are ready to harvest.

This variety may be a prolific flowerer and a high yielder but the actual taters are not pretty. But what texture, flavour, and colour! These potatoes, made into a simple soup . . .

. . . shimmer with a golden glow as if a certain percentage of their flesh contains cream. They are exceedingly delicious with a smooth, rich texture.

Here are basic instructions to make this soup: A large potato per person should suffice (I usually make enough for eight servings). Saute a minced onion till soft, translucent, and yellow, which takes about 5 minutes. Add cubed potatoes. Barely cover with boiling water (an electric tea kettle is perfect for this) or with water right from the tap and bring to a boil, and then a simmer till potatoes are fork tender, about twenty minutes. Remove half of them and reserve. Using a stick mixer, blend smooth right in the pot. Add milk to get desired consistency. A couple of heaping tablespoons of crème fraîche ups the creamy quotient. Return the reserved potatoes to the pot. Salt to taste. Unabashedly plop some chunks of Bleu d'Auvergne into the serving bowls. Soup will keep in the fridge for several days, but can not be frozen as freezing changes the texture of the potatoes into something unrecognisable. 

À la prochaine!

RELATED LINKS

Have lots of tomatoes? Make estratto (tomato paste)! Second paragraph includes links to instructions for making tomato-sausage sauce and stewed tomatoes.

You Grow Food To Process . . . (Harvest 2017), includes instructions to make tomato concentrate to be used in soups

You Grow Food To Harvest To Process . . .

One side of our urban potager flanks an entrance driveway to a refrigeration depot.  Trucks amble more than roar as they pass our property because their speed is zapped well before the drivers reach the entry gates so they are not much of a bother to our peace of mind. Additionally their frequency occurs just from 9-5 on weekdays. But not during the month of August when it is common to be woken up by the grinding, gasping sounds of huge lorries arriving from Spain, Portugal, and Poland late in the night and early in the morning. The trucks emblazoned with PassionFroid (cold passion) along their sides never fail to make me smile. When that seasonal occurrence causes the first jarring of our sleep, we groggily mutter to each other, oh, the harvest is quickening. In our postage stamp of a potager and in the farm fields about a fifteen-minute drive from us (we live not that far from France profonde/Deep France), everything seems to be ripening all at once. Two styles of growing food are the crop and the sequential. The former is when all the seeds are sowed at one go, and the latter is when a series of sowing is done.  The crop approach is the one I use the most, and it results in heaps of produce groaning on tables which necessitates immediate attention to ensure the produce will be preserved with as much of the original freshness as possible.

Beefsteak &  roma tomatoes,  plums, and peaches

The rhythm goes something like this. A few ripe fruits are noted one day. The next that number is doubled, and on and on until the peak, that is, the largest amount of produce is ready to be harvested at the same time. Then the production halves the next day, and so on until all the plants are emptied of their delicious bounty. The entire harvest takes around three weeks. Presently, most days, I am preserving food.

We eat as many fresh tomatoes as we can: these are reserved for stuffing with shrimp salad

My main mode of preservation is freezing. In the seven years of growing a hefty percentage of our produce, the bounty has never been so copious as to last more than a year. Hence freezing, which results in tastier and more nutritious food than canning, is perfect for our needs, especially as there is a large fridge/freezer in the sous-sol. Though frozen food doesn't go bad after a year, it does lose most of it flavour. Canned goods, on the other hand, remain appealing for several years. Making tomato concentrate to serve as a soup base is a favourite way of mine to preserve tomatoes. Put washed, cut-up tomatoes (I simmer around fifteen to twenty pounds of tomatoes at a time which amounts to about 3 litres of concentrate) in the largest, non-reactive (stainless steel/enamel) pot you have, add several sliced carrots, 3 sliced celery stalks with leaves, 2-3 onions peeled and quartered, 3-5 peeled garlic cloves, a teaspoon of black peppercorns, several bay leaves, a heaping teaspoon of dried basil, a half-teaspoon of dried thyme, a heaping teaspoon of dried parsley, and several Parmesan rinds. Simmer, partially covered, for about an hour or till all veggies are soft. Sieve through a Foley mill, portion, and freeze. We love to dilute the concentrate to an unctuous consistency, add crème fraîche, cooked brown rice, and cubed Edam.

In total, tomato plants number 23

This season, there has been the most fruits ever in the history of our garden. The conditions must have been perfect for setting fruit this past spring. Though I had thinned many immature fruits, the peach tree lost a limb during a recent storm because the weight of the remaining peaches along with some assistance from the wind and rain gave the branch no choice but to splinter and crack. Despite all the missing fruit, there are still around 200 ripening peaches. Peaches do not develop sugar after being picked, but their level of acidity does diminish, hence whatever sweetness they have is brought out. However, I do try to pick them when they are in an exquisite state of dribbling, sweet juiciness.

Oh, do they smell FANTASTIC!

The plum d'Ente also lost a limb, as it is located in a windy part of the garden. As with the peach tree, the broken branch was cleanly sawed off, close to the collar joining it to the trunk.  Eventually the collar will envelop the cut.

One of The Calm One's beloved sweets is fruit leather made from these plums

The mirabelle tree is chock a block with their golden-flushed-with-crimson, cherry-sized plums.

The raspberry bushes are putting out their second crop for the season. The first fruiting occurred early summer on canes from last year. They were cut down to make room for new canes which will bear ripe fruit in a week or so. The new canes will stay put until late winter, when the spent upper segments will be pruned to allow for next season's first crop.

Vegetables are more forgiving and can be left in the ground until convenient to harvest.

There are 70 plants of red-skinned, yellow-fleshed, all-purpose Desiree potatoes

The beets are patient.

Ditto for the carrots.

À la prochaine!

RELATED LINKS

Factors influencing fruiting
Keeping fresh tomatoes as juicy as possible (remove stems and store upside down on a plate in the fridge)

Sauteed Fresh Spinach...and pizza redux!

Though I appreciate sweets, I really go nuts over savoury foods.  When a small kid I would spend my sweet allowance on Genoa salami and black olives.  My four siblings along with every other red-blooded American kid were gobbling up candy while I was nibbling at a fledgling version of antipasto.  So I never had any problem relishing vegetables, especially the marinated artichokes and roasted red peppers I added to my beginner's antipasto when I reached my teenage years.

Vegetables, especially home-grown, have a depth of flavour that is intense. The spinach I sowed about seventy days ago is now coming in nicely.

Using a sharp knife, cut the leaves off at the level of the soil.

Fresh spinach does not ask for much. Wash the leaves well in cold water, if necessary, several times to get all the grit out, and dry them very well, either in a salad spinner or with a cloth/paper towel.  If the stems are thick and old, trim them off, and either discard or add them first and cook a bit longer than the leaves.  In a large pot, gently saute some garlic, minced or sliced, in olive oil til translucent for about a minute, being sure the garlic does not brown. Add the spinach, stir to coat all the leaves, cover, and simmer for about two minutes. Uncover and stir until all the leaves are wilted and cook about another minute, raising the heat if required.  If there is significant liquid, use a slotted spoon to remove the spinach.

A bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice, or my preference, sherry vinegar, along with fleur de sel, and a pat of butter can be added just before serving. If you want to make a quick, nutritious supper, layer the spinach on some toast or mix it with cooked rice/pasta and top with grated cheese. 

We enjoy home-made pizza almost weekly so I have plenty of opportunities to tweak my recipe.  In addition to the regular topping of tomatoes, Mozzarella, Parmesan, mushrooms, and sausage, I used some left-over bacon.

Instead of using white flour to dust the parchment paper, I switched to yellow cornmeal.

I cranked up the oven heat full blast to 600 degrees F and was able not to faint--a recent spat of cool weather helped.  Also a thick, single-glove oven mitt I bought in Great Britain during my last visit enables me to take on the challenge dealing with such a hot oven.  The long piece of fabric connecting the two mitts protects me from getting splattered or getting a blast of heat.

Not quite the charring achieved by the Pros, but crispy enough.

And I never have to locate TWO mitts when needed!

The cornmeal added a nice toasty flavour, and the higher heat ensured the underneath of the crust to be golden brown and slightly crunchy.

Instead of the usual twelve minutes to bake, it took only seven minutes.  It is not called fast food for nothing!  Professional pizza makers' ovens are set even higher, and it takes even less time to bake pizza to perfection.

In the potager, almost constant rain has delayed transplanting and preparing beds for sowing because the soil is too sodden to be worked.

Seedlings galore waiting for their permanent homes.

So many gloomy days have prevented the strawberries from ripening by mid-May which is when they usually do.

However, the peas, being a cool weather crop, are happy.  Peas, like most veggies, are annuals and therefore programmed to grow fast so they can go to seed, germinating the next generation in a short amount of time.  Knowing this fact is one thing, seeing it in action is another.  I am still astonished to see a flat pea pod be almost full the next day.

Various flowers are content with the rain also.  

Cottage pink

Rugosa rose

Red, pink, and single white roses along with pink gladiolus

Chicago Peace rose, daisies, and the green foliage of asters, Japanese anemones, Irises, and Rose of Sharon 'trees'

Dayo still needs to stay indoors because of a paw injury and is showing a strong preference for nesting.

Dayo in a drawer

Dayo in the box of duvets

À la prochaine! 


RELATED POSTS

How to make pizza
Sowing Spinach

The Second Harvest of the Season: Pea Shoots...and planting blueberries

Linguine is one of my favourite pasta shapes as I regard it as spaghetti trying to become a noodle, that is, a Goldilocks shape, not too narrow, nor too flat. Since there are pea shoots coming up nicely in the potager, I added their pretty tendrils, succulent leaves, and juicy stems to my basic linguine sauce of capers, parsley, garlic, and Parmesan.

Pea shoots have long been enjoyed in Asiatic cuisine and are becoming popular outside that region.  They turn a dark green when cooked, adding a fresh, light pea taste along with a vibrancy only greens can give. Pea shoots are delicious raw too, making great salads.

When bush pea plants are about a foot high and before they flower, pinch off about four to five inches of top growth including the tendrils, some partially opened leaf growth, a tender full leaf and the stem below it.  I take just one pinching from each plant.  Peas shoots are so good that late summer I will sow some peas in a large pot just for shoots so I can keep pinching them off since they will not be grown for peas also. Additionally, peas can be sowed thickly so when thinning, you will be harvesting pea shoots at the same time.

Gather the ingredients: for one serving, about an inch-in-diameter of linguine, about five or six pea shoots, a tablespoon of capers, a tablespoon of fresh, flat-leaf parsley, a tablespoon or two of extra-virgin olive oil, table salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, a sprinkle or two of fleur de sel, and several tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan.

Cook the linguine in boiling water for about eight minutes and drain, reserving several tablespoons of the pasta water. Using the same pot, warm the olive oil on low heat and add the minced garlic and the washed pea shoots.  Stir and cook gently for about seven minutes or until the shoots are wilted, dark green, and tender.

Add the reserved pasta water, a tablespoon of capers, and a tablespoon of minced parsley. Toss the linguine in this sauce and simmer for about a minute or until most of the pasta water is gone. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Top with freshly grated Parmesan and fleur de sel. Though pricey, fleur de sel lasts a long time and is an indispensable addition after cooking or on raw foods when using fresh, simple ingredients. It taste-enhancing edge is lost when heated.

Though not quite a noodle, linguine encourages slurping, and this version particularly triggered noisy enjoyment.

Peas being a cool-weather crop are always a challenge for me to grow as early spring sometimes can be non-existent in the southwest of France with late winter becoming summer without a significant transition.

Happily the first pea flower opened, signifying pea pods will develop before June.

About a month after sowing bush peas, I fertilized the young plants with an organic, NPK balanced product.

Sprinkle fertilizer per packet's instructions, scratch in, and water well

When the plants started to sprawl, I strategically placed twigs to help support their growth.  Though the variety is bushy and not a vine, I have found out if the weather turns inclement with strong winds and rain, the small bushes get entangled, making harvesting difficult.

Weeded, fertilized, watered, twigged, and mulched bush pea bed!

Each spring I try to add some new plants to the potager.  This time, they are asparagus, early season/new potatoes, and blueberry bushes.  As blueberries require a very acid soil of about 4.5 pH and my soil is neutral with a pH of 7, I filled up a large planter with a potting mix for acid-loving plants.

At least two plants are needed to encourage fruiting

If the plant is root bound with roots coming out the bottom holes, then submerge the pot in a pail of water until it gets saturated. After tapping around the pot and on its bottom, I place the plant's main stem between two spread-out fingers while easing the blueberries out of their containers.

I always looks for slug eggs which resemble tiny beige pearls and squash them between my fingers.

There were quite a lot of slug eggs in one plant

I gently roughed the root ball all around with my fingers, so the roots would be encouraged to explore their new home.

To serve both as a mulch and as deterrent from cats digging pit stops in my lovely planter, I placed cardboard on the surface after watering the plants well.

Cardboard mulch weighted down with fragments of ever useful terracotta roofing tiles.

On the left, the strawberry beds are in full flower meaning strawberry harvesting is getting closer.

Various seedlings started indoors about six weeks ago are getting to close to being transplanted into their beds.

For a brief period, of about a week, lilies of the valley reign in the flower garden.

Dayo unfortunately has been unable to keep me company in the garden as he injured his back, right paw.  He needs to stay in for a few more days and on his regimen of medicines.

The fence separating our garden from Monsieur and Madame Ms is most likely the culprit.  Dayo scampers over it many times daily.      

À la prochaine!

RELATED POSTS:

Basic linguine sauce with roasted garlic paste
Sowing peas
Sowing indoors
Gruyere & pea shoots omellete

RELATED LINKS:

More information on growing and harvesting pea shoots by Willi Galloway at digginfood