Monday, July 1, 2013

Grow, Harvest, Eat

Happy Monday, everyone!

Grow

The garden is, with the exception of one single tomato plant, doing amazingly well despite the record breaking temps we had over the past week.  I anticipate many tomatoes and peppers in the coming weeks and cannot wait for our  tomatillos to begin forming their cute little lanterns!  In the meantime, I'm enjoying checking in on the echinacea, cayennes, corn, squash and beans each day.  I am feeling incredibly hopeful about this season!








Harvest

I am beside myself with excitement!  In addition to another little tomato, lots of eggs and some mint, we also had our first pepper harvests this week!  Two fairly large jalapenos and a handful of shishitos!  I do believe that the heat we're having will help us have a productive pepper season (as long as we can keep on top of the necessary watering without breaking the bank!  The radishes, however, have all bolted, so the few we've gotten are all we'll get until the weather cools a bit.

Harvest totals for the week:
  • Jalapenos - 1 oz
  • Mint - 2 oz
  • Radishes - 1 oz
  • Shishito Peppers - 1 oz
  • Tomato (Yellow Taxi) - 2 oz 
  • Eggs - 67



Eat - Meal Plan (6/29/13 thru 7/12/13)

In an attempt to continue with our goal of meal planning into the future, we have created a brand new one for the next two weeks!  It's the small things, I tell you.  If you are super detail oriented, you may notice that a couple of the items are duplicated from our last plan...that is simply because we did not actually make a couple of the meals due to dinner with friends and another round of cereal.  The point is, we're trying.

Breakfast
Crustless Quiche
Banana Nut Muffins
Breakfast Sandwiches

Lunch*
Pasta salad w/ tuna
Frito Pies
Egg Salad Sandwiches

Snacks
Kale Chips (after harvesting some of our own kale)
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Deviled Eggs


Dinner
Tuna Patties*
Pasta w/ meat sauce*
Mac & Cheese (w/ tuna or ground beef)
Shrimp & Bell Pepper Quesadillas
Bean Burritos
Spanikopita*
Vegetable fried rice*
Hamburgers, chips and 2012 dill pickles
Teriyaki Chicken
Garlic Lime Chicken
Texas Style Chile*
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas*
Beef Tacos
Build Your Own Pizza*
Mexican Stuffed Peppers*

*dinner leftovers will be eaten for lunch the next day

What are you growing, harvesting, planning and eating in your neck of the woods?  Please share your stories and links in the comments below!

xoxo

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30 comments:

  1. Looks good! I have only had a few tiny, super tiny tomatoes ripen, nothing else looks close!
    I am not a good meal planner, I plan everything at the last minute. I make bread, when we run out of bread, maybe a few days later ;) I was busy making things this week though!

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    1. Homemade bread really is the best, so if you can do that on a regular basis, I think you're ahead of the game!

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  2. Looks like a happy garden already producing! We also had first cherry tomato this week, but will wait a bit for regular slicing. And you already have peppers! Our are way behind the normal time this year.

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    1. It seems as though everything is all wonky this year...some areas are ahead of usual, some are behind. We're all over the place. I think some of our craziness has to do with the weather and some of it has to do with how early I started some seeds indoors this spring.

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  3. Tomatoes! Peppers! Oh, I am jealous! Your harvest is looking just wonderful!

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    1. Thank you! they are tiny harvests, but they are also very exciting!

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  4. I am almost ready to harvest the first green jalapeno peppers so I am not far behind you! Your harvests and the growing plants - all look really good. You have reason to feel hopeful about this growing season. :D

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    1. Our jalapenos were very hot! I do hope yours are, too!!!

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  5. I do love the way that the garden tends to keep us looking forward, ever hopeful. :-) Your harvests are looking good!

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    Replies
    1. True story. Ever hopeful is a very good space to be in ;-)

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  6. Oh my... I'll be a happy girl if that's in my yard. tomatoes and peppers, I just can't get the right condition for them. How do you get the pepper plants to be so lush and green? Every time I plant peppers, it live half way. There's always white stuff underneath the leaves, even after I tried to dispose and control the infected leaves. Can anybody help me with some tips?

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    1. I started my peppers inside under grow lights in early March, nursed them along, hardened them off, then put them in a hot spot in the yard with plenty of mulch. So far, so good ;-)

      I'm sorry I can't help with the white stuff on your leaves. Might it be some form of mold? It's so dry here, we don't run into mold or mildew issues often in the garden.

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  7. You have lots of yummy things to harvest in your garden. I envy you your tomatoes as mine are now done, have to wait for the next season ( we have to plant in fall for a winter/spring harvest) for more.

    As for Dya the white stuff under the tomato and pepper leaves can easily be cleaned with a soapy sponge from the kitchen. Just mix up some dishwashing liquid, dip the sponge and wash the undersides of the leaves. Leave the suds on 15 mins, then rinse off with a hose.

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    1. Ah yes, but you did have tomatoes, which is a very, very good thing!

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  8. Oh, you have peppers and tomatoes already! Mine still have a long way to go. I was counting on the weather being on the cool side as usual so I was in no rush to get most of the summer veggies in. But it's been warmer than usual and the spring garden is kaput early and the summer garden is not producing yet, other than the overachieving zucchini. I'm so envious of your peppers!

    The closest we get to meal planning around here is when my honey says "would you make...". :)

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    1. Oh yes, that horrible in-between time! We didn't have one of those this year because our over-wintered garden did not survive the winter and our spring garden never took off. So, straight into summer we've come...

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  9. I love the photos of your summer vegetables and flowers!

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    1. Thank you! I love taking photos of the garden :-)

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  10. I love the anticipation gardening brings. It is always a surprise what the season will bring. Love your menu planning.. I really need to be more organized about meals.

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    1. We're on a learning curve about the whole meal planning thing! at least it's a fun curve ;-)

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  11. The wrinkly Shishito peppers are so interesting looking. Your garden looks so healthy and lush!

    I'm leaving the hot peppers on the plants till I have enough tomatoes to make some salsa. I'm so excited with anticipation!

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    1. Oooohhh...fresh salsa! yes, it is worth waiting on the peppers to be able to create your own salsa!

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  12. I have harvested strawberries--only enough for a few snacks and not enough to make jam; 2 asparagus stalks-but next year they will be ready; lettuce and spinach.

    Everything has been slow to grow because of the cold/ wet conditions early on. Tomatoes are finally setting fruit (this time last year I had already harvest a good 20 lbs). Same thing with zucchini, yellow squash and peppers. The corn is 2 feet high and the green beans just set blossom.

    I am soooo impatient!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I know what you mean about being impatient...I tend to want to walk out there every morning upon waking to see what's new. *Most* days not much is new...but some days there is so much happening I can hardly contain myself! The garden really is a magical place!

      It sounds as though your space is doing wonderfully despite the crazy weather!

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  13. Your garden looks great, my tomatoes are only blooming at this point, though I have some little hot peppers set on and also cucumbers and one rapidly growing Cocozelle squash. But lots of self-sown kale and turnips are coming along and could be harvested soon. I also picked a bunch of grape leaves to make dolmades. Happy 4th!

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    1. How wonderful!!! Now, please tell me...what the heck is a Cocozelle Squash???

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  14. Looks like you have some gems in the garden. Thanks for sharing on Tuesday Greens!

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    1. Thank you, Becky...we're enjoying the season, without a doubt!

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  15. Your garden pictures look amazing! Everything looks so yummy to eat! Thanks for sharing with us over at the Homeacre Hop!

    Mary
    www.homegrownonthehill.blogspot.com

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    1. Oh yes...now the waiting for the eating is the *hard* part ;-)

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