Summer Gardens

Brussel Sprouts

July is in full swing, and the gardens are looking fabulous. 

I'm grateful for a deep well - with the heat and no rain, we certainly would have lost our plants if I didn't water a few nights a week. 

Don't these brussel sprouts look fantastic?! I can't wait to get them into the freezer and enjoy them roasted with olive oil this winter...

Lucky for me, I'm the only one that likes them. 

As I talked about in the devotional this week, I'm not only enjoying the gardens this year, but I have had more success than any year past. 

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Yellow Crookneck Squash

Just this morning I took Trey out to the garden with me (always an experience) and picked a dozen tiny yellow squash and cucumbers to make a jar of baby dills. 

I picked a dozen or so large yellow squash as well, and this weekend, when I take a group over to my favorite Amish produce stand during our Food Tour , I'll pick up some red sweet peppers to whip up a batch of summer squash relish to can. 

Stay tuned for that recipe, complete with pictures. It's my mother-in-law's recipe, and Mom English has been canning for a gazillion years, so I can promise, it's a winner.  

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Cabbage

Don't Tom's cabbages look amazing? He finally told me his secret last night. 

When he was ready to transplant the seedlings, he dug out the row and covered the bottom with horse manure from the field. 

When the cabbage roots reached the manure, it gave them the extra oomph they needed. Plus, the manure holds moisture better than our clay soil. 

Oh, and he placed a thick layer of grass mulch around them. 

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Storage is the name of the game. Winter squash that can be stored are one of my secrets to keeping food costs down in the winter. These acorn squash will get a bit bigger than softballs and make a tasty meal filled with sausage stuffing...

They're also tasty filled with butter, brown sugar and apple pieces...

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Late-season Cantaloupe

This is me being all optimistic. I purchased some small cantaloupe seedlings a bit late and planted them in composted horse manure in their own raised bed. 

It's awfully late in the season, but who knows, if I put some clear plastic over them, I may just be picking cantaloupe this September. Stay tuned...

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