One More Thing

Um, yeah.  I just had to show you the prettiest items in the garden right now.  Here are one of the Amish Pumpkins I started from heirloom seed.   She has several sisters growing nearby, too.   These pumpkins are supposed to be really good when cooked and turned into pies.  Can you say, "Thanksgiving"?

This little beauty is an acorn squash.   I love them split in half and baked with a little butter and brown sugar sprinkled over them.   And they're so good for you, too.....loaded with lots of beta-carotene.  

And my next favorite squash is the butternut.   After these guys get peeled and cut into 1" chunks, I usually marry them with chunks of potato, sweet potato and carrots.   If I'm really lucky and have some fennel I add that into the mix as well.   Put all the veggies on a baking sheet and toss them with olive oil and sea salt and pepper.    Roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes until they are caramelized.   Oh.  My.   Goodness.   Veggies have never tasted as good as they do when roasted in the oven.

And here is the star of the late summer garden.    I wasn't sure if these would even grow here, but I took a chance and planted some heirloom seeds and darned if they didn't go crazy!   As a matter of fact, these plants took over a good section of the garden.   If you haven't guessed already, I'll tell you what it is.   A watermelon.   A watermelon named Stars and Moon.  Do you see the larger yellow spot?    That's the moon, and it's surrounded by little stars.   Cool, isn't it?   We're eating one today for our Labor Day picnic.

And last but not least are our concord grapes.   I've talked about the arbors even since we purchased the farm last fall.   Here is one of the many bunches of grapes draping down from the arbor.   Aren't they gorgeous?   I love the color....so deep and rich.   The skins are a little sour and make your mouth pucker, but if you squeeze the grape and suck out the pulp into your mouth, you discard the skin and spit out the seeds.   Yeah, real lady-like, but that's how the farmer showed us to eat them.   And it works.  

Pretty soon I'll be putting the garden to bed.  I know I could be planting a fall garden, but I'm done.   Yes, I know.  It's hard to believe, but even I know when to cry "uncle".   And now is the time.   Between the canning and the impending delivery of the kitchen, I am officially on overwhelm.  

"Nuf" said,
Debbie