Can it be? Harvest is upon us too soon. Weren't we just worrying about getting the seedlings moved outdoors into the garden mere weeks ago?
The 14 baby goats are all beautiful and healthy. Several are already claimed by new owners. Their first fleeces are growing in which makes them appear like little puff balls in the pastures. They'll have their first haircuts before Christmas. Everyone is getting plenty of minerals and some extra vitamins during this long hot spell.
There are four flats of strawberries in the freezer ($1.25/lb this year!), our raspberries and Marion berries are all finished and tucked into the freezer too. I'm trying to convince Hubby that I need another freezer . . . it was a good berry year. The hot weather held off just long enough.
It must be true that fall is just around the corner because this week I am already collecting seeds of poppies & calendula, cutting down the scraggly perennials and trimming shrubs all over the yard. The ground is as hard as a brick, even under the compost - love that Willamette Valley clay soil.
It feels like we are zooming through this summer. Especially now that the weather is supposed to touch the 100 degree mark early next week . . . let's just get it over with!
Katie has been so much fun to have as a helper! The garden and animals are doing better than ever. We are growing lots of cucumbers, beans, and winter squashes. And of course, zucchini to supply ourselves and the animals - Pygoras and banty Cochins. Later this fall, they will be dining on extra pumpkins - good against tummy parasites. I just loaded the food dryer with bits of zucchini for winter soups. Next I'll try making some dried chips for winter snacking by the goats.
It cannot be summer without lots of fresh basil pesto. Only fresh vine ripened tomatoes are better than this. My recipe for NW Pesto - into the food processor (NOT your blender): 6C fresh basil leaves, 1/3 C lemon juice, 3 Tbsp appler cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp salt, 1 teasp pepper, 3/4 C cut up Dubliner Kerry Gold Parmesan cheese, 1 C wlanuts (heated through in the microwave & cooled). Process all together until the 'green' seems fine, then drizzle slowly into the processor about 1 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The end result should be a nice thick paste. OH, SO FRAGRANT!!!
Can it be? Harvest is upon us too soon. Weren't we just worrying about getting the seedlings moved outdoors into the garden mere weeks ago?
ReplyDeleteThe 14 baby goats are all beautiful and healthy. Several are already claimed by new owners. Their first fleeces are growing in which makes them appear like little puff balls in the pastures. They'll have their first haircuts before Christmas. Everyone is getting plenty of minerals and some extra vitamins during this long hot spell.
There are four flats of strawberries in the freezer ($1.25/lb this year!), our raspberries and Marion berries are all finished and tucked into the freezer too. I'm trying to convince Hubby that I need another freezer . . . it was a good berry year. The hot weather held off just long enough.
It must be true that fall is just around the corner because this week I am already collecting seeds of poppies & calendula, cutting down the scraggly perennials and trimming shrubs all over the yard. The ground is as hard as a brick, even under the compost - love that Willamette Valley clay soil.
It feels like we are zooming through this summer. Especially now that the weather is supposed to touch the 100 degree mark early next week . . . let's just get it over with!
Katie has been so much fun to have as a helper!
The garden and animals are doing better than ever. We are growing lots of cucumbers, beans, and winter squashes. And of course, zucchini to supply ourselves and the animals - Pygoras and banty Cochins. Later this fall, they will be dining on extra pumpkins - good against tummy parasites. I just loaded the food dryer with bits of zucchini for winter soups. Next I'll try making some dried chips for winter snacking by the goats.
It cannot be summer without lots of fresh basil pesto. Only fresh vine ripened tomatoes are better than this. My recipe for NW Pesto -
into the food processor (NOT your blender):
6C fresh basil leaves, 1/3 C lemon juice, 3 Tbsp appler cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp salt, 1 teasp pepper, 3/4 C cut up Dubliner Kerry Gold Parmesan cheese, 1 C wlanuts (heated through in the microwave & cooled). Process all together until the 'green' seems fine, then drizzle slowly into the processor about 1 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The end result should be a nice thick paste. OH, SO FRAGRANT!!!