Garden Madness 2009, #3

[nonelvis]

It's been a surprisingly long time since the last Garden Madness entry, but there's finally something exciting to post about: TOMATOES. Even more exciting than usual, what with the CSA having lost its entire tomato harvest to late blight – makes me glad I planted my own, and that I've been lucky enough so far to miss the blight.



They're sitting on top of what's probably the last big harvest of sugar snaps, though I won't count out the peas just yet; they've been quite prolific this year.

The tomatoes wound up in a mixed vegetable salad whose only non-local ingredients were the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. The peas, tomatoes, parsley, and lemon thyme are mine; the green peppers, summer squash, favas, and leek are from the CSA.



Also, I CAN HAS BLACK-EYED SUSANS! For some reason, the last couple times I planted them, they totally failed. Not this year.



And finally, there may yet come a day when I am tired of photographing bees on the echinacea. Today is not that day.



(Very much worth viewing at original size for maximum hairy bee cuteness.)

Comments

[kalleah.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, the tomatoes look excellent. YUM.

The tomatoes wound up in a mixed vegetable salad whose only non-local ingredients were the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.

What, you don't dry your own salt? ;)

[nonelvis]

If I lived on the shore, I might consider giving it a shot ;) I'm already thinking about making my own mustard!

[syzygy-lj.livejournal.com]

Seriously, stop. You're making Martha Stewart look bad.

[nonelvis]

Aw, c'mon. I have a whole bunch of mustard seed lying around, and I've always wanted to try making mustard from scratch -- pretty much all you have to do is grind it and add water and salt. Easier than mayonnaise, really.

[columbina.livejournal.com]

I make my own mustard periodically. The time difference between grinding up mustard seed and starting with mustard powder is a negligible part of the recipe.

Why do it? Two reasons.

One, you can experiment with what you add. Nonelvis said water but most mustards also have vinegar; and a mustard made with cider vinegar tastes different from one made with rice wine vinegar (the latter is excellent for dipping eggrolls into).

Two, mustard gets tamer the longer it sits. If you want that real up-your-nose mustard bite, you gotta make it fresh.

[syzygy-lj.livejournal.com]

I know, I was just teasing!

[iko.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about the tomato blight hitting your CSA, nut yay for your own tomatoes!

[nonelvis]

I feel awful for the team of farmers. They're also worried they'll lose the potato crop to the same blight.

[syzygy-lj.livejournal.com]

I wish I had a garden. :(

[platypus]

Are those black cherry tomatoes? NOM NOM NOM. I have to go to Whole Foods if they're in season.

Also, I will never get tired of fuzzy bees.

[nonelvis]

Yup, black cherry tomatoes. I have three cherry tomato plants and one slicing tomato (a black heirloom, the Paul Robeson). I can't wait for things to really start ripening -- it's going to make the most beautiful panzanella.