End of Summer?

Someone needs to tell my green beans.

And my peppers.

I’m picking green beans every day now.

They have gotten their second wind I guess.

That basil plant needs to be made into pesto as well.

It’s not the sweet basil you normally see. It has a slightly different taste but we really like it.

This one has much cleaner leaves without being bothered by as many pests.

I’m not pointing any fingers. 

But I have found several of these guys this year and they still freak me out!

Anyway, with my bean stalk not quitting anytime soon I decided to start freezing them.

It’s pretty simple. You just blanch them. Fancy word for boiling like 2 or 3 minutes. Then you throw them in some ice water to halt the cooking. Then they are ready to freeze if you want. Or you can do this prior to sautéing them in some garlic and olive oil. Or you can dip them into a dill and greek yogurt dip and munch away.

They stay nice a bright green this way too.

I froze some of my peppers as well. I did not blanch them. I just washed, sliced and put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then after the froze individually I put them in ziploc bags. That way I can take out what I need without them all being frozen in a big clump.

I planted more lettuce now that it cooled off a bit. I hope they do better then in the spring.

Anyone still have a garden growing?
Whatcha got left? 

I'd love to hear.

Garden Progress

My garden is growing. It’s actually producing veggies.

It was sort of haphazardly put together so it is a bit of a shock that it has survived.

It’s just a little patch that hubby put together. We have plans to make a raised bed next time. 

It will keep Henry out and be a bit more organized. 

It's sort of the garden version of my desk right now. I could use some organizing there too. 

The tomatoes are really yummy. I love to make a caprese salad with them. 

I have the basil growing too.

The cucumbers are producing really well. I’ve just started getting a few of these oddly shaped ones. I read that it is from a pollination problem. Not enough going on or something like that. 

I need to find some recipes because I don’t know what to do with them all!

Sugar baby watermelons. They are not ready yet. 

I have never grown melons but I think I have to wait until the tendrils turn brown. 

Has anyone grown these before?

      

 I may have to make some salsa with the peppers and tomatoes.

Goes well with a bottle of Corona on a hot summer day.

I almost yanked out all of the zucchini because of this mildew it had on it. 

But I left 2 and low and behold a tiny zucchini is growing. 

See it right below the flower?

I almost stepped on this little guy. A baby gecko!

Henry loves it outside. He had to get a steroid shot the other day so he is a peeing machine right now. But it helped his itchiness a lot. He’s barking a lot deeper now too. HA!

Hope your gardens are growing well. I know a lot of people are having crazy heat. 

I think we’ll be getting some of it the next few days. 

Stay cool everyone!

Linking up:
Fishtail Cottage: Cottage Flora Thursday

see ya,