I’ve been scared of my tomato plants lately, all those tomatoes that’ll need pealed cored and cut. Though tomatoes are about all we have left growing in the garden. Besides the root crops and some winter squash, everything else is done and turning brown already. I’m still figuring out the timing thing as to when to plant to get the best staggered harvests. We got a decent amount canned and frozen along the way, here’s the tally: 

• 8 pints green beans (hot packed)
• 8 pints green beans (cold packed)
• 4 quarts dilly beans
• 13 pints dill pickles
• 2 pints dill relish
• 7 pints tomato sauce
• 5 pints hot hot salsa (I used the wrong peppers)
• 7 half pints blueberry jam

 

jars

With all the tomatoes left I am planning on doing lots of stewed tomatoes, some bruschetta and another batch of tomato sauce. I’m also going to try canning soup at some point, anyone have any good soup recipes? 

As much as I love a garden in the summer, Fall is sounding real nice right now. Low humidity, cooler air, lots of climbing weekends in west virginia and no more nights elbow deep in vegg scraps – at least not till next summer when we do it all again.

bike powered float

bike powered float built by recycle bikes in york for st. pats day.

fixed gears built over winter

j

found jess’s ten speed schwinn on the side of the road three years ago. stripped the entire thing. ground off all the brazons and painted it. frame and single piece crank are the only things original. things a tank.
i snatched up this orange american flyer from recycle bikes since it was the only bike that has ever fit me. put in new bottom bracket, cranks, wheels, bars, stem, seat post, and saddle. didnt tighten the first cranks i had on there enough and stripped em out on my second ride in the dead of winter. then proceeded to break my lock of in my chain after getting groceries. i cut through it with my multi tool.

new home of bike shop

third time ive helped move these gypsies this year

dandelion wine

my first gallon of wine. we’ll see.

homemade chalkboard

took an old window from work and sprayed it with chalkboard paint. drilled out holes and put old corks from wine bottles to hold tacks. ran wire through old tin cans. the never ending lists.

new compost area

65 degree wall

With the $$$ from the valentines day comp we were able to buy the materials for the 65 degree wall. It took a couple weekends to build with help from quite a few people. I’ll get a picture of it complete with holds here soon. 

I nagged nathan this weekend. I am a bad wife for it, but at least we have a garden fence out of the whole deal. I just thought he could start working on it, but he got the whole thing done and it looks great.

fence in progress

finished fence

seedlings

The majority of the wood slats were ’salvaged’ from an abandoned house by the co-op. The fence was in such disrepair, Nathan said he was doing a public service by removing it.

He prepped the garden plot too so all that’s left to be done is add some top dressing and plant when the soil temps are right. Our seedlings are coming along well and growing strong. I started the tomatoes the other day and some marigolds. I intended to plant by the cycles of the moon this year but as it turns out the moon is too slow for someone as impatient as myself. I hope to fall in tune with it when it comes to moving plants outside, that is when it seems to have the most impact from what I’ve read.

April rain is hitting us a little early, the next 10 days look to be gloom-filled compared to the nice weather we’ve enjoyed the past few weeks. I’ve got a lot of work to do on side jobs, so it’s probably for the best that I’ll be stuck inside for a while. Just gotta find some motivation… oh that’s right, make money.

Tassajara bread and snow peas

Our buddy Jud who is an incredible baker let me borrow The Tassajara Bread Book. After reading through it I made the basic recipe last night. I’m in love with this process, how the dough forms and changes and how as it changes you need to handle it as a living thing.

Goodbye bread machine, it’s craigslist for you. 

I planted snow peas yesterday too. It felt funny sowing seeds in such cold soil. It felt good more than anything else, to be outside digging in the soil, to be starting my garden in march. We’ve had such beautiful weather this month, looks like it’s all lambs and no lions this year.

 

bread yield