December: Final Harvests and Clean Up BURNs

First... the beautiful things growing in the garden right now.

Parsnips

Turnips? Not sure (dang it!)

Spinach


A final harvest of tomatoes! Amazing year! I'm making tomato paste as I type.

My son and mother-in-law harvesting the dried-on-the-vine Kentucky Wonder beans last weekend

I collected the open seed pods of garlic chives (should be seeing quite a few of those popping up everywhere... oops again)

I'm amazed how much our garden produced for us this year. A year I assumed would be a slow flop just kept going and going and going. Yesterday I decided to make a fun push to finish the garden clean up and burn any bulky stuff that remained around (such as corn stalks and massive rotting tomato vines). In the midst of the day my 3.5 year old helper and co-gardener took a nap so I stopped for a few minutes and looked around with my baby on my back and found so many beautiful little spots in our yard and garden. I spent the most time with these three views:

Honeybush

Texas Tarragon

Our native lawn

Then I thought with excitement about my garden next summer. I'll have a crawler and a wild boy by my side planting and watching and watering and playing. This area below is the children's garden spot. I may make a few changes to it, we'll see how it evolves in my brain. I enjoy looking at it as an empty canvas!

My youngest son and I had to wait for big brother to wake up before starting the burn pile on fire. In the mean time we sampled some of the greens around the garden. Z's favorite? The bitter mustard greens! He chewed on this baby leaf for a long time. Isn't he the perfect picture of a future gardener?

At the end of the day: The burn. I'm a sucker for a bonfire, as are both of my boys! There is something so primal and pure about gathering around flames.

Kentucky Wonder Beans, Dried

I have learned that there is something about growing my own dried beans that makes me think of them as more than food. They are beautiful, shining, glorious lovelies worthy of art haha!

This summer we had a great run of Kentucky Wonder beans fresh and crunchy and green right off the vines. I love this particular variety for it's reliable and delicious abundance. This year we had done beans so many different ways and for so many meals that we... I'll admit it... we got sick of them! ACK! I even preserved some in cans and in vinegar. So the last pods remained on the vine and there they rested. Until this weekend. My mother-in-law, Kathryn, and my son and I went about bringing in the remaining pods of beans and then Kathryn shelled them! (oh thank you!!) We ended up with 4.5 cups of dried BEAUTIFUL beans.After soaking them for 24 hours with a glug of vinegar I drained and rinsed them before placing the beans in a large stock pot, covered them with a few inches of water, added a tablespoon of sea salt and a smoked turkey leg for good measure. I cooked them, uncovered, on medium heat on the stove top for 3 hours and let me tell you: They are good. They are fantastic. I searched around to see if they were worth cooking as a dried bean and didn't find much so really I just went ahead and tried and I'm so very glad I did. I will ALWAYS grow enough to have a large batch of these dried beans from now on. They have a nutty flavor and a very creamy texture. I highly recommend them if you have never tried it.

Frost

I only had but a few moments to slip out today and check out the frost, but oh what a beautiful few moments they were! Once I got everyone dressed and ready to head out the frost had mostly melted. We'll see what lives and what does not. I can already see our giant bush of false salvia is toast... funny how I was just thinking it needed a trim!

The December Garden

I've been working on this post for over 2 weeks now, so really I should call these photos the November/December Garden. November was interesting to say the least. Fruit trees in bloom, tomatoes and corn continuing to grow. December came in quietly and quickly. Stillness in the garden. Stillness in my garden mind. Craziness in my world as I continue to adjust to mothering two very busy children while reminding myself at every turn that this time in my life is simply a season and it will pass. It will pass and I will treasure these moments with my sweet young children (and celebrate the passing of time as well).

winter tomatillos

corn's last hoorah
which, by the way, is perfect and tasty

languishing yet lasting carrots
cilantro... or should I say coriander? for which I have plans green green long grass

ravaged potato tops. these are ever sprouting no matter how much I harvest
bolted leeks

cauliflower and broccoli babes, purple haze carrots

beet greens and chard, well harvested. somethings or others under the bird protection - I neglected to write down what I planted. so far looks like carrots and somethings.

mustard greens. gorgeous, succulent, bitter mustard greens.

parsnips, spinach, somethings all under cover for migrant bird protection

This has to be my most pathetic winter garden I've ever had. I've just never been so busy before! Big plans for summer though. I'll have a crawler/walker and a 4 year old in the sun and dirt. That somehow sounds easier than 3.5 and barely moving in the cold and mud LOL. We shall see!

Thankful

for kindness
health
grandparents
spouse
children
family
love.

Procrastination pays off sometimes

We've had our first few frosts of the season. I haven't been in the garden much this fall and when I look to see what I had going on last year at this time I was harvesting broccoli! Wow, not that together this year. I'll blame it on the kids. ha. I am amazed I don't accomplish more than I do as I'm in a constant state of perpetual motion from the moment I wake until I go to bed. It's just not overly productive motion when caring for 2 small kids is my focus.

But the garden is ever-loving! This weekend I went out and found some carrots hiding in one of the beds and roasted then tossed them with browned butter and fresh minced thyme. Oh my. And we've been making lots of guacamole. So much so that I ran out of onions. But hark! onions in the garden that were just left behind because they were too small to make harvest. Ya, procrastination on garden clean up really can pay off. I even have a small harvest of tomatoes left for sauce. Maybe today! Eh, maybe not!

We ate our first pomegranate from Colven's tree! It was really neat to see my boy eat his first fruit from the tree his placenta nourished.

These persimmons are not from our garden (although I did plant a tree this year!) but they are so abundant right now in our area. I bought a huge pile of them from The Farm. They were 4 for $1! I've been making Persimmon Pudding with Brandied Whipped Cream like mad. Everyone is addicted. I was given a tip by a friend of ours to use the Joy of Cooking recipe with double the spices for the pudding. Um ya, excellent! EXCELLENT! The Brandied Whipped Cream is made by adding a splash of brandy and a bit of sweetener to some heavy cream and then whip together until it reaches the consistency you desire. I'm fond of the gloopy whipped cream as opposed to the stiff peak kind.

Back to tending the stove to warm our house.

Moons & Stars & Milky Ways

I found this little heirloom Moon&Stars watermelon gem today hiding in the asparagus patch! I planted late and honestly kind of forgot about the poor little bugger. Today as I was watering here and there this sweet single melon caught my eye and what interesting galaxies this melon sky beholds. We'll be having November melon for dessert tonight; What a treat!

"Mom! I found you something sooo awesome. SO AWESOME mom. Wait till you see THIS! Oh wow mom... there are TWO! SO AWESOME!" worms and words from my 3 year old :)

We did a late harvest of gourds and squash and pumpkins today, assembled them in front of the garden gate on a giant pile of mulch and took a Ranch Family photo. I didn't post the photo with everyone in it since I didn't ask the permission of anyone and seeing as this is public... but I did take a test photo of the scene and isn't it gorgeous? Look at our harvest! I'm smitten and proud :)

The Pumpkin

You may not believe it, for hardly could I:
I was cutting a pumpkin to put in a pie,

And on it was written in letters most plain

"You may hack me in slices, but I'll grow again."

I seized it and sliced it and made no mistake

As, with dough rounded over, I put it to bake:
But soon in the garden as I chanced to walk,

Why, there was that pumpkin entire on his stalk!

by Robert Graves

Not to be outdone, this Cinderella pumpkin took my peep-toe hot pink heels with her!

Vacation

We've been on vacation. Well, sort of. Because you know a vacation isn't really a vacation with 2 small children. It was a break from chickens, weeds, laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc etc however and for that all I can say is YAY! Swimming, beaches, and gluttonous amounts of tasty food prevailed. And kid chasing. Lots of kid chasing.

I came home to a very fall garden which would have had lovely lettuces and beets and carrots awaiting our arrival had the covers not blown off and the two recalcitrant juvenile chickens had not had their way with them. I'm still working on locating their roosting spot as I can never seem to make it outside as they prepare to slumber. Tonight perhaps?

Autumn in and around the garden

Autumn is upon us isn't it! The amaranth and sunflowers have gone to seed (oops), the popcorn is dried on the stalk and ready for harvest. We're in the garden with scarves and sweaters. This scarf was made by a friend for my birthday a few years ago and my grandmother made that hooded baby sweater for my first boy so it's extra special for my second to be wearing it. Despite what I said just a few short weeks ago, I'm ready for winter to slowly creep in. I've been busy spiffing up our house and getting it ready for the {hopeful} rainy days ahead.
Freshly harvested strawberry popcorn

figs!

Lemon verbena flowers