Kildeer

Amazing camouflage.

We came across this nest a day ago. It is very amazing how the eggs are so well hidden in plain sight. I am not sure if this is a viable nest as there were no signs of the adults. I will check again tomorrow.

This would be the second set of eggs for the season. I love how at the end of the summer, there are kildeer all over the farm, each practicing its acting. It is like being surrounded by a thousand tiny ham actors, all trying to lure you away with their broken wings.

The Garden at the Start of Summer (Maybe)

The garden as of June 30, 2012

The gardener standing in front of the mock orange

 The garden is growing very fast due to the excess amounts of rain. 

The strawberries are ripe now, but the have had too much rain. They taste more like water than berry. Same with the raspberries and cherries. They have a hint of flavour, and are no doubt still very good for you.

There hasn't been too much trouble with bugs, mostly because it is too cold.

The cabbage and the onions are all very content. It is only the water logged gardeners that are complaining!

Lush new growth due to the endless rain.

Making Dolmas: What to do with too Much Chard

If you plant kale or chard, you know you will always produce more than you need, your friends need and your family needs. But if you have to buy wither in a grocery store, they ask for a princely sum. Something is wrong the the supply and demand side of this formula.

Anyway, the following gives a general recipe for how to make dolmas. If you don't grow your own chard or kale, find a local grower/seller or make friends with a gardener.

Pictured below is my very large colander full of kale, chard, herbs, onions and celery straight from the garden.

To make the dolmas, I cut celery, onion, mint, oregano and dill very finely and then mix it with a pound or two of ground meat.

Finer than this even...
Then I blanche the chard or kale in boiling water and then cool it in ice water. The ice always melts half way through and it doesn't change the the success of the recipe so don't worry about it. Once the leaves have cooled, add a tablespoon of the meat mixture and roll it in the centre of the leaf like the picture below...
Pack the dolmas in a casserole and add broth and cook for about an hour. I freeze them after and then eat them as a treat throughout the fall and winter.I do this about two or three times a year and I always run out sometime near Christmas.

Garlic Harvest

It was time to dig up the garlic this weekend. The garden is looking so lush and lovely, but the garlic has been getting browner. This is when you know it is time to harvest, when all the green dies back.

I planted most of the garlic in October, but we lost almost all of our crop in November because the weather as so wet and cold. I replanted with some Russian red garlic I bought at a winter market in December. Although it was late in the season, I decided to plant it.


I had to drill into the frozen soil in order to plant the cloves, and I was afraid it wouldn't work, but it did! It was a good thing too, because I wouldn't have any garlic this year. Maybe I will plant all my garlic in December from now on.

Blueberry Time

Everybody should have a secret berry picking spot. I know I do. I have several, depending on the berries I am seeking at the time. I have included photos of my top secret blueberry picking spot. (All identifying markings have been removed in order to ensure secrecy. )

I remember going berry picking with my family. I kind of hated it as I recall. It seemed like a lot of work with very little reward. Now I look back fondly on those times I spent with my family. My parents are dead now, but I like to think they are there in the bog with me, as I fill my stomach and my bucket with blueberries.

The Garden July 15th

It has been a cold spring and summer, which means all the plants are a growing a little slower, but so are the aphids and cabbage moths, so the garden is looking really beautiful right now. I am especially proud of my cabbages, which look like display cabbages they are so beautiful.

Canning Peaches

I was just passing through the Okanagan on a week-long roadtrip, so I thought I would pick-up some fresh fruit along the way. It seems such an odd year for growing. Everything is ready all at once. I knew cherries were available as well as apricots but peaches and nectarines were ready too. I even found some freestone peaches, which is really early.

My peach canning recipe
I use a hot water bath for the peaches. And my canner fits four wide mouth jars at a time, so I will give a one batch recipe.

Equipment
4 wide mouth canning jars sterilized, rings and lids, and ready to go
(To sterilize the jars, you palce them in the oven at 250 degrees F for ten minutes.)

To peel peaches:
1 canner (fill half the canner) bring to a boil
1 bowl of ice cold water
1 small pot half filled with hot water for heating lids

Ingrediants:
6 or seven freestone peaches (1 1/2 per jar is the general rule although this changes with size)
2 cups of sugar
8 cups of water

1. Use a large pot and add the sugar and the water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir constantly. Allow syrup to bil and then turn off the heat.

2. Bring the canner to a boil. Place peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds or so. Do not cook peaches. Once the peaches are ready place them in ice cold water. The skin should peel away very easily. If not then you need to leave them in the scalding water a little longer. Peel the peaches and cut them in half. Use the knife to pry the flesh away from the pit.

3. Place peaches in jar and cover with syrup immediately so that the peaches do not brown. You can add a little at a time. Do not overfill. Allow 1/4 of an inch head room at the top so that the lids will seal.

4. Place lids in a small pan filled with hot water (almost boiling). Do not boil the lids.

5. Once the jars are filled, clean the rims with a clean cloth so that the lids will seal. Place a lid on the jar, put on the ring and screw it on but not too tight.

6. Add some cold water to canner so that the level rises to around 3/4 of the way and so that the liquid is not too hot. Add the jars. Make sure the water just covers the lid. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes.

7. Place hot jars on a dry cloth and allow to cool down. Keep away from open windows, as cold temperatures will cause the jars to crack. You should hear the lids "pop" as they cool down and seal. It is pretty easy to tell if the lids have sealed by tapping on them (when they have cooled). Remove the rings, clean the jars, label them, and place in a cool dry place for eating when peaches are out of season. Enjoy.

The Summer Garden

Finally, the peas are ready, the cherry tomatoes are just starting, the strawberries are almost finished, and the raspberries were a bust. The beans in the bean house are now climbing their poles. The garden is looking very good.

I am disappointed by the champion of England pea seeds. They are vigorous but the peas themselves are tiny and not very tasty. The Mr Vans are amazing tall and big pods with tasty peas. Waiting on the Manitoba peas but I think they may be small but they are also very vigorous..

The soya beans took, with a catch of about 70% which is better than in past years. The sunflowers never germinated, so have to buy some seeds next year. I liked the West Coast seed variety pack (usually I don’t go for that kind of thing but these were pretty good and they kept you guessing).

The zuccinni are producing now and soon we will be buried under an avalanche of them.

Strawberry Season and Pesticides

Strawberry season is now open and, in fact, will have reached its peak by the end of this week. I love strawberries and I usually freeze quite a few bags of them in order to get through the winter, but according to EWG, strawberries are now in the top twelve fruits and vegetables you should not eat unless they are organic.

From Mother Jones (http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/03/econundrum-12-most-contaminated-fruits-and-veggies)

In descending order, the EWG's 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables:

1. Peaches

2. Apples

3. Sweet bell peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Kale

9. Lettuce

10. Grapes (imported)

11. Carrots

12. Pears

For the full list of all 47 fruits and veggies, go here.

Solstice

Almost at the summer solstice. It is hard to believe that summer will ever come. The weather has been unseasonably cold and wet. The garden is growing but the fruit will not set or if it does, it will be watery tasting. The fruit needs the sun to sweeten it. I feel, like I need the sun to chase away the grey.

Summer Garden

Summer is full-on now. We have been experiencing the hottest days on record. The garden is about 3 weeks ahead of last year. The corn is ready and there is a large pumpkin growing in the middle of the garden. It just appeared out of nowhere.

The sweetpeas are growing tall and sweet smelling. They are my favourite scented flower. So lovely.


The corn will be ready, like the beans, all at once. I will eat as many as I can. But like every other year, I will tire of the corn before it has finished producing. Later, as soon as all the corn is gone, I will start craving it all over again.