I'm ashamed to say that I've not gone to our local farmers market much this summer. But I do have a good excuse. While I heartily advocate supporting your local farmers, especially if you do not have your own garden, I have more produce than I know what to do with this year. My mother and I have already made two batches of salsa and numerous jars of jam and I've dried a dozen or so varieties herbs, tinctured several more and am handing out veggies to all my neighbours. The extra garden plots this year have created our own little farm and we are terribly busy trying to keep up.
Meanwhile, at the market, the root veggies are center stage. I grow these golden beets - they are SO good for roasting or tossing on the BBQ. Also - tomatoes are everywhere. I love picking up the heirloom tomatoes at the market as I don't grow those varieties.
Summer squash is everywhere too, and our plants are popping out a good crop of sweet squash that will last us through the winter. The potatoes are slowly being dug and the onions are drying nicely in the basement. The only thing that didn't do well this year was the cucumber - we tried it in a pot, but it wasn't happy there. Luckily, the farmers market can hook us up!
Above is the yellow variety of tomato I grew this year. Large, beefstake-type tomatoes that are very fleshy but low acid. I've lost the name of this variety, but I'm very happy with it and will grow it again next year. I usually stick to paste/Roma tomatoes because I love them for bruschetta, in salsa and in sauces, but these yellow ones are keepers I think.
Below is just the little basket I picked this morning for a friend. Multi-coloured beets and carrots, yellow and red tomatoes, beet greens and a little calendula flower along for the ride.
I hope you've had a lovely harvest in the garden or at the farmers markets this year!
8 comments:
We're harvesting a boatload of little grape tomatoes at the moment -- yum! Our cukes did real well too. Zucchini and spaghetti squash are lagging, but that's not a bad thing as far as I'm concerned, LOL!
I wish I was a neighbor of yours! I adore homegrown veggies and just don't have the strength like I used to, to plant my own. I love pickled beets and roasted beets. Mmmmmm xo
my tomatoes did fairly well this summer but now they are about done. too hot here for growing in pots and i am finally about to give up. i have not hit one farmers market but have gone to lots of farm stands.
How wonderful! I didn't get to put in a garden this year thanks to my soninlaw. He lets his boxer/pittie mix run through the yard, smashing every plant it runs into. I was told that he was going to re-home Riley with a family who has the energy to play with this Tigger of a dog, but he didn't. So..no garden!
I second Barbara... I wish I was your neighbour! I haven't been to the farmers market too often this summer either, but I don't have the "excuse" of a garden. I went today and walked away with lemon Italian ice and a tamale I couldn't resist!
My Piano Man just laughed at me because I moaned when I saw that yummy tomato!
I have three awards for you at my blog! You have always inspired me and love reading your posts!
Our garden has been all over the place this year. One minute we're drowning in collard greens, the next we're scraping to find a single tomato. I suspect this is due to 1) crappy soil on our rented land; 2) living in the South when I'm from the North; and 3) going on vacation...
But it gives me an excuse to go to the Farmer's Market!
That last picture is SO gorgeous! Love it.
Stumbling over from Coexist Cafe. If you'd like to find me - should you feel like it - I'm at www.UrbanEarthworm.org.
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