Storm bouquets

Although the plants will be fine, the wind from this weekends coming storm will bruise and desiccate tender leaves. So, I now have two huge bouquets on my table: one parsley and one basil. Take that, storm!

Salads and Italian gourd

It was time on Sunday to thin the lettuce plants to about 6 inches apart so they could grow to a decent size. I carefully washed the micro plants that I thinned out and made a spectacular salad. Here it is, dressed in good olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Every year I forget how tender and good fresh lettuce tastes. It was wonderful.

I watered and fertilized the plants left in the garden for growth and future meals. You can see that they now are doing quite well. I am worried, however, about this weekend's forecast for very high winds and the impact they may have on everything.

Although the season is way too late, I planted some seeds from an Italian relative. They call the plant zucchini, but it seems to be a gourd (white flowers, not yellow). I am growing it for the tips if the stems, which get boiled and the broth mixed with tomato and garlic. Broken pasta is then added. It was my favorite dish in Sicily.

Looking forward to the weekend rain, concerned about the wind. Fingers crossed.

Beans and greens

Last of the turnip greens from the fridge go into tonight's beans and greens dinner, adapted from the How To Cook Anything app's recipe. The steam fogged up the lens! Can't wait to add a drizzle of really good olive oil and a bit of Parmesan to my bowl!

What's new

Five rows of baby lettuces are happily growing in the garden now, with help from regular watering out of the rain barrels. You see them here. Small red peppers continue to flourish, and, as you see in the basket photo, the arugula is ready! I had my first dinner of pasta with arugula and garlic - it was just as good as it was with the last season's crop. I have put turnip roots and turnip greens in the freezer, plus still have some in the fridge to cook fresh. Turnip greens are not my favorite, but I still was shocked to see that my hens won't touch them!

Where the turnips were harvested I planted garlic, one of my garden favorites. Now I want some rain! My curly kale is big and healthy, and needs a first harvest. I have given away armloads of beautiful basil, and still have more than I can handle.

My fall failure: lactino kale. I planted two rows, and all but two plants have died from damping off (rotting at the base). Clearly I have a problem in this little part of the garden. It is late, and though I plan to plant a row in a new spot, it has been too dry. I need to bite the bullet and drag out the hose to soak the bed and get the planting done.