Summer Harvest

I keep thinking back to last summer and how sad I was to see it come to an end. It had gone by too quickly, and for the first time, it felt like the wait over the winter for new planting, growing, and harvesting was going to be tediously slow.
But this year is different. Yes, I have a due date to look forward to (so time can't go by quickly enough), but I've also taken full advantage of the seasons this time around. 
I've definitely noticed an impatience this year- with wanting the seeds to sprout, and wanting the harvest to come. I've been disappointed that things don't flower all at once and that the beauty and bounty don't last. But there is also something beautiful about being so intimately involved in the cycles of our garden. It does make you look forward and enjoy the harvest when it does come.
We noticed recently that life is a lot like June in the garden. Everything is planted and in the ground, and all that is left is to weed, water, and wait. So with that in mind, I'm especially grateful to have made it to August (nearly September!) and to be enjoying fresh vegetables that will sustain us for months to come.

Annie loves the garden, and has been especially attentive to the jalapeños, cucumbers, and tomatillos ("tommy-tillos").

​resources, Tips, & takeaways

• Check out my last post on gardening here.
• The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home by Janet Chadwick is my go-to book from the local library for all things freezing, drying, and canning. 
• Food in Jars is a website created by Marisa McClellan that is a great starting point for canning AND it has easy to follow instructions for water-bath canning
  • Canning 101
  • Dill Pickles
  • Pickled Jalapenos
• And there is "How to Braid Garlic" (and onions) by The Prairie Homestead to display your beautiful and functional plaited harvest

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Herbs

Turns out there is a little more to drying herbs than just cutting them and hanging them.

I found the article "How to Harvest and Dry Herbs for Storage" by Grow a Good Life to be incredibly helpful.

For the record, I do not dry my herbs correctly. I prefer to have them out where I can enjoy them, but I think they're better off in a cool, dark place while drying. 

​And once they're all dry? I'm going to use these jars for storage.

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Tomatillos

First of all, it turns out that these plants are VERY prolific. We really only needed one and I'm still not sure what to with all these tomatillos!
Something else I learned this year? Tomatillos are ready to pick once the husk that grows around each one starts to split.
I haven't canned anything with the tomatillos, but I did make and freeze a double batch of sauce from the Green Chile Chicken Tamales by Rick Bayless​.
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My favorite Creamy tomatillo ranch dressing

We don't have a Cafe Rio here, so I make this dressing and put it on everything.

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 Tomatillos
1 cup Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves Garlic

Take the papery layer off the tomatillo: wash and chop.
Chop the garlic.
Wash and chop the Cilantro.
Put all ingredients in a blender and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate.
​Makes 2 cups. Best made the day before.

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Tomatoes

There are a million different varieties out there, but this year our favorites are Sheboygans (As in Sheboygan WI, so you know they love this MN summer weather), Black Cherry Tomatoes, and the traditional Italian San Marzano. 
Couple of tips and tricks:

• Grow your basil alongside your tomatoes. Supposedly basil as a neighbor improves flavor, amongst other benefits.
• ​Cut down excess growth on your tomato plants so they put their energy into making tomatoes instead of leaves and branches. We neglected our plants this year and saw significantly less produce.

And what do we do with all of our tomatoes? I'll make and freeze a few soups and lasagnas and I'll can a bunch of the tomatoes. But it's incredible how much a fresh tomato or a new variety can enhance the flavor of a recipe. Here are some of the recipes we love this time of year:

• Tomato Galette with Basil Pesto and Feta by Wood and Spoon
• Mexico: One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless (tomatoes AND jalapenos AND onions)
  • Creamy Enchiladas with Chicken, Tomatoes, and Green Chile
  • Red Tomato Rice
  • Classic Shredded Beef

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What do you do with your summer produce?
And do you need any tomatoes???