I’ve been shaking my head in despair all summer over news of extreme drought in the West, and now we’re getting a taste of it here. Not just the garden but even some shrubs and trees have looked disturbingly droopy this past week in the absence of any good, soaking rain (we had a five-minute tease one evening). I’ve been watering the garden, of course, and praying for rain – perhaps this afternoon, according to the forecast.
In happier news, the tomatoes have finally begun to ripen, with some just beginning to blush and others almost ready to slap on a sandwich. Mmm. I have one tomato in particular that seems to be striving to become the largest tomato I’ve ever grown … it’s huge!
The second planting of bush beans also surprised me this week by already beginning to produce, so I will actually have beans at the market tomorrow! I also still have an abundance of zucchini, including some lovely large ones that would make great zucchini bread or soup (I found a zucchini chowder recipe in Simply in Season that’s particularly good!). I’ll likely have more basil and rosemary, too, and if I’m feeling impatient, I might pick a few almost-ripe tomatoes for some lucky folks to set in the kitchen windowsill!
I also want to thank all of you for the overwhelmingly positive response to Fairydiddle Farm Hot Salt. I only had a small batch to begin with, but enthusiastic customers reduced my supply to a single jar by the end of the market last Friday! Now I’m trying to coax the jalapenos into growing faster so I can make more …
Pray for rain with me (and a jalapeno growth spurt), and I hope to see you at the New Market Farmer’s Market tomorrow afternoon! The forecast is promising a beautiful day.
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