One of Many

I have about 10 posts swirling around in my brain right now. Most of them revolving around debriefing after the summer garden. On a normal day, I would do a list (for SHG) but today, no. I will have one ode to the forgotten garden item. The one I am sorely missing now that the weather has turned cool an it is time for soups. And that item...

Leeks.

The past several years I have started the leeks early. Ridiculously, absurdly, unreasonably early. I put the seeds in the dirt in January. They are ready to plant out early in March. Then they are still small as the weather warms. You can eat them, certainly, but they are quite onion-y. None of the subtle sweetness. And small. Hardly-worth-it-for-heavens-sake-just-buy-a-scallion. So I would leave them in the garden, growing along until fall, when they would look fat and lovely and be mild and delicious. Especially after the frosts. I would have leeks through Thanksgiving. I mulched them heavily to try to prevent the splitting from the outsides freezing, but then they would get a little slimey. None the worse though if you pulled off the outer leaves.

This year, THIS year I thought I would get clever and put off the planting of leeks until mid summer. They take 120 days, and since you want the growth to all happen before the last frost, you have to count back 4 months from October 15, which would be....um, right June 15. Which is precisely when the rest of the garden is packed with other goods. So this year, not only did I forget to start the little beggers in May/June, I wouldn't have had any space if I had. Poor planning indeed. And the price is no lovely leeks for soup or smashed potatoes. Dag. I miss those critters.

Frankly, I have never done the onion thing well, but I have muddled through with the leeks. I'll have to not think too much about it for next year. Thinking seems to be where I really get myself in trouble.

Winner

I made a batch of Farm Girl Susan's No Sugar Green Tomato Relish last night. It was simple. No peeling, only rough chopping, and long simmering. She hits it with an immersion blender at the end, but I just used a potato masher for a chunkier sauce. I think I will add more heat though, even with the 4 jalapenos called for, the heat factor is only about at 3 of 10, though I should probably taste it again after an overnight sit before I make my final determination.

I put it in bags to freeze since I was too disorganized to get the canning together last night. Heading down to make another batch now. It will be a good stand in for tomatillo salsa. And with more pepper and cilantro added would be chimichuri-ish and fabulous with grilled meats. This is such a boon with all the green tomatoes!

Birds

This morning is spectacularly gorgeous. Bright and clear with a definite bite of cold. There are birds everywhere out there. I don't just mean the ducks who are splashing happily in the creek and exploring the property next door. Song birds are everywhere. They are flying around with purpose, but somehow also seem excitable. I am speculating that they are all doing errands for the imminent trip south for winter.

I am sure we had frost in the swale last night where the garden is. Good thing I harvested the peppers and what was left of the basil. Everything else out there can stand a nip of frost. I also brought in the green tomatoes. It was a remarkable harvest. Mostly for being so completely unexpected. It must be close to 2 gallons of peppers and at least that of tomatoes mostly green but some ripe-ish and some that will probably turn red with some stern words and warm sunlight. I am planning at least one and likely two batches of Farm Girl Susan's No Sugar Green Tomato Relish. I'll let you know how it goes. I may even end up canning some of it as the freezer is absurdly full.

This week I made my chicken tomatillo crock pot thing, and a big batch of beef stew. I have been craving warm sloppy stew-ish type things these days. Soon, it will be chicken soup. One of my favorite things on earth. When the real cold hits, I put the chicken on in the morning with all the stock bits that I have put in the freezer during the week, onion ends, parsley stems, etc. and cook the chicken until just done. I pull that out and let it cool. Then the I pick the chicken an throw the bones, skin, etc back in the stock and continue to add veggie bits as I go about whatever other cooking I am doing during the day. Then the stock gets strained and I throw in some fresh veggies (onion/carrot/celery) depending on the stock flavors, and maybe a few potato bits. Toss the dark meat back in, season with salt and pepper and ladle over wide egg noodles. The SB prefers the tiny thin noodles but he is often out voted on this.

I may even start some bread this weekend. Having the oven on would take the chill off. Too early for heat.

Slacker

Wow, I have totally been slacking off in the blog department. So, let's catch up with a list shall we?

1. Went to Reedville for a long weekend with some girlfriends and their small children at the end of September. It was lovely. The children were lovely. We had much fun with small children in the water, which is one of my favorite things. Children are exhausting, how does anyone have them 24/7?
2. It went from summer (90+ the weekend we were in Reedville) to in the span of about 14 days.
3. It went straight from socks required in the AM, to really-I-should-be-wearing-my-woolie- slippers-if-I-only-knew-where-to-find-them.
4. I have a wedding to go to today and nothing to wear. Shocking.
5. I am back to making cornbread every week and still searching for the perfect recipe. Feel free to hook me up if you have one that is not too dry and not too sweet.
6. We went to the urban goat keeping workshop. Wow. Those goats got some cute goin' on. We didn't get to stay for a lot of the hands on stuff b/c things started late and the SB and I both had evening obligations. Maybe spring on the goats.
7. The SB has taken on putting up the ducks at night most times. He volunteers as he is up much later than I and the ducks like to be out as much as possible. And we like that too as it makes for a less messy duck house.
8. The ducks are molting, and the production seems to be 1 or 3 eggs a day. Interestingly, rarely 2.
9. Work is busy.
10. Dark evenings mean that before long, we won't be working outside much in the evenings and I can start sewing again. Woot!
11. We have tons of spinach, chard, carrots, Chinese cabbage and very spicy arugula in the garden.
12. We will be planting the garlic soon.
13. An interesting article about Colony Collapse Disorder in bee populations.
14. A couple weeks ago something knocked my hive over. The SB called at work to give me the heads up. The bees were actually pretty cool about me coming to pick things up. It didn't look like anything had been rummaging around in the hive. I suspect it was a deer that crashed into it in the middle of the night. Those things are clumsy and their startle response is way over developed. I am just hoping the queen didn't get killed in the jostling and repositioning. I didn't look through the hive for her, I am not that good at finding queens as they pretty much look like every other freakin' bee in the place. Though my bee mentor (who rocks) would totally disagree.
15. I am finally coming to terms with the fact that I am well on my way to being "that crazy lady down the street". I just came in from letting the ducks out and I realize that I went outside (that would be appearing IN PUBLIC) in capri length yoga pants (grey), blue socks, black clogs, a maroon shirt and a purple and green anorak. Right. I would much prefer to be the crazy lady down the street in vintage patched Chanel jacket and 19th century granny boots with blue jeans. Maybe that is what I can aspire to for my golden years. So if anyone finds some old totally too far gone Chanel, send it my way, K?

Refresher Course

Check this out. Cuz some of us could use some remediation.

And while you are there, see some of the fabulous vintage stuff. Pure inspiration. Smashing.

That coat reminds me of the sew along going on over here. Had I more time and a functional sewing room, I would be AT IT. You go girls.

Seriously....

SOMEONE needs to do something about the rain situation. Clear fall days are all fine and good, but seriously. We haven't had more than an inch of rain since July. I am starting to think a hurricane would be just fine about now.

The garden is limping along. The long beans are pretty much done. The squash are just hanging out waiting for us to bring them in. I have arugula, chard, carrots, beets, broccoli raab, mustard greens and some lettuce. More chard and spinach on the way. The peppers are giving their last hurrah and producing like crazy. We are drying and freezing. The first tomatoes are pretty much done and there is a little more okra coming. A few cukes and summer squash. We have nearly lost our blueberries because I am an idiot and keep forgetting to water them. The old blueberry doesn't really wilt, it just starts to die - gah! I need some notice please!!!! I think we have saved them though harvest next spring will be totally hit or miss.

Please join me in a rain dance. Soonest.

And Then There Were Ten

I had been thinking of posting for a while. You know what I mean - phrases, ideas, photo opps all piling up. It was going to be about how much I love the fall garden and how welcome the last two days have been weather-wise. The pulling of the blue jeans from storage the consideration of socks... though I haven't gone so far yet.

Unfortunately, this post is about the first loss in the duck flock. One of the little brown ducks was killed today by a raptor. We don't know what kind, maybe an immature eagle of some sort, apparently we have both bald and golden on the river only two blocks from the urban farm. I heard some ruckus outside, but it was brief. About a half hour later, I went out and the remaining flock was tightly huddled and staring at the bird that had just started eating the little brown duck. The bird flew away, and it had to be one of the largest I had ever seen. The duck was undeniably dead, which I admit was something of a relief. I herded the flock into their pen and closed them up tight. They were freaked, and kept staring across the creek at their dead companion.

I went inside for the SB. We found an old tee shirt relegated to the rag bag and made a little shroud for her. Then the SB brought out the maddock to dig a hole for her. There has been so little rain the ground is dry a foot down, which is about where we planted her. With a couple of large logs on top to deter the animals from excavating. Rest in peace little duck. Thank you for being with us and giving us so much pleasure and so many eggs. I know you had a pretty good duck life while it lasted. Lots of water time and friends and a comfy place to live and lots of grazing opportunities. You got the short end of the stick on the lesson learned and for that I am truly sorry.

On one hand, I am glad it was a raptor and not a dog or something that would have just killed the duck for fun. On the other, a raptor is a menace because it is so difficult to protect against. It could pretty much strike at any time that they are out. I am hoping this immature bird is on his way some place else. Since he didn't really get much of a chance to eat his prize, I am hoping he sees it as a lot of risk for not much reward.

He did come back later to tuck back in to his dinner, but the body was buried by then. He looked confused. Had that, "I know I left that thing here somewhere look" for a while. No kidding, he was standing on the ground and must have been 2 feet tall. Freaky.

He left the grass and flew to a low branch, I guess to get a better look at what was going on. That is when the blue jays found him. I have never much cared for blue jays, but today, I was totally cheering them on today. Those brave little birds were dive bombing that raptor. It was sitting there in a tree, and first there was one jay, calling and swooping, and then another joined in. Then a wood pecker came along, and another jay, and they were making such a racket and giving that bird so much grief, that he left. Flew off to some high place where blue jays don't follow. And I hope he stays there, though I heard him calling later in the afternoon.

Raise your glass to a happy little duck. And cross your fingers that this raptor doesn't make a habit of this.