A Little Garden Update

The garden is growing splendidly! Here are a few pictures for you. I know you have been dying to see some!

From top left: A crazy looking marigold, beans blooming, a perfect looking cucumber, and tomatoes waiting to turn

Sugar snap peas. I love these things. I only wish that more grew on a vine. These are all gone. They don't do well in the heat. I will plant more in the fall.

The first mess of bush beans this year. They are Roma. I always wish that I had planted more!

Juliette tomaotes. The first blush.

Figs starting to swell.

What's growing on your garden?

Tomatoes

The garden is starting to provide it's bounty. The Juliette tomatoes are coming in really fast. They are a yummy tomato kind of like a cross between a Roma and a grape tomato. My mom gave me a bunch to do something with as she was trying to figure out what to do with the large amount that she still had. I didn't want to take the time to blanch and peel them, chop them, cook them and make sauce. So I tried dehydrating them. They were suppose to end up like sun dried tomatoes.

Here is one tray ready to place on the dehydrator. I cut the tomatoes in half, leaving a bit of skin still attached and opened them like a book.

Here are a couple of trays stacked together. I think that the tomatoes look just lovely, but there was no way that I could eat them all at one time. Into the dehydrator you go!

Now we wait............... then rotate the trays. I also started to pick off the ones that were already dried so that they didn't become too crispy.

And here they come.........

Beautiful! And tasty. I plan to use them just as I would sun dried tomatoes. I might put some of these in olive oil with some spices. That makes them quick and easy to use in pasta or on pizza. I might also try putting them just like they are into sauces and stews.

I might even crumble them onto salads like bacon bits. I ended up making them slightly crispy. You don't want them too chewy or they might contain moisture that can cause them to grow mold. I am storing mine in the freezer and refrigerator just to be on the safe side.

I found this way of storing tomatoes very delicious and very easy. If you have a bountiful harvest I highly recommend drying some. You want to make sure that you use a variety of tomato that isn't very juicy, but is meaty. I think that you will enjoy them if you try them. As I start using them in recipes, I will let you know what I think. I want to come up with some creative ways to use them.

For now, I am off to slice up more and load up the dehydrator so that we can enjoy a bit of summer later on in the year.

Let Them Eat Cake!

The chickens love being outside. They are starting to really explore the yard. Here is Trace followed by Edith, Xena, Hunca Munca, Daisy, Elroy, and Hyacinth.

Jemima and Trace pecking away. This is the good life!

I fought to keep them out of my tomatoes for a long time. One day I decided to let them have their cake and eat it too. They seem to be addicted and strangely attracted to my tomato plants. I have a hard time keeping them away. It is mostly because of these two instigators~ Elroy and Trace. Here they are having almost eaten a whole green tomato.

Here is the view from above. Another fellow has joined them. Mind you, they have to jump up and down to reach this tomato. They don't mind. Bring on the challenge! After devouring this one they have been jumping trying to get one that is even higher up the vine. Oh, my! What have I done?

Most everyone sticks together. These girls and boys are hanging out eating my squash and enjoying the shade from their leaves.

What naughty chickens! I still shoo them away. I try anyway. I can't blame them for liking the good stuff. I might have to fence in my veggies. I don't want to. We'll see how long I can take it.

Stay tuned..... they move into the coop soon!