Let the tomatoes begin

The weeks since my last post have been full of activity. Leaf hummus, coffee grounds and egg shells have been applied to the garden, raising the soil level a total of one inch. Thanks to a fellow gardener, a fresh mix of compost was spread around the tomato plants. All of the plants show growing signs of green appreciation. The heirloom Cherokee tomato plant located in the northwest corner of the garden finally began to get larger but no fruit yet. Sweet Million and grape tomatoes ripen regularly now, providing a delicious addition to our backyard garden lettuce. The Sun Gold and Brandywine tomatoes all have swelling green fruits with flowers still blooming.

Even with frequent trimmings, basil plants remain abundant; I left one stem of each basil plant to flower, providing an invitation to my garden for pollinating bees. Fresh basil can be used in pasta dishes, salads, marinades, soups, and stews; the possibilities for cooking with herbs are endless. With a total of four basil plants, two at the community garden and two in backyard pots, I have leftovers; I remove each leaf, spread them on a paper plate and let them dry for about a week, turning occasionally; dried basil is then put into a zip tight bag and put into the deep freeze for use all winter long.

Five Romanian sweet peppers were harvested from a thriving plant. At about three inches long, these yellow bell shaped peppers will be stuffed with grass-fed ground beef and pork mixed with white rice and tomato for dinner. Unlike traditional stuffed green peppers, Romanian peppers will add a sweeter taste. Also, using grass fed meat reduces cooking time and temperature and has a significantly lower amount of fat; this will allow me to bake the stuffed peppers on the grill instead of heating my kitchen by turning on the oven. As far as the other pepper plants in my garden are concerned, they still need more TLC.

Cabbage plants that have been eaten by an uninvited guest show signs of hope with a reduction in small holes. No, I haven’t done anything to deter the problem; no beer traps or diluted dish soap spray. Cabbage plants and I have a long, rocky history, usually ending in surrender to persistent pests. I have tried everything recommended to me over the years, so this year I decided to do nothing.

This brings me to three dying cantaloupe plants located in the northeast corner of our plot. I dug them out, built 3 mounds with leaf hummus provided by the community garden, replanted and watered with a healthy dose of worm juice. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.