Windfall... part 2

 

Isn't the color amazing?



 

 

 

The purple color of the grape skins did not emerge until I added the skins to the warm pulp.

 

 

The pie was delicious.  So much so, I forgot to take a picture of the finished pie.

Now, I did use a store bought pie crust.  I have learned, over the years, I just can't make a pie crust.  I have tried and I do not have that ability.

DH and I ate the whole pie in two days.

Here is the recipe, below, that I used exactly and we loved it and I will make it again.

Concord Grape Pie I

In fact, one of the reviewers said that she made the filling and then froze it, so I have five more pie fillings in the freezer.

The cooler made seven pie fillings.  One we ate, one I shared with the gal who gave me the grapes and then five are in the freezer for winter.

I liked that you only use 1 1/2 cups of sugar and the pie is tart, it's not real sweet.  You taste concord grapes, not the sweetness, like welshs grape juice.

I hope that if you have concord grapes that you will try out this pie and see how good it is.

Windfall.....

I was so lucky.  A friend called me and said that her husband didn't have time to make jam with their grapes this year, would I like them?

 

SURE!

 

I had no clue how to make jam, or jelly.  But, I thought, I am not going to refuse free fresh fruit!

 

 

 

 

I had never even had Concord grapes before.  Just Welsh's concord grape juice.  BOY! Is there a difference in taste.

 

 

 

 So, I brought home a whole cooler FULL of grapes.  Pounds and pounds of grapes.  That smelled heavenly, by the way. 

 

I went to my preserving books and they all said SUGAR!  Some were 5 cups of grapes, to 5 1/2 cups of sugar.

 

I don't know about where you live, but sugar here anymore is becoming expensive AND they've reduced the package size, but not the price.

 

Then, I went to allrecipes.com, one of my favorite places and found a recipe for Concord Grape pie.

 

 

 

Yes, I said pie.  Interesting.

 

So, I began to "pop" the flesh out of the skins.  What an interesting thing.  The skins just pop right off, very easily.  Too bad apples weren't so easy.  Or tomatoes for that matter.

 

Anyway, I popped the flesh into a measuring cup and the skins went into a bowl.  I needed to save those to add back in to the pie.

 

 

 

 

Then you put the flesh into a pan and you slow heat them and mash them a bit as you go to release the juice.  You bring them to an easy boil and the flesh just kind of melts and then the pits fall to the bottom.

 

 

 

Next, you strain everything.  I used my strainer and a potato masher to get as much of the juice and pulp as I could.

 

And, because I want to keep your interest, please wait for the next post to see the out come!

Will I be sorry?

Meet my comfrey plant.  I am not sure what kind it is.  I do not think it is a bocking 14, which they say is a sterile comfrey.

 

 

I only purchased the one because I felt that I could propagate it if it doesn't self seed this year.

 

 

It is a rather lovely plant, isn't it?  I bought it from a small, local nursery.  He had lots of people as for it last year, so he got some, but wasn't sure why they wanted it.  I told him that I was looking for a local source for it to use in my compost pile.  He said he was going to look into that.

 

 

Then, I asked at another nursery and when I did, the owner said, "why do you want a weed?  I have plenty of those by my compost pile, if you want some, I'll dig them up for you,"

 



 



I planted this one at the top of the yard near the new compost pile.  In that part of the yard, there really isn't much but weeds that grow there already.  What's another "weed"?  Only with this one, I will use the leaves in my compost pile and around my garden beds as mulch.

 



Comfrey has many uses in the garden.  I have clipped a few from WIKIpedia that explain why I wanted the plant in my garden and the uses for it.

Comfrey is a particularly valuable source of fertility to the organic gardener. It is very deep rooted and acts as a dynamic accumulator,^[7] mining a host of nutrients from the soil. These are then made available through its fast-growing leaves (up to 4-5 pounds per plant per cut) which, lacking fibres, quickly break down to a thick black liquid. There is also no risk of nitrogen robbery when comfrey is dug into the soil as the C:N ratio of the leaves is lower than that of well-rotted compost. Comfrey is an excellent source of potassium, an essential plant nutrient needed for flower, seed and fruit production. Its leaves contain 2-3 times more potassium than farmyard manure, mined from deep in the subsoil, tapping into reserves that would not normally be available to plants.^[8]
There are various ways in which comfrey can be used as a fertilizer. These include:^{[9] [10]}

• Comfrey as a compost activator - include comfrey in the compost heap to add nitrogen and help to heat the heap. Comfrey should not be added in quantity as it will quickly break down into a dark sludgy liquid that needs to be balanced with more fibrous, carbon-rich material.
• Comfrey liquid fertilizer - can be produced by either rotting leaves down in rainwater for 4–5 weeks to produce a ready-to-use 'comfrey tea', or by stacking dry leaves under a weight in a container with a hole in the base. When the leaves decompose a thick black comfrey concentrate is collected. This must be diluted at 15:1 before use.
• Comfrey as a mulch or side dressing - a two-inch layer of comfrey leaves placed around a crop will slowly break down and release plant nutrients; it is especially useful for crops that need extra potassium, such as fruit bearers but also reported to do well for potatoes. Comfrey can be slightly wilted before application optionally but either way, avoid using flowering stems as these can root.
• Comfrey as a companion plant for trees and other perennials. Soil tests confirm^[11] that soil nutrients increase in the presence of comfrey even when it is not used as mulch, side dressing, or liquid fertilizer, but just allowed to grow.
• Comfrey potting mixture - originally devised to utilize peat, now environmental awareness has led to a leaf mold-based alternative being adopted instead; two year old, well decayed leaf mold should be used, this will absorb the nutrient-rich liquid released by the decaying comfrey. In a black plastic sack alternate 7–10 cm (3-4 inch) layers of leaf mold and chopped comfrey leaves. Add a little dolomitic limestone to slightly raise pH. Leave for between 2–5 months depending on the season, checking that it does not dry out or become too wet. The mixture is ready when the comfrey leaves have rotted and are no longer visible. Use as a general potting compost, although it is too strong for seedlings

I am not really sure how well this will do where I have planted it as the area is on top of a large boulder and only has a 2 inch layer of dirt on top.  I say dirt because it is an area that I have not gotten to yet, however, I did mange to put some newly made compost from the yard and the free compost I get from the county on to it and around it and it has since flowered and seems to be doing better.

I would love to know what your thoughts are, won't you leave a comment?  Thank you.

During and after

Part of my gardening plan has been water collection for this year.  In the spring, we were fortunate enough to purchase two water barrels at a good price and begin work on putting them in our back yard.

 

 

 

 

This is the area DH chose to place the water barrels, given that our yard is such a challenge.  None of our down spouts are in this area, or even on the same level as the main part of the backyard.

 

 

This spot was chosen as it is the most level, and gives me access to where a large part of the gardens are.  Those posts are four by four oak that was cut just for DH by a friend, and he carried them up the yard and cut them to size and places them.

 

 

That was back in May.  Then, life got in the way, and the hot, humid weather of summer and so this is how the yard looked until now.

 

The next four by four was put in place.  Red rock filled in the space to make it level, and the two water barrels have been placed.

 

 

It is not exactly where I would have placed them, nor are they in a spot I particularly like, but one thing I've learned after thirty years is to choose my battles and this isn't one of them,

 

 

 So next year, I have decided I will put flower containers to the "back" side of the water barrels, along the four by four and either put flowers or vegetable plants.  At least it gives me more flat growing space.

 



 

And no, the downspouts are not currently hooked up.  I told DH since it is so late in the season, lets make that our priority project for May 2015, for which, he agreed.





 

I don't have a picture of it, but we've taken both water barrels and put them elsewhere, upside down, so that water or ice and snow cannot collect in them until next spring.

Gardens are always a work in progress.  I hope that you will follow along with mine.

What is it?

I was recently at my dad's, where I have a garden as well. (I'll write more about that adventure in the coming months.)

DH and I decided to make a few raised beds there and we were working at putting in another one, so I had to do some weed removal before we could put the bed in.

So, I'm on my knees pulling away the weeds and all of a sudden a tuft of fur is revealed.  I couldn't really see anything, but all I could think was, "oh no, who have I disturbed?"

 

I didn't want to reveal too much, but I had to know, what was there.

 

 

 

It turned out to be a rabbit's nest with 7 babies in it!  What on earth are baby rabbits doing being born in mid September?!!  DH said, They're rabbits!  They're always having babies!"

 

 

I was afraid to move them, but DH insisted since they were in our way.  So, very carefully, with a shovel, I dug all around the nest and move them down about five feet from where they were.  That was when I was able to see that there were seven of them in this tiny nest and that their eyes were still closed.

 

 

I looked up on the internet and it said that if their eyes were closed that they were under 10 days old.  I stayed for four days and on that fourth day, one had it's eyes open just a tiny bit and they had grown to the size you see.

 

 

 

I was afraid that the mother would not come back, but by the second day after my moving the nest the mother had done a great job of hiding her little babies again and I knew that she was coming back to care for them.

 

My DH said we should have gotten rid of them, which I could never have done, because he felt they would eat the garden and leave nothing for us.  As far as I could tell, momma bunny had only eaten one of the cabbage plants that we had let go, so it really was not a garden loss in my book.

 

I'm glad she felt it was some place safe to have her family.  Please, remind me of that next spring and summer if my garden is eaten continually by rabbits!

Heritage Tomato

 

At the time of year when everyone is inundated with tomatoes, I just have to show you ours.

 

 

Yes, these were grown from seed.  These are the tomatoes that DS received from his friend, that he saved the seed from last year.  They are just lovely.

 

 



The size of each is perfect for sandwiches.  They are so large that they take up the slice if that is how you choose to eat them.

 

 

 

Please excuse the use of the lighter.  I needed something which I had hoped would show good scale of the size of the tomato.

 

 

On the right side of the plate, I actually cut from top to bottom one side of the tomato because I wanted to see how that would look.

 

 

 

The picture below shows a bit better.  The left side are slices from side to side.  They are so meaty and the flavor is just lovely.

 

 

I served the slices with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil from the garden.  Forgot to take a picture of it though.  I also had Italian dressing on the table, but everything was so fresh and the flavors worked so well together no dressing was needed.

 

Carrots!

 

We've got carrots!  Four different kinds of carrots!  I am so pleased.

 

 

 

 

 

If you've been following my blog at all, you know that DH made, what we call, "the trough" last year for me to plant in this year.  The depth is perfect for carrots and it would keep them above the ground so I wouldn't have to worry about carrot root fly getting them.  Plus, since the trough is on our deck, I don't have to worry about the garden rabbit getting them either.

 

 

 

 

These carrots are from the second thinning that I have done.  They are small still.  Most of them just one to three inches long.  But very nice shape and the colors are great.  I just wish my picture taking skills were better!

 

The white ones are the most fun.  People don't realize that carrots come in colors, let alone that they can look so lovely.  But the taste!  You have never tasted a carrot until you've grown them yourself.

My lonely sweet meat

 

This is my lonely Sweet Meat Pumpkin.

 



 

Why is he lonely?  Well, out of the six seeds I planted, three came up, and then all three died.

 

So, I planted another set of six, and once again three came up.  I transplanted all three in a separate hill a piece, up by the hugel in lovely rich compost.

 

Two of the plants died.

 

The last plant has grown and flowered unbelievably.  There have been TONS of blossoms.  All but two of them were males.  I almost missed this one, it was near the end of the vine.  And, there was another one, even further along the vine, but a few days later I went back to look and that one was gone.  Or so I thought.  Upon closer inspection, it was a black ball about the size of a tennis ball.

I have never grown these before.  The reason I wanted to was because I heard they store well and taste good.

Here's to hoping.  I'll be sure to keep you posted on this one.

Pictures from around the garden

 

Below is, a not so very good picture, of one of the tomatoes from the plant that DS gave me the seed.  I may have mentioned that last year, when he bought his house, a friend of his, gave him two heritage plants as a gift.  He has been growing these for many years, and apparently, he sells them for $5.00 a plant.

 

 

 

DS shared 6 seeds with me this spring, and all six seeds grew.  We/he had no idea how to collect seed last year, so I was very surprised that it worked.  All he did was open a tomato, put the seed on a paper towel, let them dry, and hid them away.

 

I shared one plant with my father and one plant with a cousin.

 

 

 

Above is Purple Petra Basil.  I am trying my hand at getting better with taking pictures.  These are the seeds of this plant and I just thought they were so beautiful.  No wonder the bees love them.

 

And here we have Fern Leaf Dill seeds.  Which, I have been successful at saving.  Pick them on a dry day and put them in an envelope for next season.  I plan to plant more dill next year to use for my refrigerator pickles.

 

Well, that's all from the garden today. 

Last Years Vegetable Garden

 

Last years vegetable garden was a true eye opener to me.

 

Carrots in October

 

 

I hadn't had a garden in many years, and I wasn't sure that with my ground and the slope, that I would be able to manage much of one.  But, with the help of my Dear Darling, and ALOT of work, we managed to have a nice yield for a first try.

 

 

Green tomatoes harvested before the first killer frost

 It makes me think about a lot of things, where growing your own food is concerned.  The past year has been not one for just my first garden in a while, but also of getting to be a "stay at home" wife.  To do that, I have had to simplify not only my "life" but our budget as well.  I had to learn to do new things and to stretch what I already know.

I learned how to use up the excess from our garden in ways I had never done before.  Such as the great tomato cake I made from all the green tomatoes that were there before the frost.

Brussel sprouts

 I learned that if I wanted to grow what we like, I had to try.  And the brussel sprouts grew just fine and we enjoyed a few harvests of them for our meals.  They were nice and fresh and they grew in our garden, they didn't travel a long distance to get here.

And more brussel sprouts

Tomatoes of several kinds that all grew well

 I love sauce, but tomatoes for me, are usually just a tomato or two on toast with Mayo and maybe some lettuce and I'm good for a year.  But, Dear Darling likes them on sandwiches, burgers and in his salads.  SO I grew a few different kinds, and we had them fresh, as well as dried and I even learned to can, on my own.  Something I am proud of and I look forward to doing next year.

Kale, never tried it before, shared it, loved it and will grow it again.

And, I learned to like Kale, as well as grow it.  I'm not really sure why I chose to grow it.  I guess it was because I had heard so much about it.  It is one of those things that takes a while to "like" it.  So at first, what I grew and harvested I gave to a friend.  She makes smoothies using Kale.  She is a cancer survivor and does what she can to eat healthy to stay healthy.  So I was so glad that I could give this to her and it would be used.  She was glad as well, as then she didn't have to buy and could use her budget towards another food item.

Then, I read about dehydrated Kale chips.  BINGO!  I was sold!  I made some, liked them and that was how the rest of the harvest was used.

Did it take a lot of time or effort to grow these things?  Well, last year, there was the time and expense of building the garden.  But as far as the actual time to grow them or the effort we put into growing them, no, there wasn't much done at all.

Now, all I can think of is this years garden and all the other "new" things I want to grow and try.  I am so excited by it all that I am having a hard time restraining myself from beginning to grow things from seed under my lights.

If you've never had a garden before, choose something you like, such as tomatoes or peppers, and grow a few in pots on your deck, patio or porch and enjoy knowing that you grew them, that they didn't travel far AND that you could.

The big spring project

We have a problem with our yard.  It's on a slope and in the past few years we've had at least one really HEAVY down pour of rain a year and so the water from our neighbors yards, who are above us, needs to go somewhere and we've found that it goes from one neighbors yard, who is the highest, into his neighbors yard, which is next door to him, but a bit lower and runs down our yard hits our house and pours down our stairs like a water fall.

Not good.

Water runs through this fence

Down past this planter

Down past the second planter

All the way down past the third planter

 

 

Wash out second year

 

 

Wash out the second year

 



Wash out second year

Wash our second year

Yes, this is how steep our yard is.  It has a lot of challenges. And since we are going to be here for a few more years, I would like to get more gardening use out of our yard.

I've been doing some reading and this year we are going to try to dig a trench at the top of the yard near the fence and put in a dry gravel bed that will run parallel with the back fence, under the fence that separates our yard and divert the water to run out the side yard without hitting the house or running down the side stairs.

Our yard, in areas where we have dug already, is mostly shale gravel with not much dirt.  Yes, dirt, not soil.  We don't know exactly how deep we will be able to dig this trench for the gravel bed, we would like to try for 12 inches, but I am not sure we will manage to get that deep.

We will also try to shape a swale, so that there is a slight berm at the bottom, or north side of the gravel bed, to help reduce the force of any downpour that may not run down the gravel bed.  I think the swale will help to disperse the water from pouring down with such force and at the same time also help to retain water in our yard and slowly disperse it over time.  On the other side of the swale I am hoping to make more garden space in the fall.

Updates to come, once spring is here.