Harvesting
This truly is my favorite time of year. Changing leaves and cooler temperatures feel like renewal and abundance to me. Perhaps it is those 16 years of starting school in the fall or these last few years of seeing farmer’s tables sag beneath the weight of tomatoes and greens as we began to know seasonal eating.
This year we are seeing it in our own garden and the squirreling away is a daily occurrence in the kitchen. Twenty pounds of potatoes were dug from the ground like treasures. Our two little men couldn’t have been more excited to work alongside their papa. We sliced a bunch of them thinly and fried them in coconut oil. Homemade potato chips were all we ate that night.
These Tokyo Long White Bunching Onions have been our cooking and eating onions for the last two months. As tall as our two year old, the tops are used for fresh eating and the bottoms will be dehydrated over the weekend.
Large heads of Blonde Du Cazard lettuce are cut and combined with the slow but constant stream of cherry and roma tomatoes. Yellow of Parma Onions, though not large in our shallow beds, have produced 30 or so smallish onions – enough for weeks of cooking.
Oregano, garlic, and lettuce flowers (for seed) are drying on twine that runs across our living room; a constant reminder of the blessings of God’s provisions. I think it’s prettier than any picture I could hang on the wall.
Today will hold preparations for the Sabbath, cutting onions for the dehydrator while little hands lay them out, and a big pot of chicken cacciatore and maybe some muffins. The weekend will involve more dehydrating, planting, and tomato-canning, Lord willing.
I am loving this full, abundant time of year. What are you harvesting?
I just wanted to let you know, what you are doing looks SO cool!!! I wish I were that awesome of a person to get that done, but as for now, I’m just glad I can read and research it. Great blog!!!
Shannon, I’m wondering what are you’re in that you’re still able to grow lettuce this time of year. I’ve never even tried lettuce, but would LOVE to have fresh greens year round. We’re in GA and from everything I have read, it would be too hot here during summer to keep lettuce going.
Any thoughts or opinions?
Christi – We are in MI. We have been able to grow it pretty much since early fall here, with the exception of a few hot weeks in July. We are also putting together a hoop house to continue growing through fall and maybe winter.
@Shannon, That’s awesome! I hope you’re able to continue growing – and I’d love to see the hoop house. Thanks!
Oops – that should have said ‘what AREA you’re in’.
We’re still bringing in tomatoes, watermelons, mixed melons, and green beans, although the season is almost done. We’ll be digging carrots on potatoes soon. I picked some plantain seeds and spinach seeds to keep for next season, green bean seeds, too. I’m drying an assortment of herbs – lemon balm, chocolate mint, tulsi, stevia, sage. Garlic got dug last week, hopefully onions will be dug and drying next week. Pumpkins will come in before hard frost, sunchokes after. Assorted flower seed heads, ground cherries, kale, Swiss chard….ummm…my garden is messy, but prolific … 🙂
In our few pots at the place we’re renting we’re harvesting carrots, a few peas and I’m waiting for four very late tomatoes to turn red! The sneaky little bunny has eaten all my spinach…
I am so thankful to have found this website. To hear of a woman after my own heart…JESUS and gardening and herbalism and and….
Thank you for your encouragement in the seasons of my life.
May The Lord bless you abundantly, as He has!
Blessings
Kathryn
I love this time of year too! I think it was because the start of the school year was always like a new beginning. Fall is my best season. Looking forward to digging up our potato plants!
Shannon,
Have you done a post on collecting and preserving seeds for next year’s garden? Can you recommend a how-to website?
Thank you!
Kate – That’s a great topic. We are novices and just wing it, but I really should mention something about that. Thanks!