I'm hunting for tomato & pepper recipes this week. It looks like we're going to have about 2 dozen purple, yellow & orange bell peppers, and about 6 dozen regular, cherry & yellow tomatoes in about a month. Here's what everything looked like on Saturday. Here are our veggies. I'm rather upset about the lack of growth with the carrots, but I think that's what we get for sowing last year's seeds. But the tomatoes & peppers are gonna make up for that MANY times over!
And our herb side. The cilantro was ravaged by a squirrel... and I don't think it's coming back this time. But check out my lemonbalm & basil!!! And the pumpkins in that blue pot are finally starting to catch up to the ones on the other side; next week we ought to be able to pull them through the squirrel guard as well. And our lettuce (we already harvested one pot... and re-planted it!) & mint-zilla. I'm going out next week to weed a bit in Mom's garden & she said I could take some chocolate mint home for our other strawberry pot... I sure hope I can find it!!!
My husband is already talking about next year... he wants to see a bit MORE! We sat down & came up with a potential garden plan for next year.
That's the best news of all! Mine has taken some heavy casualties in the Bug Wars but next year I'll be better prepared for them. Looks like the no-kill idea is going to be slow in developing, I'll give them some of the garden but they seem to want the whole thing. It's been twenty years since I lived where I could garden, I've got a lot of re-learning to do but it sure is fun ... and tasty.
You need to be using some of that basil or it's going to go to seed. Looks great, but don't count your peppers and tomatos till they are in the kitchen.
Gardener, I've been using basil absolutely every day! I think I'm gonna have to dry some... I can't keep up & I didn't realize I was that close to the seed "thing." Another thought... I've heard that you can freeze it in baggies with a paper towel or something like that. Has anyone done that or do you know if that would be more like fresh basil?!? love, mom
Yeah I freeze it all the time, but I usually throw it in the food processor and cut it up a little first. Then it's ready for the pesto sauce right away.
Hey, that's good to know! I never knew you could freeze basil... I only have two little plants, a basil and a cinnamon basil, that I bought as established plants in 3" peat-pots. I did just find some seeds and plant more, though... I'd like to have lots, especially since we just bought a food processor and I can make pesto now!
I think I'll freeze it rather than dry it then. I don't mind dried basil... but if it'll taste fresher frozen I'd much rather! Thanks!!! love, mom
