I found out I can begin harvesting my potatoes because the leaves are yellowing and/or withering away. I also found out that I can leave them in the ground for storage and safe-keeping—unless I have moles or voles (in which case, I need to harvest now to beat them to the goods).
I decided to pilfer a few and check them out:
Not too shabby for a late bloomer! And so tasty too!
I harvested my garlic last weekend. I wasn’t sure it was done, but other people in my zone were harvesting theirs, the stalks were starting to brown, and it seemed like the thing to do.
This was my entire yield:
Cute little things.
For comparison, these big ones are from Missy’s:
Missy’s mom is a real farmer. But don’t let the size fool you–these little cuties were packed with flavor and went quite well with my sautéed escarole!
I wish I could tell you what kind of garlic this is, but I don’t recall the name. I can tell you that I got the seed cloves from Bluestone Farm last fall.
I confess, this isn’t a serious grow-your-own year at Late Bloomers Farm. I have five to eight oaks in my yard that prevent me from getting the kind of sunlight it takes to grow things. Hence, one half of the Late Bloomers double entendre.
There are a few sunny spots and this is what I have growing in them:
The Basil Boat: Thai, Italian, and purple
Potted herbs: sage, rosemary, and thyme and oregano, tarragon, and a pepper.
And a couple of garlic plants, because I wanted to try it out.
And potatoes because they wanted to be planted.
At least that’s the sense I got while they were living in the pantry.
So, to supplement my potatoes and herbs, I’ll continue to frequent my farmers markets and farms this season and be grateful they feed me.
My how time flies when you’re having fun. I will do my best to recap our bounty from these past few CSA weeks.
August 26 was the tenth week of our CSA (Waldingfield Farm, pick-up point Sandy Hook Organic Farmer’s Market). Our bounty is here:
September 2 was the eleventh week of our CSA. I have no picture and will do my best from memory. We scored:
– red lettuce
– eggplant
– tomatoes, lots and lots
– and more…I can’t remember…sorry.
September 9 was the twelfth week of our CSA. Alas, no picture. We scored:
– huge white potatoes
– purple potatoes
– eggplant
– green beans
– a wide assortment of tomatoes
Tonight’s local dinner (no formal challenge) was:
– Chicken from McEnroe, roasted with Waldingfield tomatoes. We found McEnroe’s Organic Farm Market in Millerton, NY on our way back from VT. They have everything!
– a roasted vegetable medley: golden beets (I can’t remember whose, but they were definitely local), potatoes, carrots (the potatoes and carrots were actually from our own garden. See:
