Discussion Board

We're just NOW starting to get enough tomatoes to do something with. We made gazpacho soup last night, about a gallon of it! It was so fresh and delicious. Now when I come in from the garden I have small amounts of many different things--a regular hodge-podge of odds & ends!

We had our first small eggplants and a handful of okra--with that and zucchini we made a nice curry. A few jalapenos, a few cukes, some dill...we dug some potatoes for potato salad this Sunday. I have just enough small drying tomatoes I may start the dehydrator soon.

The coolest thing I'm picking right now is long beans that are RED! They are so pretty! I have a whole bagful. I haven't decided if I will try to can any beans--I would like to but am not sure if there will be enough to make it worthwhile.

Things are starting to pick up! Are you enjoying delicious summer food from your garden?

ooo let me know what color the red beans turn when cooked. I am guessing these are like green beans or pole beans, you get the pod. Not like beans such as crowder peas.

Anyway, tonight I get to have my first off the vine tomato and it's a sandwich. That is dinner. My cherries are doing great. When really red they are so good. I am so happy I put them in.

I am still dehydrating squash, plus gave five away. This is from three plants. I can't believe it. They just keep producing and producing.

Faith, the bean I'm growing is called "Chinese Red Noodle Bean" and it's gorgeous. Even the flowers are lovely! The beans are bright red on the vine and when you cook them they turn dark maroon or purple. I am picking them when they are almost as thick as a pencil. Here's a picture from Baker Creek seeds (3rd one on the list):
http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Long-Beans
We saute these with garlic and eat them with rice. We've also added them in to other sautees, like with zucchini, etc.

I am glad you're having such a great squash harvest--it's so satisfying when you can dry some! My plants haven't been too productive this year and one of them has just croaked. However, I planted some more and there's still plenty of time to get a second crop so I am hopeful.

We could use some rain here--I have watered all the veggies but there are some new raspberry bushes that will have to be watered if there's no rain in the next day or two. There's no drip hose there, so it's just a chore I was hoping to avoid!

Those are so pretty. That should would get the neighbors asking. Right above your noodle pic is one like I was talking about. They called it cowpeas, but it looks like a red crowder pea. I never ate the pods, but maybe you are suppose to.

Yes, me and squash. Really this area and squash. Funny I got one small tiny squash plant that got stunted, due to my crowding too much in (on purpose). Would you believe this tiny plant is producing, and it's producing the tiny squash that Whole Foods or other markets charge a arm and leg for. I'm think hmmmmm so that's how they do it.

Those red beans are producing a LOT. Some green beans of a similar type I planted in a different location are not producing nearly as much. Do pole-bean types usually produce a heavy crop? This is just about the first time I've grown them. I am thinking of expanding the trellises and growing more, maybe trying different types next year. I'm using trellises made of pipe, very simple--got the idea from the Square Foot Gardening book. They just slide into the soil next to an edging board in my raised beds.

Congrats on discovering how to grow 'baby squash.' Coooool. Just think how that increases the value of your harvest!

yes pole beans do produce more. The regular green beans that are grown as pole beans are different. It reminds me of when I was a kid that was the only fresh green beans I knew. I always had to prep the beans for my grandmother to can. I'd sit there for hours. Sometimes she'd come out and join me and we'd just visit. I like the taste better than bush beans. But bush are easier.