In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen

Apples are the headliner and we harvested another ten pounds of the ‘Dorsett Golden’ over the weekend. This is the first crop and there are hints of a second with blossoms appearing on the espaliered tree. I’ll be in the kitchen again this week. I’m thinking a pear-apple crisp to be shared with neighbors in a distanced outdoor visit and more rhubarb-applesauce for the freezer; and I really need to make the kumquat marmalade and strawberry guava jam from the puree in the freezer.

I spiced this batch of rhubarb-applesauce with orange zest from one of our last oranges, ground ginger and fresh grated nutmeg. It’s a nice variation on the standard.

I delivered apples to neighbor families for baked apples last week. A single friend got a bouquet and a large apple.

My husband did a patient daily sort of the remaining apricots last week, setting out those that needed to be eaten “today.” We were both sorry to consume the last of the 78 pounds harvested this year.

Here’s the apricot-lavender shrub I made recently. I went to grab an apricot for the photo shoot and learned my husband had eaten the last one. I chided him that we should have a ceremonial last apricot event. Of course, he didn’t know I had need of one for the photo. I did have an apricot rose that became the stand-in. I’ll do a post soon showing my process for the shrub. You can also read about my Lavender-Kumquat Shrub. I’ve decided shrubs are a refreshing summer treat and can understand why the colonists preserved their excess summer fruit this way.

I pulled the ‘Royal Burgundy’ bush beans last week and these are the scrappy remains. Since they seem to tolerate cooler weather, I’ll plant more in August.

There’s an efficiency to my meal-planning during Covid-19 times. Almost nothing is wasted, though I reluctantly composted a cucumber from my Imperfect Foods box that escaped my attention amidst all the apricots.

Here, leftover salmon, joins with the last of the ‘Jericho’ lettuce, tomatoes from a neighbor and my green beans for my riff on a nicoise salad.

I had promised various garden gifts to neighbors, so headed out recently with strawberry guava jam, apricots, orange marmalade and guava paste.

This is my first bouquet of ‘Queen Red Lime’ zinnias from Johnny’s Seeds. I’m smitten with these zinnias and like the pairing with parsley flowers and native red buckwheat.

You may enjoy seeing what other garden bloggers harvested last week at Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres.

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