In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen
Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and now the corn. It is high summer. These are the first two ears we had for dinner last week and they were nearly perfect—maybe the best tasting I’ve ever grown.
‘Sugar Pearl’ is well adapted to our coastal location and my growing requirements. It is early and the plants only grow to about 5 feet. ‘Sugar Pearl’ was bred for specialty markets where taste is the prime criteria. It does not disappoint. Some ears are smaller like these at about nine inches but no matter in my opinion.
I followed my own advice in last week’s post, When Is Corn Ready to Pick? The two most reliable signs for me are the dried silk and milky appearance of the kernel fluid when punctured with a fingernail. I also stay alert when the crop nears the “days to harvest” date.
This is a typical day’s harvest of the ‘Emerite’ pole beans and ‘Royal Burgundy’ bush beans. My sister mentioned that she and her three school-age grands were going to make dilled pickled green beans together from some of her ten pound harvest. I am done with canning and jamming for the season so, for simplicity, I chose the refrigerated version.
I first did a sort of several days’ harvest. The largest pile became the dill-pickled green beans. The thinner pile was set aside for a special dinner and some to the freezer. The chunkier ones were chopped for soup and the smallest pile was set aside for a neighbor’s guinea pigs.
With extra brine I made pickled red onions as well.
Every summer during green bean (and tomato) season I make this gem of a salad, Poached Salmon Nicoise, from Sunset Magazine. Last night was the appointed time.
The warmer and sunnier days keep the zinnias and heirloom tomatoes happy. The ‘Early Girl’ and black cherry tomatoes are also productive, though all the tomato plants look horrid. Still there’s enough photosynthetic area near the top to keep them going. I live in a fog belt.
A week ago I was harvesting three or four of these lovely cukes and knocking on doors in the ‘hood to distribute. That has changed now and the three plants, having given their best, are dying. Time to make tzatziki before the season ends.
And oh the ephemeral cosmos, you cheer me. Here ‘Seashell Blend’ from Botanical Interests.
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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