It’s another week of “last things” with few prospects of “first things” from the garden. Temperatures in the upper 80′s aren’t suitable for planting winter crops so my harvests may be thin for the coming weeks.

It’s the end of the season for my rhubarb so I did gathered about five pounds over the week for compote mixed with guava puree. I reserved some stalks for a dessert which I’ll make later today. 

After my first harvest and following a few especially hot days the plant looked like this. I hope it’s not succumbing to the borytis fungal disease. Calling Master Gardeners to discuss.

A final salad of arugula, red lettuce and cucumbers. (Good thing my tolerance for some bitterness is high). Hazelnuts, a gift from my Northwest sister, remind me of good times on my Oregon visit last month. 

The weather cooled somewhat today and I decided to make my favorite minestrone from the original Moosewood Cookbook. 

Various vegetables lingered in the fridge like these carrots, probably harvested in June and suitable only for cooking. Add to the minestrone a handful of green beans, one Japanese eggplant and some bell pepper and the fridge is looking better. I have soup for two dinners and a portion to freeze. 

The zinnias and dusty miller are still going strong in the vegetable garden. A lovely swallowtail, landed on one of them but eluded a photo capture. You can imagine the scene.

You’ll find Harvest Monday at it’s new digital home, Our Happy Acres. See what other gardeners are harvesting now.