We are still getting tomatoes and Jimmy Nardello peppers. The tomato with the green/yellow stripes on the bottom is a chocolate stripes tomato.
Happily, the melons keep ripening. Although, half the plants have died at this point by animal intervention.
The yellow tomatoes are Kelloggs Breakfast which as a later variety generally gets processed rather than eaten individually.
The squashes seem to have given up at this point, so the whole row will get pulled soon. But surprisingly the cucumbers are still producing. It seems like the yellow and black striped cucumber beetles have moved on.
A little bell pepper also got picked on Saturday, along with these just ripening tomatoes. I'm still picking the tomatoes early, but the squirrels seem busy with their manic digging these days. And of all craziness, the squirrels chewed a huge huge hole at the tope of our gas can for the lawn mower. It was shocking. Must have just happened this past week. We need to get one of those fake owls to scare them off but I keep forgetting to pick one up.
I spent Saturday and Sunday roasting ripe tomatoes layered on parchment with sweet peppers, onions, garlic, and basil that were drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with a touch of sea salt. After each tray spent four hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven they got put through the blender. And we ended up with 4 gallons of blended sauce with minimal work over 2 days which all got frozen. It was a nice way to use up all the tomatoes in the fridge and on the countertop, now there's just the tomatoes that were picked Saturday.
There's a recipe for double chocolate zucchini bread I'm going to try on Tuesday along with my mother-in-laws recipe for zucchini bread. They both should freeze well.
Please join us at
Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres.
22 comments:
It's nice to see all those summer vegetables. Too bad about the pesky squirrels (we just have chipmunks eating the tomatoes). I'm well aware of squirrels ability to chew. Twice they have chewed through my soffit vents in an attempt to get into the attic. I was happy when the hawks moved in and shredded them all to feed their babies.
Your tomato sauce recipe sounds delicious. May try with my remaining cherry tomatoes.
The harvests look great, especially glistening with "dew-drops." We of course have squirrels, but they really don't seem to do much in the garden. Chipmunks, on the other hand...
Wow, am I happy that I don't have to deal with your squirrels, the rats are bad enough. Roasted tomato sauce is one of my favorite ways to deal with a glut, it's so easy and super delicious! Your tomatoes are beautiful. I have to buy them at the farmer's market because I'm still waiting for mine to ripen, just a few little ones have trickled in so far.
That's a crazy squirrel to chew through a gas can! Although we had squirrels chew through ignition wires in DH car... he was not happy about that. All your tomatoes look delicious and I also like making roasted tomato sauce- it is easy and delicious.
Those are some lovely tomatoes! And I do feel your pain with the squirrels (aka tree rats). Like Julie, I had them chew through the wires on my truck. I suspect they also caused a problem with my gas line on the truck. Maybe they have a thing for gasoline?!? The roasted tomatoes sounds like a good treatment. I have roasted them for sauce before but not with other things like peppers and onions.
We are waiting, patiently for our first ripe tomatoes. I really would love to be able to grow melons.
I'm envious of your tomatoes although mine should come soon enough (if not nibbled away as sometimes happens here). I concur, that roasted tomato sauce sounds great, and I'll make a note of it for later.
What a wonderful sounding recipe for your roasted tomato sauce. Thanks so much for sharing! You have inspired me to give it a try.
I don't know what it is with the squirrels lately, but they've been doing a lot of digging in my garden too ever since last fall. I just noticed yesterday some freshly dug up areas in the blueberry bed...so annoying! And that roasted tomato sauce sounds so good! I don't have enough tomatoes yet to get going on sauces, but it won't be too much longer.
Hi David,
That's insane that they tried to chew through your house, I didn't realize squirrels could be so destructive. At our old house we had hawks too, so we never had problems with them.
I hope the chipmunks aren't getting all of your tomatoes, it's a bit disheartening going out and finding your tomatoes ravaged.
Hi Susan,
I have to admit roasting the tomatoes and freezing the sauce is so much easier than cooking and canning tomatoes on the stove.
It's terrible you had to replace your raised beds due to termites, but at least you got a lot of use out of them.
Hi Eight Gate,
I haven't had squirrel problems before this year, so I'm kind of at a loss. Your giant potato is so inspiring, makes me wonder what else lies under there.
Hi Michelle,
Tomatoes seem to take forever unless there's lots and lots of heat to hurry them along. Your plants are setting tons of fruit, they seem very lush and happy. And I'm really glad they're starting to contain the forest fire near you.
Hi Julie,
Squirrels chewing through car wires sounds horrific. So awful to imagine.
We probably need to get a freezer eventually, but it's nice that the house stays cool when roasting at such low temperatures.
Hi Dave,
Squirrels are insane, it must have been terrible getting the wiring and gas line fixed. I wonder if they were trying to get inside your truck.
I've been trying to use up our basil in the tomato sauce, but there's still tons so maybe pesto is in order.
Hi Sue,
This is our first real success growing melons, normally I plant them way too close together. Then again, it could be that this variety is just easier to grow and earlier to ripen. Hopefully your tomatoes will start ripening soon.
Hi Susie,
It's so easy roasting the tomatoes in the oven and it doesn't heat up the house like a hot pot on the stove does. I just leave the cherry tomatoes whole and cut the bigger tomatoes into wedges.
Hi Lexa,
Be sure to line the pan with parchment and cut the tomatoes into wedges, the cherry ones are just left whole. So easy. I'll probably spend this weekend roasting tomatoes again, maybe roasting eggplant, and try making pesto with the gobs of basil we have in the garden.
Hi Margaret,
Your tomato and pepper plants are doing so well, you'll be swimming in tomatoes soon. Our tomato plants are near the end, the vines are starting to die off so they'll need to get cleaned out soon as well.
It all looks great! I had to look up Jimmy Nardello peppers, as that is new to me. Our tomatoes are mostly done now. The vines are dead or dying but a few tomatoes are still ripening. I'm really going to miss them.
Hi Bill,
It's definitely moving towards fall and all things summery are near their end. It looks like you had a fantastic year for tomatoes and melons.
Our tomatoes are done, but I got to put up a little frozen tomato sauce and pesto this year which is a first for us. (Normally we can tons and tons of salsa, hopefully next year.)
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