where is the sun?

summer salad

 

So after the high-calorie halo-halo merienda with Rick, I thought I'd flatten the curve a little bit by making a summer salad of sorts with stuff I had brought in from the backyard: tomatos, squash, chives, basil and peaches (from my neighbor Dennis' tree). Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, garlic salt and crushed red pepper completed the concoction. I am happy.

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sweet!

Today's harvest.

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halo-halo

Halo-halo at Conching's with Rick Simon today. The corn+cheese ice cream topping is the best. The ube ice cream is good, too, Rick said.

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airport day

salsa maybe...

Just thinking of what I can make out of what came in from the veggie patch today...

summer is here

veggie diaries: tomato tragedy

Had to break a couple of vines to save the rest. One red-ish tomato
found. It was windy yesterday so I guess one of the poles broke and
the biggest tomato plant collapsed. Had to jerry-rig the whole thing
in the dark tonight so the other tomatos are not resting on the ground
and the big plant doesn't kill the small ones. Can't handle the
excitement. It's just too much. :)

lessons from the farm

On this 4th of July, as I contemplate my potential independence from the overpriced produce section of Vons and Ralphs, I am jarred back into reality by the realization that when you raise vegetables without chemical pesticides, you also raise the pests that feed on them.





Lesson 1: When the planting instructions say 12 inches apart, you plant them 12 inches apart.
I had to cut off the vine a few tomatos that were being eaten out from the inside. There were a few more I couldn't reach because of the thick foliage.




Lesson 2: Don't over-water.The yellow squash is still struggling from persistent mold caused by too much watering. I picked a stunted runt of questionable edibility. (Is that a word?) The zucchini, though, is incredibly healthy (note the oversized monster in the basket) and they are growing right next to the yellow squash.





Lesson 3: Don't plant all your seeds at the same time. I will have to organize a lettuce party one of these days because I cannot eat all these greens in one sitting.





Lesson 4: Keep your eyes open for surprises. I finally see some corn flower sprouting on some stalks. Who knows what pest or mold I should expect to see in a day or two. I am looking forward to at least one corn on the cob come autumn if I keep my eyes on these flowers.

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