Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Big, little, big, little

Is it possible to freeze Swiss chard?
I keep harvesting it, but clearly not fast enough. The big leaves take a little longer to cook until tender, but otherwise don't suffer in the flavor department. It works really well in lasagna, so maybe I should make a super-chardy batch and freeze that. Do you have any other ideas?

Meanwhile, my fall bush beans have so far only produced a micro-crop. These things are tiny. I'm hoping they manage to bulk up a bit before the first frost.
My Rancho Gordo cellinis on the other hand ...
Look at 'em! They're ginormous. And they're everywhere. I didn't stay on top of trellising them, so they have colonized the oregano, the tomatoes and a a lilac bush adjoining the garden. Once the pods dry out a little more, I'll pick and shell them. With cleaner hands.
We had a bunch of rain the other day. As soon as it stopped, the bees got back to business.
How is it that the summer went by so fast? It seems strange to go so quickly from garden anticipation ("Come on, harvest!") to garden desperation ("Oh god, please don't let it snow for a few more weeks yet.").

8 comments:

  1. I love the picture of the bee. How did you do that?

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  2. Your swiss chard looks great, as do the cellini beans. Nice!

    Summer is fleeting. Fall seems to be right around the corner here although our first frost is usually mid-November, sometimes later.

    I spend a good chunk of every year waiting for spring and summer and then another good chunk of the year mourning the passing of summer. As much as I like fall, I'm always sad to see summer end.

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  3. I thought I had commented here - maybe it got lost in the ether or I never hit submit. Cook it and then freeze it. I have two recipes for chard on my blog. Both very easy.
    With lentils
    With toor dal and coconut milk - you can omit the asafetida.

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  4. db, the older you get the faster they go ...

    Thanks, zoomie, duck and jonathan! Duckie (or Blondie?) I just used the macro setting on my camera. There are enough bees around that if I aim at one flower for long enough, a bee will come along for a portrait.

    Julie, I feel the same way. I do like the cooler temps, but it reminds me that frost and snow are just around the corner.

    Thanks, manisha! I will give those a try.

    Claire, there's always next year. That's my mantra.

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