Somewhere Between…

We’re in a between place -  it’s not quite summer and it’s not quite fall.

The days are warm and sunny, but the nights are cool and crisp.

School has started, but we’re still wearing shorts and t-shirts.

Melon

My garden is still producing summer crops – like these cantaloupes – all eight of them harvested on one day!

But my fall crop of  apples in the orchard are already starting to ripen.

We picked 5 tubs of apples from a neighbor’s tree this week and canned almost 50 quarts of applesauce – and still have 3 tubs to work up.

Apples

The pears aren’t far behind them.

The cicadas are singing and the world is starting – very slowly – to turn brown.

One season is closing and another is just beginning.

A part of me is ready for the schedule and structure of the fall – yet another part of me already misses the freedom of the summer.

While my mouth still waters for another taste of meat on the grill, I find myself lingering over recipes for warm comforting casseroles and rich thick stews.

We’re hanging in the “between” right now, enjoying the sunshine and beautiful breezes.

For just a little while we can forget the heat and humidity of the past months and the cold and snow that are surely in our future.

Yes, we are most definitely somewhere between and I think it’s a pretty sweet place to be!

Cilantro and Fresh Salsa

I am hooked on fresh cilantro!

I had never had it until a few years when my sister Teresa brought it to a family gathering. Now it can’t be summer without it!

I actually bought a plant this year so I could start some of my own, but my mom assures me it grows just fine from seed.

My favorite way to use it is cut up with fresh tomatoes, green peppers, onions and garlic in a salsa.

Served with chips or on top of taco it brings the fresh taste of summer right to my dinner table!

Back in the Garden Again…

compost for gardenWe were finally back in the garden again this week. The higher portions were dry enough to work but the lower third was still mud.

I had to go through and pull out all the grass that was growing in the rows where the plants should be. Which meant that there wasn’t much for plants there.

I discovered the germination wasn’t good. There are just a few small corn plants in each row and a handful of green beans. I didn’t see any watermelon or cantaloupe, but several squash and pumpkin plants came.

I’m not sure at this point what, if anything, I should replant. I did get some more corn planted and filled in the green bean rows. It seems a little late for the melons, however.

As for the other plants, the peas look okay, just a little brown from too much water but they are putting on blossoms and peas. The tomatoes in the higher parts of the garden look great and even have little tomatoes on them, The ones in the wetter section are slowing drowning. Same thing for the peppers, both sweet and hot.

The cabbages are looking great, but the broccoli and cauliflower (planted a little lower) look brown and water logged.

Sounds like a mixed bag of results for the garden this year. But I have nothing to complain about! I’m just thankful I’m not a farmer! We’ll enjoy whatever we can of the fruits of our labor and rejoice that we don’t depend on it for survival.

But I may still mourn, just a little bit, about my melons…